Joe Lombardo Bio
Joseph Michael Lombardo (born November 8, 1962) is an American politician and former law enforcement officer serving as the 31st governor of Nevada since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he describes himself as a moderate Republican and is known for his long career in Nevada public service.
Before entering politics, Lombardo built a 34-year career in law enforcement with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, eventually serving as the 17th sheriff of Clark County from 2015 to 2023. He won the 2022 gubernatorial election by defeating incumbent Democratic governor Steve Sisolak and took office on January 2, 2023.
Early Life and Background
Joseph Michael Lombardo was born on November 8, 1962, in Sapporo, Japan. He is the son of a United States Air Force veteran. After living in Japan for more than a decade, he moved with his family to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1976.
Lombardo graduated from Rancho High School in 1980. He then attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering and a Master of Science in crisis management. In 2006, he also completed the 227th session of the FBI National Academy, adding to his formal training in law enforcement leadership.
Path to US Politics
After graduating from high school in 1980, Lombardo joined the United States Army. During his time in the military, he served in the Nevada National Guard and in the United States Army Reserve, ending his military service in 1986. He then joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as an officer in 1988, beginning a long career in Nevada law enforcement.
Lombardo steadily rose through the ranks at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, becoming a sergeant in 1996, a lieutenant in 2001, a captain in 2006, and assistant sheriff in 2011. He also served on the board of directors of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation from 2007 to 2014. After retiring from the force following 26 years of service, he announced his candidacy for sheriff of Clark County in December 2013, marking his entry into elected office.
Joe Lombardo Career
Early Career (1988–2014)
Joseph Michael Lombardo joined the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department as an officer in 1988 and spent the next 26 years working his way up through the department. As assistant sheriff, he led the law enforcement services group, which included divisions in charge of technical services, information technology, radio systems, and professional standards.
During this period, Lombardo made appearances on the television show Cops between 1991 and 2020. He also continued his education, completing the FBI National Academy in 2006 and later earning a Master of Science in crisis management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He retired from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 2014 after being elected sheriff.
Sheriff of Clark County Breakthrough (2015–2023)
Joe Lombardo announced his campaign for sheriff of Clark County on December 4, 2013, seeking to succeed the retiring Doug Gillespie. He won the primary and narrowly defeated the Democratic nominee, retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department captain Larry Burns, in the November 4, 2014, general election. Lombardo took office on January 5, 2015, becoming head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the combined law enforcement agency of Las Vegas and Clark County and Nevada’s largest law enforcement agency, overseeing more than 5,000 officers.
As sheriff, Lombardo decentralized the department’s detective operations, shifting detectives from centralized crime-specific units to area commands across the region. He drew public attention for his response to rising violent crime in Las Vegas, linking parts of the increase in 2016 to California’s Proposition 47, and later disagreeing with FBI director James Comey’s comments on the so-called Ferguson effect. In December 2016, he supported a high-capacity magazine ban, a position backed by the Las Vegas Sun editorial board.
Lombardo’s tenure was marked by major incidents, including his oversight of the investigation into the 2017 mass shooting at Mandalay Bay during the Route 91 Harvest music festival, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, which killed 60 people and injured 867. In 2018, he won his primary election with 73 percent of the vote and was sworn in to a second term on January 4, 2019. During his second term, he highlighted an expansion of more than 900 officers and 280 corrections officers on staff, and he defended the department’s actions during the 2020 George Floyd protests by releasing body-camera footage.
Governor of Nevada Era (2023–Present)
Joe Lombardo was sworn in as the 31st governor of Nevada on January 2, 2023, the same day Cisco Aguilar became Nevada Secretary of State and Andy Matthews became Nevada State Controller. On his fourth day in office, he signed two executive orders to remove remaining COVID-19 mandates and address workforce vacancies and wages, and on January 12 he signed two more orders aimed at reducing regulatory burdens on businesses.
In his January 23, 2023, State of the State address, Lombardo proposed a two-year $11 billion budget, the largest general fund budget in Nevada history, including $2 billion per biennium for K-12 education and a $313 million Nevada Way Fund for infrastructure. In June 2023, he signed SB1 into law, authorizing up to $380 million in public funding for a new 30,000-seat ballpark to support the Oakland Athletics’ relocation to Las Vegas, and in May 2023 he signed legislation protecting out-of-state abortion seekers and in-state abortion providers. In September 2023, he signed an executive order suspending certain minimum qualification requirements for state jobs in an effort to reduce Nevada’s 24.3 percent work vacancy rate.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Joe Lombardo’s career came in 2017, when he oversaw the investigation into the mass shooting at the Mandalay Bay and the Route 91 Harvest music festival, the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. In 2022, he won the Republican nomination for governor despite facing 11 other candidates, including former U.S. senator Dean Heller, and went on to defeat incumbent governor Steve Sisolak by 15,386 votes, securing his place as Nevada’s 31st governor.
Joe Lombardo Career Wins
Joe Lombardo’s career is defined by steady advancement through public service, from his early days in the United States Army and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to leading the department as sheriff and, ultimately, the state of Nevada as governor. His election victories reflect consistent support from Nevada voters across two major offices.
Sheriff of Clark County Highlights
Lombardo first won the office of sheriff of Clark County in the November 4, 2014, general election, narrowly defeating retired Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department captain Larry Burns. He then won the 2018 primary election with 73 percent of the vote, defeating four challengers, and was sworn in to a second term on January 4, 2019. He served as the 17th sheriff of Clark County until 2023, when he stepped aside to run for governor.
Other Wins and Achievements
Beyond his elections, Lombardo completed the 227th session of the FBI National Academy in 2006, earned a Master of Science in crisis management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and led a major expansion of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s staff, adding more than 900 officers and 280 corrections officers during his time as sheriff. In July 2025, a poll reported by The Nevada Independent found that 51 percent of Nevada voters approved of his job performance as governor.
Joe Lombardo Family
Family Background and Public Service Lineage
Joe Lombardo is the son of a United States Air Force veteran, a background that shaped his early years in Sapporo, Japan, before his family moved to Las Vegas in 1976. He went on to serve in the United States Army, the Nevada National Guard, and the United States Army Reserve, continuing a family tradition of military service before beginning his career in law enforcement.
Personal Life
Joe Lombardo was previously divorced and has one child from that marriage. He married Donna Alderson, a commercial real estate broker, in 2015. Lombardo is Catholic, and in his spare time he is an off-road racer in the SCORE International racing series.