Joe Lombardo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Lombardo
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Lombardo in 2024
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| 31st Governor of Nevada | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2023 |
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| Lieutenant | Stavros Anthony |
| Preceded by | Steve Sisolak |
| 17th Sheriff of Clark County | |
| In office January 5, 2015 – January 2, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Doug Gillespie |
| Succeeded by | Kevin McMahill |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joseph Michael Lombardo
November 8, 1962 Sapporo, Japan |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Donna Alderson
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | University of Nevada, Las Vegas (BS, MS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1980–1986 |
| Unit | Nevada National Guard United States Army Reserve |
Joseph Michael Lombardo (born November 8, 1962) is an American politician. He is currently the 31st governor of Nevada, serving since 2023. Before becoming governor, he worked in law enforcement for 34 years. He was the 17th sheriff of Clark County from 2015 to 2023. Lombardo is a member of the Republican Party.
Joe Lombardo was born in Japan. In 1976, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada. He studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He served in the United States Army before joining the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department in 1988. In 2014, he was elected sheriff. He won the election for governor of Nevada in 2022. He defeated the previous governor, Steve Sisolak, and took office on January 2, 2023.
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Early Life and Education
Joe Lombardo was born in Sapporo, Japan, on November 8, 1962. His father was a veteran of the United States Air Force. Lombardo lived in Japan for over ten years. He moved to Las Vegas in 1976 and finished high school at Rancho High School in 1980.
He attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. There, he earned a degree in civil engineering and a master's degree in crisis management. In 2006, he also completed a special program at the FBI National Academy.
Early Career
Military Service
After high school in 1980, Lombardo joined the United States Army. He served in both the Nevada National Guard and the United States Army Reserve. He completed his military service in 1986.
Law Enforcement Career
In 1988, Lombardo became an officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. He moved up through the ranks. He became a sergeant in 1996, a lieutenant in 2001, and a captain in 2006. In 2011, he was promoted to assistant sheriff.
As assistant sheriff, Lombardo was in charge of several important groups. These included divisions for technical services, information technology, and professional standards. He also served on the board of the LVMPD Foundation from 2007 to 2014. He retired from the police force in 2014 after 26 years.
Lombardo appeared on the TV show Cops several times between 1991 and 2020. One of his appearances became very popular online.
Sheriff of Clark County
First Term (2015–2019)
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On December 4, 2013, Lombardo announced he would run for sheriff of Clark County. He won the primary election. In the general election, he narrowly beat Larry Burns, a retired police captain. Lombardo became sheriff on January 5, 2015. As sheriff, he led the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. This is the largest law enforcement agency in Nevada, with over 5,000 officers.
As sheriff, Lombardo changed how detective work was done. He moved detective operations from central units to different police commands.
Second Term (2019–2023)
Lombardo won his second term as sheriff in 2018 with 73% of the vote. He was sworn in on January 4, 2019. During his time as sheriff, the police department grew. It added over 900 officers and 280 corrections officers.
In 2020, during the George Floyd protests, Lombardo's department arrested six people. They were observing a protest on the Las Vegas Strip. Governor Steve Sisolak asked for an investigation. Lombardo defended his department's actions. He released videos showing the six people acting in ways that bothered officers.
As sheriff, Lombardo earned an annual salary of $161,000. Instead of running for a third term, he decided to run for governor in 2022. Kevin McMahill took his place as sheriff.
Governor of Nevada
2022 Gubernatorial Campaign
Lombardo announced he would run for governor of Nevada on June 28, 2021. He wanted to challenge the current governor, Steve Sisolak. Lombardo faced 11 other candidates in the Republican primary. Former President Donald Trump supported Lombardo in April 2022.
Lombardo won the Republican nomination on June 14, 2022. He received 38.3% of the vote. On November 12, 2022, Lombardo was announced as the winner of the general election. He defeated Steve Sisolak by about 16,000 votes.
Time in Office
Lombardo became governor on January 2, 2023. On his fourth day, he signed two important orders. One removed remaining COVID-19 rules. The other aimed to fill job openings and improve wages for state workers. On January 12, he signed two more orders to reduce government rules. These orders stopped new rules from executive agencies, except for those about public health or safety.
In his State of the State address on January 23, Lombardo suggested an $11 billion budget for two years. This would be the largest budget in Nevada's history. He promised to spend $2 billion on K-12 education, which is a big increase. He also planned to put $313 million into a savings fund called the "Nevada Way Fund." This fund would be used for projects like roads and buildings. On March 1, he signed a law to move $70 million from the state's main fund to the education fund.
In May, Lombardo suggested requiring a voter ID to vote. This would change the current system of vote-by-mail. Democratic lawmakers said this idea would not pass.
In June, Lombardo introduced a bill to help fund a new baseball stadium in Las Vegas. The Oakland Athletics baseball team wanted to move there. The bill would use public money to help build the $1.5 billion stadium. On June 15, he signed the bill into law. This allowed the funding and building of the stadium. Supporters said it would help Nevada's economy. However, some experts believe these types of deals are not good for taxpayers.
In September 2023, many state jobs in Nevada were still empty. To help with this, Lombardo signed an order on September 18. This order temporarily removed some job requirements for state positions.
Political Positions
Lombardo describes himself as a moderate Republican.
Education
Lombardo supports checking how the education system uses its money. He said he would investigate how education funds are spent on his first day as governor.
Gun Control
Lombardo supports background checks for people buying guns. As Clark County sheriff, he also supported banning large-capacity magazines for firearms.
Voting
In an interview in April 2022, Lombardo said he did not believe there was fraud in the 2020 presidential election. He said he saw no reason to think Joe Biden was not properly elected. However, he did suggest that the election system could have fraud in it.
Healthcare
Lombardo first criticized Nevada's public healthcare option. But he has since accepted that it will be put into place. He has tried to change the plan by adding a market stabilization program.
Personal Life
Lombardo has one child from a previous marriage. In 2015, he married Donna Alderson, who works as a commercial real estate broker.
Lombardo is Catholic. In his free time, he enjoys off-road racing.
See also
- List of U.S. state governors born outside the United States
