# RESEARCH PROFILE: DANIELLE FORD (NV-GOV 2026, NO POLITICAL PARTY) **Version 1.0 · Compiled September 5, 2026 · nvgov2026.org** This profile follows the same evidence standard as the site's other candidate dossiers: every factual claim is tied to a numbered source that was retrieved and read during compilation. Where we could not obtain a document, we say so rather than fill the gap. Interpretive judgments are labeled as such. --- ## 1. Summary Danielle Ford is the third name on Nevada's November 3, 2026 ballot for governor, listed as "No Political Party" alongside incumbent Republican Joe Lombardo and Democratic nominee Aaron Ford.[1][7][32] She is a Las Vegas native, a marketing strategist by trade, a former Clark County School District (CCSD) trustee (District F, 2019 to 2023), and a sitting elected member of the Nevada State Board of Education (District 3, term ending January 2029).[1][8] She filed for governor on March 12, 2026 without a party designation, which under Nevada law kept her off the June primary ballot and sent her directly to the general election once she gathered the required 250 signatures.[3][4] Her campaign message is "systems repair": the argument that housing, schools, health care, public safety, water, energy, and government accountability fail families together and should be governed together, by a governor who "does not represent a political party."[2] Her platform is organized into six priority areas with numbered "solutions" that are mostly principles and questions rather than mechanisms, costs, or bill-level proposals.[2] Her public record is almost entirely in education governance. It includes a leading role in the 2021 firing of CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara (later reversed), a 2020 ethics complaint against Jara, a 2019 episode in which she used the term "colored students" at a board meeting and later apologized, a 2021 dispute in which she said she was excluded from board attorney meetings, and a 2022 re-election loss followed by a 2024 comeback win for the state board.[10][11][12][14][15][16] **Viability, stated plainly:** As of this writing we found no public poll that reported a result for her, no reporting of her campaign finance totals in Nevada's political press, and her own account of a TV station's debate criteria that she said would exclude her.[22][23][24] Her name sits directly between "Ford, Aaron" and "Lombardo, Joe" on the ballot, and multiple observers have flagged the potential for voter confusion.[5][6][32] --- ## 2. Biography and Career **Origins and education.** Ford describes herself as a Las Vegas native who attended eight CCSD schools and private school, left high school at 17, earned a GED, and completed beauty school, trade school, and community college.[1][2][27] By her own account she opened a skincare studio at 22, taught herself digital marketing, and later worked in SEO, video production, and modeling.[27] **Business.** In 2012 she launched a teen-mother empowerment community (the "Young Moms Club") that she says grew past 20,000 members and led to a TEDx talk.[27] By 2015 she was working as a marketing strategist delivering workshops and keynotes.[27] Her current consulting site markets AI-assisted branding services for "purpose-driven women."[27] Ballotpedia lists her career experience as marketing strategist, citing LinkedIn.[1] **Family.** She has described herself as a single mother of two children who attended Nevada public schools.[3][8] In a March 2026 interview she said her son was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle accident in 2025; her Ballotpedia survey describes navigating "medical, disability, rehabilitation, and long-term care systems after a catastrophic injury" as a formative experience for her health-care platform.[1][3] **Podcast.** After leaving the CCSD board she launched "Unraveling Education," a podcast on school-district politics, announced in May 2023.[19] She has continued it through her state board tenure.[9] --- ## 3. Electoral History | Year | Office | Result | Source | |---|---|---|---| | 2018 | CCSD Trustee, District F (general) | **Won**, 60.3% (51,191) over Kali Fox Miller | [1] | | 2022 | CCSD Trustee, District F (general) | **Lost**, 47.3% (34,218) to Irene Bustamante Adams, 52.7% | [1] | | 2024 | NV State Board of Education, District 3 (primary) | Advanced, 45.7% (31,903), first of three | [1] | | 2024 | NV State Board of Education, District 3 (general) | **Won**, 51.6% (145,973) over incumbent Rene Cantu, 48.4% | [1] | | 2026 | Governor (general, NPP) | On ballot November 3, 2026 | [1][7] | All of her prior offices were nonpartisan by law. In her 2024 state board race, however, the Nevada Current reported that "in financial filings, Ford listed her party affiliation as the Democratic Party."[9] She has since described herself as running "outside the two-party system."[2] **Funding in prior races.** Ford has consistently run low-budget campaigns. In 2022 she had raised about $12,000 by the third quarter against Bustamante Adams's roughly $54,000; her notable donors were the Be the Change PAC ($6,000) and UNLV professor Sylvia Lazos ($1,000).[17] An earlier 2022 report showed $3,793 from three individual donors.[18] In 2024 she had raised about $2,000 by September, including $1,000 from the Nevada State Education Association's political arm.[9] She has argued that money is a poor proxy for support, pointing to her 2018 win over an opponent who raised more than $53,000.[18] **Endorsements in prior races.** 2022: Nevada State Education Association, Culinary Union, SEIU, PLAN, and the National Education Association of Southern Nevada, whose president called her an "education warrior."[17][18] The Clark County Education Association (CCEA) backed her opponent, and its executive director said Ford "isn't fit to govern."[17] 2024: Nevada State Education Association.[9] 2026: We did not locate any organizational endorsement for her gubernatorial run. --- ## 4. Record on the Clark County School Board (2019 to 2023) ### 4.1 The Jara conflict Ford was one of the most persistent critics of Superintendent Jesus Jara.[9][19] - **July 2020:** Ford, Linda Cavazos, and Linda Young called a special meeting to discuss Jara's performance following disputes over school reopening; other trustees adjourned it before discussion began.[10][21] - **May 2020:** Ford filed an ethics complaint alleging Jara directed a district lobbyist to meet with a school board candidate to gather political intelligence. The lobbyist and the candidate both denied the allegation; the Ethics Commission did not comment on whether it investigated.[14] - **May 2021:** Ford voted against extending Jara's contract.[10] - **October 28, 2021:** Ford was one of four trustees who voted to terminate Jara's contract "for convenience," a mechanism that required no stated cause but left the district owing his $320,000 salary through the term.[10] Asked why, she told KTNV: "I don't know why other trustees didn't want him as superintendent anymore. All it took is four of us who didn't want him anymore."[11] She disputed that the district would necessarily pay two superintendents, pointing to internal candidates.[11] - **Aftermath:** She retweeted a mock "Celebration of Life" video for Jara's tenure from her official account, then defended it as "a well-known meme and joke."[11] The board reversed the firing weeks later in another 4-3 vote, and Jara returned December 6, 2021.[12][17] - **December 2021:** Ford said she was being "excluded from Board/attorney meetings, purportedly for violating confidentiality," and that there was "no definitive proof that any breach of confidentiality occurred."[12][13] The district and board president declined to comment.[13] This dispute remains her account; we found no public adjudication of it. - **October 2022:** When the board extended Jara's contract to 2026 shortly before the election, Ford said the timing was designed to lock in his supporters' advantage and that paying him out would be "worth it."[18] ### 4.2 Votes and positions of note - **June 2022:** Ford voted against a package raising starting teacher salaries and offering retention bonuses. She said she objected to the accompanying suspension of a program letting veteran teachers buy out their 30th year of service with accrued sick leave.[17] CCEA cited the vote in opposing her; a rival teachers' group backed her.[17] - **Reorganization (AB 469):** She repeatedly criticized Jara for undermining the 2017 law giving schools budget autonomy and has said enforcing it is her first priority for the district.[9] - **Governance testimony (August 2022):** Testifying to a legislative interim committee studying whether to make the CCSD board appointed, she opposed removing "the people's right to elect their local officials" and said that in nearly four years as a trustee there had been "not a single training" on fiduciary duties, leadership, or parliamentary procedure.[20] An assemblymember cited her comment in questioning the six-hour statutory training minimum.[20] ### 4.3 Conduct controversies (2019) - **April 12, 2019:** During a board discussion of racist threats at Arbor View High School, Ford referred to "colored students." Attendees walked out; the board issued a statement calling the language "hurtful," and Ford apologized on Facebook, writing "Words do hurt and I understand the history and the painful significance around what I said."[16] The board committed all members to implicit-bias training.[16] - **June 2019:** After using an anatomical crudity to describe two fellow trustees' behavior, Ford told KTNV the remark "was not a mistake," that she has ADHD which can cause impulsive speech, and that she wanted media outlets to note the diagnosis in coverage.[15] ### 4.4 2023: Libel warning from a former colleague After Ford, as a private citizen, alleged in public comment that two trustees were coordinating with CCEA to fire Jara, Trustee Lola Brooks responded that Ford should recognize "she doesn't have the same legal protections as a private citizen, when it comes to libel and slander, that she enjoyed as an elected official."[19] --- ## 5. Record on the Nevada State Board of Education (2025 to present) Ford took her seat January 1, 2025 and attended her first meeting January 8, 2025.[8] The board has 11 members, four elected and seven appointed; it sets policy on graduation requirements, evaluations, and school ratings but does not control funding.[9] At her swearing-in she said: "Our schools belong to the community, and I'm committed to protecting them from outside interests while creating systems that serve everyone."[8] By March 2026 she was publicly frustrated with the board's limits. KTNV reported that she "has expressed frustration with serving the state board, saying its duties are too narrowly circumscribed by the administration."[4] To The Nevada Independent she cited a 2011 law letting the governor appoint three voting and four nonvoting board members as evidence that power "has essentially monopolized and consolidated ... right at the governor's office."[3] She will remain on the state board through January 2029 regardless of the governor's race outcome.[1][4] We did not compile her individual state board votes for this profile; the board's meeting record was not retrieved. --- ## 6. The 2026 Campaign ### 6.1 Filing and ballot access Ford filed on March 12, 2026, the second-to-last day of filing, with no party designation.[3][4] Nevada law requires nonpartisan candidates to collect 250 signatures to reach the general ballot.[3] The Secretary of State's 2026 candidate list shows "Ford, Danielle - NPP" under Governor.[7] Six other no-party candidates who filed (Battenberg, Beck, Koteras, Rheinhart, Rodriguez, Scott) are listed by Ballotpedia as withdrawn or disqualified, leaving her as the only non-major-party name.[1] She told The Nevada Independent that running for governor "has been on her mind for years" and that "somebody needs to run who's going to not be persuaded by corporate interests."[3] She said her non-education policy proposals were "still a work in progress" at filing.[3] ### 6.2 Platform Her campaign site frames six priorities.[2] 1. **People Over Politics:** Nevada-first decision making; judge ideas by results; explore open primaries and other election reforms; disclose donors, outside spending, and lobbying; examine public financing; protect rights "regardless of political popularity"; treat immigration as "human, constitutional, workforce, and community" with lawful enforcement plus due process; reduce concentration of power in party structures, executive offices, and appointed boards.[2] 2. **Education:** Protect and improve public schools; connect schools to social services as community hubs; universal access to meals including breaks; retain educators; "give families real choices without abandoning public accountability," explicitly opposing transfers of public money to "for-profit education-management systems"; scrutinize vendor contracts; guardrails on AI and student data.[2] 3. **Affordability:** Examine corporate concentration and build-to-rent in housing; protect homeownership pathways and renters awaiting assistance; reduce small-business friction; workforce pathways beyond four-year degrees; prepare for AI-driven job change; require "measurable public value" and disclosure of water, energy, and infrastructure costs before incentives for data centers and other large projects.[2] 4. **Health and Care:** Coordinate care across agencies; expand mental health before crisis; treat addiction as health and public safety; strengthen disability services and caregiver support; improve long-term care transitions; workforce retention; insurance transparency; family preservation before child removal where safe.[2] 5. **Safe Communities:** Accountability for violent crime; "supporting police means building the systems around them"; behavioral-health crisis response; addiction treatment; earlier youth intervention; victim services including untested sexual-assault kits; oversight of jails, prisons, juvenile facilities, and private contractors; animal-cruelty enforcement; constitutional limits on immigration enforcement by local police.[2] 6. **Government That Works:** Traceable decisions; competitive bidding and closure of procurement loopholes; open meetings and records including bans on "disappearing-message systems"; measure results not announcements; whistleblower protection; AI guardrails in public systems; public benefit from incentives; "government must follow its own rules."[2] In her Ballotpedia survey she named AI and technology policy as possibly "the most consequential public issue of our lifetime," listing student data, surveillance, automated decision-making, algorithmic bias, data centers, water, and energy as needing guardrails.[1] ### 6.3 What the platform does not contain The platform contains no stated position on abortion, firearms, taxes or revenue structure, NV Energy rate regulation, the Colorado River, or the state budget. It names no bills, dollar figures, or timelines. This is a typed absence: we read every platform page and found none, not that she has never spoken to these topics elsewhere.[2] ### 6.4 Campaign finance We did not retrieve her 2026 contributions and expenses reports from the Secretary of State's Aurora system. Press coverage of the money race (Lombardo roughly $15 million across campaign and PACs; Aaron Ford $2.6 million as of the July 15, 2026 reports) does not report a figure for her.[24] Her campaign site solicits donations through PayPal and volunteers through Google Forms.[2] She has argued publicly that fundraising minimums should not gate participation: "I think campaign fundraising should have limits, not minimums."[23] ### 6.5 Polling and debates Public polls of the race have reported two-way results. The July 2026 Public Policy Polling survey for the Democratic Governors Association showed Lombardo 44, Aaron Ford 44, undecided 12, leaving no reported share for a third candidate.[22] A June 2026 Ford-campaign poll reported "None of these" at 5%.[26] Republican-commissioned polls in July 2026 showed Lombardo ahead by 12 and 7 points.[24] We found no public poll that tested Danielle Ford by name. On July 29, 2026 Ford posted a video saying KLAS-TV had sent her a letter with criteria for its planned gubernatorial debate that she would not meet; a follow-up video the next day characterized the threshold as "$100,000 ... to be qualified to represent the public."[23] We were not able to obtain the letter and KLAS has not, to our knowledge, published its criteria. This is her account. ### 6.6 The name problem The ballot will list, in order, Ford, Aaron D. (DEM); Ford, Danielle (NPP); Lombardo, Joseph (REP).[32] The Nevada Current reported that "some have speculated that her name potentially appearing on the ballot next to Aaron Ford's will lead to confusion"; a Nevada Appeal columnist made the same point.[5][6] Ford has leaned into it, telling voters "I will actually be the middle choice because it goes alphabetically."[23] --- ## 7. Coherence Notes Following the site's protocol, only tensions a thoughtful supporter would recognize are listed. Type A is a meaningful policy contradiction; Type B is a documented evolution; Type C is rhetorical mismatch. | # | Tension | Type | Evidence | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | "Nevada-first nonpartisan" who "does not represent a political party" listed Democratic Party affiliation on 2024 campaign finance filings. | B | [2][9] | | 2 | Campaigns on stewardship of "public money" but voted to fire Jara "for convenience," exposing the district to a $320,000 payout, and said "for reasons unknown, [we] wanted to let him go." | A | [2][10][11] | | 3 | Platform demands "transparency" and open meetings; in 2021 she was excluded from attorney sessions over an alleged confidentiality breach she denies. Contested; no finding either way. | Contested | [12][13] | | 4 | Endorsed by NSEA, but voted against a 2022 starting-salary raise package. Her stated reason (the sick-leave buyout suspension) is on the record. | C | [17] | | 5 | Platform supports "real choices" including charters and private education while opposing "for-profit education-management"; she has publicly questioned new charter approvals near existing public schools. Consistent on its own terms, but "choice" here means something narrower than the term usually does in Nevada politics. | C | [2][23] | | 6 | Says the governor's office has consolidated too much power, while seeking that office; she frames this as wanting to "untie some of these knots." | C | [3] | --- ## 8. Assessment (labeled interpretation) **Strengths.** Two statewide-relevant electoral wins, including unseating an incumbent in 2024; a consistent, documented posture of contract scrutiny and anti-privatization in education; a platform that is unusually candid about tradeoffs and that engages AI, data centers, caregiving, and procurement in ways the major-party platforms mostly do not; a genuine outsider position in a state where nonpartisans are the largest registration bloc.[1][2][22] **Weaknesses.** No executive, legislative, or budget experience outside school governance; a platform of principles with almost no mechanisms or costs; a record of conduct controversies that opponents would use; no located funding, endorsements, or polling presence; and a ballot position that invites confusion with the Democratic nominee.[2][15][16][22][24] **Electoral role.** With no public poll testing her, the honest statement is that her effect on the race is unmeasured. The 2026 polls show a contest within the margin of error, so even a small share drawn from either nominee could matter, but which nominee she draws from is unknown.[22][24] --- ## 9. Questions for Debates and Town Halls 1. Your platform says public money belongs to the public. What was the total cost to CCSD of the October 2021 termination vote and its reversal, and would you make the same vote again? 2. You listed the Democratic Party on your 2024 filings. When did you leave the party, and what changed? 3. Name three specific bills or executive actions you would pursue in the 2027 session, with a cost estimate for each. 4. Where do you stand on abortion, firearms, and the state's tax structure? None appear on your platform. 5. You say data centers must show "measurable public value." What threshold would you set, and would you pause existing abatements? 6. What is your position on the Public Utilities Commission's NV Energy demand charge and on the governor's appointment power over the PUC? --- ## 10. Sources Numbering matches the DF anchors on nvgov2026.org/sources.html. 1. Ballotpedia, "Danielle Ford," including 2026 Candidate Connection survey and election results. https://ballotpedia.org/Danielle_Ford 2. Danielle Ford for Governor campaign website, home and platform pages (People Over Politics, Education, Affordability, Health and Care, Safe Communities, Government That Works). https://daniellefornevada.com/ and https://daniellefornevada.com/platform/ 3. The Nevada Independent, "Who's running? Hundreds launch campaigns in Nevada 2026 candidate filing period," entry of March 12, 2026 by Eric Neugeboren. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/whos-running-nevada-2026-candidate-filing-period-opens 4. KTNV, "Ford files for governor (no, not THAT Ford)," candidate tracker update March 12, 2026. https://www.ktnv.com/news/whos-running-in-2026-tracking-candidates-for-nevadas-midterm-election 5. Nevada Current, "Candidate filing ends with a congressional throng, a smattering of perennials, and a couple Fords," March 16, 2026. https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/03/16/candidate-filing-ends-with-a-congressional-throng-a-smattering-of-perennials-and-a-couple-fords 6. Nevada Appeal, Jim Hartman, "Filing closes: Nevada candidate field is set," March 21, 2026. https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2026/mar/21/jim-hartman-filing-closes-nevada-candidate-field-is-set 7. Nevada Secretary of State, "2026 Candidate Public Media Information," Statewide, Governor. https://www.nvsos.gov/elections/election-information/2026-election-information/2026-candidate-public-media-information 8. Nevada Department of Education, "2 New Members Join Nevada State Board of Education," January 10, 2025. https://doe.nv.gov/news-media/2025-press-releases/2-new-members-join-nevada-state-board-of-education 9. Nevada Current, "Former CCSD trustee challenges incumbent in Nevada State Board of Education race," October 3, 2024. https://nevadacurrent.com/2024/10/03/former-ccsd-trustee-challenges-incumbent-in-nevada-state-board-of-education-race 10. The Nevada Independent, "In split vote, Clark County School Board terminates Jara's employment contract," October 28, 2021. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/in-split-vote-clark-county-school-board-terminates-jaras-employment-contract 11. KTNV, "Clark County School District trustees criticized for Jara ouster, division among board members," November 1, 2021. https://www.ktnv.com/news/education/clark-county-school-district-trustees-criticized-for-jara-ouster-division-among-board-members 12. KLAS 8 News Now, "CCSD trustee says she is being 'excluded' from board meetings," December 6, 2021. https://www.8newsnow.com/news/local-news/ccsd-trustee-reacts-to-superintendent-jara-returning-after-leaving/ 13. KTNV, "CCSD Trustee Ford says she's being shut out of some meetings," December 2021. https://www.ktnv.com/news/education/ccsd-trustee-ford-says-shes-being-shut-out-of-some-meetings 14. Las Vegas Review-Journal, "Trustee files ethics complaint against CCSD superintendent," May 6, 2020. https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/education/trustee-files-ethics-complaint-against-ccsd-superintendent-2022750 15. KTNV, "School board trustee Danielle Ford sits down with 13 Action News," June 7, 2019. https://www.ktnv.com/news/school-board-trustee-danielle-ford-sits-down-with-13-action-news 16. KSNV News 3, "CCSD board member apologizes on Facebook for racially-charged remark at meeting," April 13, 2019. https://news3lv.com/news/local/ccsd-board-member-apologizes-on-facebook-for-racially-charged-remark-at-board-meeting 17. The Nevada Independent, "November election could shift majority on the Clark County school board," October 21, 2022. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/november-election-could-shift-majority-on-the-clark-county-school-board 18. Nevada Current, "Opinion of Jara key difference between trustee and the former state legislator challenging her," October 11, 2022. https://nevadacurrent.com/2022/10/11/opinion-of-jara-key-difference-between-trustee-and-the-former-state-legislator-challenging-her 19. Las Vegas Review-Journal, "'Take back the school district': Former CCSD trustee plans new podcast," May 26, 2023. https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/education/take-back-the-school-district-former-ccsd-trustee-plans-new-podcast-2783938 20. Nevada Legislature, Joint Interim Standing Committee on Education, meeting minutes, August 9, 2022 (Document 28401), public comment of Danielle Ford. https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/InterimCommittee/REL/Document/28401 21. The Nevada Independent, "Election Preview: During critical time in education, four Clark County trustee seats up for grabs," October 11, 2020. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/election-preview-during-critical-time-in-education-four-clark-county-trustee-seats-up-for-grabs 22. The Nevada Independent, "Lombardo, Ford tied in Nevada governor's race, Dem poll shows," July 22, 2026. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/lombardo-ford-tied-in-nevada-governors-race-dem-poll-shows 23. Danielle Ford for NV Governor (campaign Facebook page), videos of July 29 and 30, 2026 (KLAS debate letter; "$100,000 ... to be qualified") and August 15, 2026 (ballot order). Candidate's own statements. https://www.facebook.com/trusteeford/videos/1765508918098871 24. Las Vegas Sun, "Why Lombardo's fundraising haul doesn't give him a firm advantage in Nevada's gubernatorial race," August 16, 2026. https://lasvegassun.com/news/2026/aug/16/why-doesnt-lombardos-fundraising-haul-give-him-a-f 25. Nevada Current, "Ford banking on the 'many' to beat the 'money' in November," August 27, 2026. https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/08/27/ford-banking-on-the-many-to-beat-the-money-in-november 26. Wikipedia, "2026 Nevada gubernatorial election" (candidate list; polling table citing Inside Elections, June 10, 2026: Lombardo 45, Ford 42, None of these 5). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Nevada_gubernatorial_election 27. DanielleFord.com, "About" (candidate's professional biography). https://danielleford.com/about 28. Sierra Nevada Ally, "Nevada Governor's Race 2026: Who's Running and Why It Matters," May 15, 2026. https://sierranevadaally.org/2026/05/15/nevada-governors-race-2026-whos-running-and-why-it-matters 29. Nevada Current, "Democrats get a gubernatorial primary, but the frontrunner's shying away from giving them a debate," March 23, 2026. https://nevadacurrent.com/2026/03/23/democrats-get-a-gubernatorial-primary-but-the-frontrunners-shying-away-from-giving-them-a-debate 30. Las Vegas Weekly, "Nevada Governor's race: Sorting through the candidates' campaign ads and appearances," August 13, 2026. https://lasvegasweekly.com/news/2026/aug/13/nevada-governors-race-sorting-through-candidates 31. Nevada Secretary of State, 2024 Statewide Primary results, Clark County (State Board of Education District 3). https://www.nvsos.gov/SOSelectionPages/results/2024StateWidePrimary/Clark.aspx 32. Washoe County Registrar of Voters, "2026 General Election" candidate listing (Governor: Ford, Aaron D., DEM; Ford, Danielle, NPP; Lombardo, Joseph, REP). https://www.washoecounty.gov/voters/information/index.php **Not obtained:** Danielle Ford's 2026 contributions and expenses reports (NV SOS Aurora); the KLAS-TV debate criteria letter; Nevada State Board of Education meeting minutes and roll-call votes for 2025 to 2026; two KLAS articles from 2022 and 2024 blocked by the publisher's bot check.