Nevada Governor Lombardo Leads Charge to Protect Girls’ Sports with New Constitutional Initiative

In a move that addresses ongoing battles over fairness in women’s athletics across the nation, Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo (R) announced on Thursday the launch of “Protect Girls’ Sports,” a ballot initiative aimed at amending the state’s constitution to safeguard female athletes from unfair competition. Lombardo, who will serve as the initiative’s Honorary Chair, is rallying a diverse coalition of Nevadans to ensure that girls’ sports remain equitable and protected.

“We are taking thoughtful steps to ensure girls’ sports are fair and athletes are safe,” said Governor Lombardo in a statement. “It’s important that female athletes have the opportunity to succeed in their athletic field. By bringing together a diverse coalition now, we can establish clear and fair standards that protect generations of female athletes to come.”

As reported in the Nevada Globe, similar legislative efforts have faced pushback from Nevada Democrats, including a 2023 Senate vote that allowed biological males in girls’ sports and private spaces, despite opposition from Lombardo and a majority of his Republican colleagues.

The Nevada Equal Rights Amendment approved by voters as Question 1 on November 8, 2022 after Nevada Democrats unanimously passed the initiative twice with a legislative majority. The legislation was sponsored by Democratic State Senator Nicole Cannizzaro who is now running for Attorney General in the 2026 election.

The precise text of the amendment is:

“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by this State or any of its political subdivisions on account of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, ancestry or national origin.”

This constitutional provision prohibits the state government and its subdivisions (such as cities and counties) from denying or limiting equal rights based on these characteristics.

The “Protect Girls Sports” initiative, set to be filed this week, would amend Nevada’s Equal Rights Amendment to explicitly protect fairness in girls’ athletics. Following legal review, signature gathering will commence statewide. The ballot measure requires nearly 149,000 valid signatures by June 2026 to qualify for the ballot in 2026 and 2028, needing passage twice to amend the constitution.

The effort is spearheaded by directors Adriana Guzmán Fralick, Assemblywoman Heidi Kasama, and Erica Neely, who each highlighted the personal and societal stakes involved. Fralick is running on the Republican ticket for Attorney General in 2026. Kasama is running as a Republican for the Clark County Commission (District F) and Neely is running for State Senate District 9 as a Republican.

“Title IX was instituted for a reason – to create a level playing field so that girls and boys have an equal chance to succeed in our schools. But there has been an attack on girls’ athletics that seeks to disrupt that equality. The people of Nevada do not support this, and I’m proud to help them make their voice heard on this issue at the ballot box,” said Guzmán Fralick.

Kasama added, “Protecting girls’ sports is paramount to preserving opportunities for girls across our state. We’re taking a stand against this attack on common sense and inviting every voter to join us to show that Nevadans will protect and defend the rights of young women and girls.”

Neely, speaking as a mother, emphasized the family angle: “As a mother of daughters, this matters to me personally. I want my girls to grow up in a world where they’re treated equally and have a fair chance, especially in sports. This proposed amendment protects equal rights for everyone, while making sure girls’ teams stay just for girls, so our daughters can compete safely and fairly. There are still co-ed options. For me, this isn’t political, it’s about protecting opportunities for our daughters.”

As Lombardo eyes reelection in 2026, this announcement arrives amid a politically charged landscape.

His likely Democratic opponent, Attorney General Aaron Ford, has already weighed in. In comments to The Nevada Independent, Ford stated that he “doesn’t personally support transgender athletes playing in sports that don’t match their sex assigned at birth.” However, as detailed by The Daily Wire, Ford signed Nevada onto an amicus brief in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals just months ago, supporting two transgender minors’ participation on a girls’ sports team in Arizona.

Ford’s involvement in LGBTQ+ advocacy extends further, as noted in Nevada Globe coverage of his 2023 letter urging Target to bolster support for the community, including policies on gender-aligned sports participation. This flip-flop could become a flashpoint in the gubernatorial race, pitting Lombardo’s proactive stance on protecting women’s sports against Ford’s record of endorsing policies that critics argue undermine Title IX.

Early polls show the race deadlocked, with Lombardo and Ford tied at 41 percent in recent Emerson surveying. However, as reported by The Globe, Emerson over-sampled Democrats by nearly 10 percent, Republicans by seven percent, and under-sampled Independents by 10 percent.

Overall in Nevada, since January 2025, the Democratic Party has lost 19,959 voters, Republicans have lost 16,967 voters, and Independents have surged adding 91,496 voters.