Lombardo Was For Vaccine Mandates Before He Was Against Them

By April Corbin Girnus, Nevada Current

January 6, 2022

Clark County Sheriff and Republican gubernatorial hopeful Joe Lombardo continues to dance around the issue of vaccines.

A recent fundraising letter sent by his campaign to potential donors states that first-term Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak must defend an “indefensible record on taxes, spending, crime, inflation, felons’ rights, mask and vaccine mandates.”

Following a vote by the Nevada Board of Health, Sisolak in September signed an emergency directive requiring State of Nevada employees who work with vulnerable populations to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The mandate covers state health and corrections employees. Sisolak has also publicly supported vaccine requirements for students enrolled in the state’s public colleges and universities.

And as the head of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Lombardo implemented a vaccine requirement for all new hires.

“I think it’s my duty as the administrator of the Police Department to protect those employees, and therefore we make it a mandate for them to have the vaccine in order to be a member of the Police Department,” Lombardo told the Review-Journal in August.

The Metro mandate was implemented prior to the State of Nevada employee mandate.

On the physical campaign trail, Lombardo has said he will not enforce vaccine mandates at the state level and said that experienced police officers are smart enough to make up their own mind about receiving a vaccine. His online campaign presence remains largely silent on the issue of vaccines.

As reported by the Current in July, Lombardo’s official campaign Flickr page quietly removed a photo that appeared to show him receiving a COVID-19 vaccination at University Medical Center. Lombardo has said previously that he was one of the first people in Southern Nevada to receive the vaccine. He has also called the low vaccination rate of police officers “unacceptable.”

In the fundraising letter, which was sent prior to 2021 fourth quarter reporting deadlines, Lombardo also describes himself as a “no-nonsense conservative” who doesn’t “play political games.”

“I’ve never been someone who will change my positions to win an election,” the letter continues.

Lombardo is one of 10 candidates who say they are running in the Republican primary. Others include former Sen. Dean Heller, North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee, attorney Joey Gilbert and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore.

Nevada Current, a nonprofit, online source of political news and commentary, documents the policies, institutions and systems that affect Nevadans’ daily lives. The Current is part of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers.