Episode Introduction
Byron Donalds and Joe Lombardo joined Chuck Warren and Sam Stone for Podcast 108 of Breaking Battlegrounds, recorded on November 5, 2022. Lombardo was the Clark County sheriff and the Republican nominee for governor of Nevada, three days from the election. Donalds was a first-term congressman from Southwest Florida’s 19th District. His segment centered on how to get the federal government functioning again.
The episode reads differently in 2026. Lombardo won that race and is now seeking a second term. Donalds is the Republican nominee for governor of Florida. Both men will be on the ballot again on November 3, 2026, which makes this pre-midterm conversation a useful record of where each of them started.
Quick Answer
On Breaking Battlegrounds Podcast 108, recorded November 5, 2022, Sheriff Joe Lombardo discussed his campaign for governor of Nevada and his law enforcement career. Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida discussed getting government to work again. Lombardo won that election. As of October 2026, both men are Republican nominees for governor in their states.
Episode Overview
Chuck Warren and Sam Stone recorded this episode on the final weekend of the 2022 midterm campaign. It features two Republicans at different points in their careers.
The first guest is Joe Lombardo, then sheriff of Clark County and the Republican nominee for governor of Nevada. He brought three decades of law enforcement experience to the race, plus earlier service in the U.S. Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve.
The second guest is Congressman Byron Donalds. He was finishing his first term representing Florida’s 19th Congressional District, which includes Naples and much of Southwest Florida. Donalds came to Congress from the Florida House and a career in banking, finance, and insurance. His conversation focused on what it would take to get government working again.
About Joe Lombardo
Lombardo served in the U.S. Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve before starting a law enforcement career. He spent 26 years with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and was elected Clark County sheriff in 2014. During that time he held leadership roles in national law enforcement groups:
- He served as vice chair of the Nevada Commission for Homeland Security.
- He chaired the Major Cities Chiefs Association Intelligence Committee.
- He served on the boards of the LVMPD Foundation, After School All-Stars, Make-A-Wish, and Nevada Child Seekers.
He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UNLV, including a master’s in crisis management.
On November 8, 2022, three days after this interview, Lombardo defeated Democratic incumbent Steve Sisolak by about 15,000 votes. In the June 9, 2026 primary he won the Republican nomination for a second term with 90.8% of the vote. He now faces Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford on November 3, 2026.
About Byron Donalds
Donalds grew up in Brooklyn, New York, raised by a single mother. He graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing, then built a career in banking, finance, and insurance in Southwest Florida.
He was elected to the Florida House in 2016, representing Hendry County and eastern Collier County. There he chaired the PreK-12 Quality Subcommittee and later the Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. His legislative priorities included elder affairs, criminal justice reform, and education. Gov. Rick Scott appointed him to the Florida SouthWestern State College Board of Trustees. He lives in Naples with his wife, Erika, and their three sons.
Donalds has represented Florida’s 19th District since winning the seat in 2020. He won a second term the week after this episode was recorded. In January 2023, he became the choice of conservative holdouts during the extended House speaker votes. On August 18, 2026, he won the Republican primary for governor of Florida with 47.8% of the vote and will face Democrat David Jolly in November.
Donalds first appeared on the show in February 2022, when the program was still called Broken Potholes. In that episode he discussed dysfunction and partisanship in Washington.
Key Topics Discussed
- Joe Lombardo’s campaign for governor of Nevada in the final days of the 2022 race
- Lombardo’s path from the U.S. Army to Clark County sheriff
- Public safety and law enforcement leadership in Southern Nevada
- Byron Donalds on making the federal government function effectively
- Donalds’ background in finance and the Florida House
Sheriff Lombardo’s Closing Case in Nevada
Lombardo spoke with Breaking Battlegrounds as one of the most closely watched governor’s races of 2022 came to an end. His case to voters was built on his record. He served 26 years at LVMPD before being elected sheriff, held national law enforcement leadership roles, and was involved in community organizations across Southern Nevada.
The episode overview presents his candidacy as an extension of that public safety work to the entire state. Three days later, Nevada voters made him the state’s governor.
His 2026 re-election race is again expected to be close. The Cook Political Report rated Nevada’s contest a toss-up, and it is the only toss-up governor’s race with a Republican incumbent. For more on how Nevada’s politics have changed, listen to Victor Joecks on Nevada’s political shift in Podcast 218.
Byron Donalds on Getting Government to Work Again
The episode’s title comes from Donalds’ segment. He spoke with Warren and Stone near the end of his first term, the weekend before Republicans won a narrow House majority.
His background shaped how he approached the question. He worked in banking, finance, and insurance, then chaired the Florida House subcommittees that oversee insurance, banking, and PreK-12 education. That record gave him a policy-detail view of what effective government looks like.
Florida politics has been a recurring subject on the show. Listeners can compare Donalds’ views with earlier conversations, including pollster Ryan Tyson on Florida’s red wave in Podcast 21 and Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Florida’s policy record in Podcast 96.
Key Takeaways From the Conversation
- A sheriff’s final pitch. Lombardo’s interview captures the end of a campaign built on 30 years of law enforcement and military service. Three days later, he won.
- A finance-first view of government. Donalds approached government performance from a background in finance and state legislative committee work.
- Two future governor nominees. In 2022, one guest was a candidate and the other a first-term congressman. In 2026, both are on the November ballot for governor.
- An archival record. The episode documents both men’s positions before their current campaigns. That gives listeners a baseline to compare with their 2026 platforms.
Listen to the Episode
- Substack episode page
- Apple Podcasts: Breaking Battlegrounds
- Spotify: Breaking Battlegrounds
- iHeart: Breaking Battlegrounds
- YouTube: Breaking Battlegrounds
Related Breaking Battlegrounds Episodes
- Byron Donalds on Dysfunction in Washington (February 2022, Substack)
- Podcast 218: Victor Joecks on Nevada’s Political Shift
- Podcast 21: Ryan Tyson on Florida’s Red Wave
- Podcast 96: Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez on Florida’s Incredible Success
- Podcast 203: Exclusive Sit-Down with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Byron Donalds and Joe Lombardo discuss on Breaking Battlegrounds?
On Podcast 108, recorded November 5, 2022, Sheriff Joe Lombardo talked about his campaign for governor of Nevada and his law enforcement career. Rep. Byron Donalds focused on getting the federal government to work again. Hosts Chuck Warren and Sam Stone recorded the episode three days before the 2022 midterm elections.
Is Joe Lombardo the governor of Nevada?
Yes. Lombardo defeated Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak by about 15,000 votes in November 2022 and took office in January 2023. He won the June 9, 2026 Republican primary with 90.8% of the vote. In the November 3, 2026 general election, he faces Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford.
Is Byron Donalds running for governor of Florida?
Yes. Donalds won the Republican primary for Florida governor on August 18, 2026, with 47.8% of the vote. He faces Democrat David Jolly, a former Republican congressman, in the November 3, 2026 general election. The winner succeeds term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Has Byron Donalds appeared on Breaking Battlegrounds before?
Yes. Donalds first joined the show in February 2022, when it was still called Broken Potholes. He discussed political dysfunction and partisanship in Washington. Podcast 108, recorded in November 2022, was his return appearance, focused on getting government to work again.
How long is the episode?
Podcast 108 runs about 55 minutes. You can stream it on the Breaking Battlegrounds website, on Substack, or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, and YouTube.
