Nevada's Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford sponsored a clemency application for Norman Smith, a man convicted of killing a pregnant woman, Tineshea Adams, in 2015 whilst out on bail for armed robbery charges. Although Ford's sponsorship elevated Smith's case from administrative queue to official hearing, the Board of Pardons Commissioners ultimately denied the bid. Ford's involvement has become controversial as he campaigns for governor against Republican Joe Lombardo, who has attacked his record on public safety and criminal justice reform.

Ford missed the September 16 commutation hearing due to an out-of-state family medical emergency and subsequently refused to explain his decision to sponsor Smith's application when confronted by a journalist tracker. Under Nevada law, a clemency application requires sponsorship by one of the board's nine members to proceed to formal hearing; Smith's application was the only commutation request Ford sponsored throughout 2026. Ford's campaign argued that sponsoring applications is merely a routine procedural step, but repeatedly declined to provide specific justification for this particular case.