Elections shake up Clark County School Board
Initial results as of Wednesday morning show a shake up of the Clark County School Board, with the current president losing her seat, and two candidates with ties to parental rights group Moms for Liberty joining the board.
Over half of the board will be replaced come January, just before it faces what some have called its most consequential decision to date: selecting a new superintendent for the country’s fifth largest school district.
As of Wednesday morning, Trustee President Evelyn Garcia Morales faced strong competition for her District C seat as initial results showed her trailing challenger Tameka Henry. Henry had 51.8 percent of the votes compared to Garcia Morales’ 48.2 percent.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Henry said Tuesday evening after initial results were released. “I’m feeling like we’ve put in a lot of work as far as the campaign goes.”
Henry and Garcia Morales both acknowledged that the results were not final.
In a message Wednesday morning, Garcia Morales wrote: “I am steeped in deep gratitude for privilege to serve, run in an election and have over 41k support my leadership.”
While when the two last faced each other in 2020 they were both new to politics, Henry said that Garcia Morales has now had the chance to show what she can do.
“Voters and parents and teachers are ready for something new this time around,” Henry said.
During her tenure as president, Garcia Morales has faced criticism for her handling of several issues, most recently both preceding and in the aftermath of former trustee Katie Williams’ resignation, as well as during the wake of the district’s budget deficit.
Throughout, the Clark County Education Association has publicly criticized her for being an ineffective leader and accused her of covering up issues. The union, as well as sitting Trustees Linda Cavazos, Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan and Brenda Zamora, endorsed Henry.
While Henry was not in office, she said she has continued working locally. Henry credits her start to education advocacy in Head Start, which offers services to children under age 5 to prepare them for school. She has since served on several other boards and advocacy groups.
“I didn’t need a title to keep doing the work,” she said.
Moms for Liberty ties
Both candidates with ties to Moms for Liberty were up Wednesday morning. Lydia Dominguez in District B and Lorena Biassotti in District E announced their departure from the group in August, but told the Las Vegas Review-Journal they still agreed in the mission — which includes censoring cultural issues such as education on gender identity and race.
As of Wednesday morning, Dominguez had 56.2 percent of the votes compared with Eileen Eady’s 43.8 percent.
Dominguez is a former U.S. Air Force member, and serves on the school district’s Attendance Zone Advisory Committee.
“It’s clear that people are ready for real change in the Clark County School District,” Dominguez wrote in a message Tuesday evening. “I’m committed to prioritizing parents’ voices, safer schools, and real results for our kids!”
Eady is a former special education teacher who ran on supporting educators, students and families. In a message Tuesday evening, Eady said she expected the preliminary votes to show her opponent winning, given that many Republicans had voted early this year. Dominguez has been an outspoken proponent of Donald Trump on social media.
In District E, Biassotti had 59 percent of the votes compared to Kamilah Bywaters’ 41 percent.
Biassotti has been an outspoken critic of mask mandates and an anti-racism policy at school board meetings.
“Tonight, parents secured their seat at the table,” Biassotti wrote in a message Tuesday evening.
Bywaters — a licensed teacher who currently is a substitute in the district while earning her Ph.D. in special education — serves as the president of the Las Vegas Alliance for Black School Educators.
She was shocked when she heard the initial results Tuesday evening.
“Wow, wow, wow, that is not what I was expecting at all. That’s not good,” she said.
Like Eady, she credited it to the Republicans’ success this election cycle.
District A
As of Wednesday morning, Emily Stevens was leading Karl Catarata in District A. She received 58.1 percent of the votes to Catarata’s 41.9 percent in District A.
“I feel great,” Stevens said Tuesday evening. “More than anything, I’m just thankful. I can’t tell you how much support I’ve had these last few days.”
Stevens, a mother of two, serves as the vice president of business development for SCE Credit Union, a job in which she said she works to engage in the community and create partnerships. She also serves on the board for several high schools and education groups.
She was endorsed by the teachers’ union and the Public Safety Alliance of Nevada.
Catarata, 26, is the Nevada state director for the Human Rights Campaign. Catarata said Wednesday morning that he was proud of his campaign regardless of the outcome.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done to focus on results for our students, resources for our teachers, and career and college readiness for students graduating from CCSD,” he wrote in an email.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X.
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