Richard Cherchio wins North Las Vegas runoff, keeps Ward 4 seat

Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Richard Cherchio will hang on to his seat and serve another term on the North Las Vegas City Council.

“We had a very strong canvassing team out here that did an excellent job, but at the end of the day I believe that people realize that I’ve always been here for them and I will continue to be here for them,” Cherchio said.

Unofficial results show Cherchio with 60 percent of the vote over challenger and longtime businessman Pete Shields.

Cherchio overcame a bitter primary during which Mayor John Lee attempted to oust him in favor of Planning Commissioner George Warner.

Although Lee claimed he would not endorse during the runoff election, he said he preferred to see Cherchio win. Cherchio has said he would continue to work with Lee if he won Tuesday night.

Shields said he will keep the door open to running for mayor in two years.

“We’re going to see what happens, take a breather, and hopefully this council will do a good job for the city coming up,” he said.

During the campaign for the runoff election, Shields attacked Cherchio for his support of high-density housing and criticized the City Council for frequently casting unanimous votes.

Cherchio said he does not want to put high-density developments near existing single-family homes, but he also believes an affordable housing shortage is a reality the city has to face. By creating more options, the city could cater to younger people and help aging residents who are considering downsizing.

The councilman has also said he wants to prioritize attracting business and focusing on quality-of-life issues such as maintaining parks and adding library hours.

He served two years on the council after a 2009 appointment.

He lost his election in 2011 by a single vote but won the seat back in 2015.

On Tuesday night, he said he is ready to focus on his job without having to worry about a campaign.

“I plan on just taking like a day or so just to regroup over here, and then I’m ready to go,” he said.

Contact Blake Apgar at bapgar@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5298. Follow @blakeapgar on Twitter.