Early election results reported in 5 Las Vegas Justice Court races

Two incumbents were falling behind in races for Las Vegas justice of the peace, according to preliminary election results released Wednesday evening.

The county was reporting that all in-person votes cast on Tuesday had been tallied by early Wednesday. Races could shift in the coming days while results come in from mail ballots postmarked by Election Day.

Candidates are vying for the bench in nonpartisan races for Departments 6, 7, 9, 10 and 13. The winners will serve for six-year terms.

In the closest of the five races, Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Saxe was leading with 50.3 percent of the vote in the Department 13 race, while incumbent Justice of the Peace Suzan Baucum had received 49.7 percent of the vote, according to updated results released about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Baucum was elected to the seat in 2010, and was re-elected with 51.9 percent of the vote in the 2016 general election.

Last month, a political consultant filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics against Saxe, alleging that she solicited campaign donations using her Clark County email address. Saxe called the complaint a “diversion tactic” and said the email was inadvertently sent from her work account.

In Department 10, Deputy District Attorney Noreen DeMonte was leading with 54.7 percent of the vote. Falling behind was current Justice of the Peace Cybill Dotson with 45.3 percent of the vote.

Dotson was appointed to the bench in October 2021 by the Clark County Commission. She replaced Justice of the Peace Melanie Tobiasson, who resigned in April 2021 while facing ethics charges.

In Department 6, preliminary results showed Jessica Goodey, a personal injury attorney and pro tem justice of the peace, leading with 58.5 percent of the vote. William Gonzalez, a former Family Court judge, had about 41.5 percent of the vote.

The seat was left vacant in January when Justice of the Peace Rebecca Kern abruptly resigned, citing a need to care for her family.

In Department 7, preliminary results indicated that personal injury attorney Amy Wilson was leading with 56.2 percent of the vote, while Chief Deputy Public Defender Max Berkley was trailing with 43.8 percent.

Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron occupies the Department 7 seat but did not file for re-election.

Longtime Justice of the Peace Joe Bonaventure was leading with 56.9 percent of the vote in the Department 9 race. Chief Deputy District Attorney Danielle “Pieper” Chio had 43.2 percent of the vote.

Bonaventure has occupied the seat since he was first elected in 2004. He ran unopposed in 2010 and won re-election in the 2016 primary with 60 percent of the vote.

While campaigning, Bonaventure has touted his role in helping to create the initial appearance court, which brings defendants before a judge within 48 hours of arrest so that the judge can make more timely decisions on whether to set bail for, release or detain a defendant. Meanwhile, Chio has questioned Bonaventure’s decisions in initial appearance court and has criticized him for releasing defendants accused of violent crimes.

Contact Katelyn Newberg at knewberg@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0240. Follow @k_newberg on Twitter.