Republican leading in race to break Democratic unanimity on county commission
Three Clark County Commission incumbents were leading in their races Tuesday night, and Republican attorney April Becker was ahead in her race to fill an open seat, according to early returns.
If the results remain, the majority Democratic rule of the commission will continue, but will mark the first time county voters have elected a Republican to the commission since 2008.
As of Tuesday night, attorney April Becker, a Republican, was leading in the race to fill the open seat with 53.8 percent compared with her opponent Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod, a Democrat, who had 46.7 percent.
The winner will replace District C Commissioner Ross Miller, who didn’t run for re-election.
“I’m very encouraged by the initial results, and I look forward to the remaining ballots being counted,” Becker wrote in a statement. “It is past time we have a Republican voice on the County Commission, and I hope to be that voice.”
In District A, Commissioner Michael Naft was leading Republican challenger Ryan Hamilton, a communications expert and business analyst, 50.8 percent to 49.3 percent.
“Just grateful to my supporters and the 50,000+ of my neighbors who showed up to vote for me,” Hamilton said in a statement. “A lot more Election Day ballots to be counted. We’ll see how it changes things.”
Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick was ahead with 62.9 percent to the 37.1 percent obtained by Libertarian Party candidate Jesse Welsh in District B.
Commissioner William McCurdy II was leading with 67 percentage points to Republican challenger David Gomez’s 33 percent in the District D race.
Gomez wrote in a statement that he was proud of his run and the votes he received, saying that he did not see the results as a loss, being that he raised no money and still was able to “move the needle” with the help of a small staff.
The Democrats and Welsh could not be reached for comment.
Clark County is the 11th-largest county in the United States, serving 2.4 million Southern Nevada residents.
Along with the city of Las Vegas, the jurisdictions fund a substantial portion of the Metropolitan Police Department’s budget.
The county is facing growth paired with a critical shortage of affordable housing units. Meanwhile, a daylong census earlier this year showed 20 percent year-over-year increases in the homeless population, which included sheltered and unsheltered people, the highest figure in a decade.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.
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