Former homicide cop faces off with think tank founder for Las Vegas Ward 6
The first-time political candidates vying to replace Las Vegas City Councilwoman Michele Fiore recently stepped down from their established public service careers and are looking for other ways to continue serving.
Nancy Brune is a lifelong policy wonk who founded and was the executive director of the Guinn Center, a nonpartisan research and policy think tank headquartered at the University of Reno. Ray Spencer spent 25 years with the Metropolitan Police Department, retiring as a lieutenant and public face of the homicide unit.
While their professional backgrounds differ, they say they aim to shake up the establishment.
“I’m running because Las Vegas has many amazing things about which we should feel tremendous pride,” Brune said. “And yet, I think right now we’ve lost our way in many respects.”
“I thought politicians became out of touch with what the citizens wanted,” said Spencer about his decision to run for the Ward 6 seat Fiore is vacating to run for state treasurer. “I think it’s important that we have good people who get into politics.”
Spencer and Brune were the two hopefuls to emerge from the crowded, seven-candidate June primary. With 32 percent of the vote, Brune narrowly edged Spencer, who got 28 percent.
Brune raised about $190,000 in 2022 thorough mid-July with $23,440 on hand, while Spencer raised about $94,000 and had $7,417 available.
Law enforcement veteran
Spencer said the leadership and administrative skills he gained as a police officer would give the City Council a fresh perspective.
“I’m not naive, in the sense that one person is not going to change the entire political landscape, but I think I bring a unique perspective and I’m running for the right reasons, and I think that’s what sets me apart as a candidate.”
If elected, he said, he would most focus his efforts in public safety and keeping the “unique” rural feel to Ward 6, which encompasses the Centennial Hills area, and maintain its “outstanding quality of life.”
“You’re living in the country but you’re also in the city,” he said about the region. “I think it’s important that we don’t change that for Ward 6.”
The City Council has two representatives who serve on Metro’s Fiscal Affairs Committee, which handles 40 percent of the department’s budget.
“Having pro-law enforcement people sitting on fiscal affairs is paramount because that’s how Metro receives its funding,” he said.
He said he would also advocate for transparency at City Hall.
He said that he would support a settlement with the developer of the defunct Badlands golf course, who has been in a yearslong legal battle with the city, so as to not incur more losses if the cases play their way through the courts.
“The city is losing every lawsuit, and at some point, you’re going to have to make a decision,” Spencer said.
Seasoned policy expert
Brune touts herself as a problem solver, whose decadelong work leading the Guinn Center with data-driven solutions and bipartisan work with the Nevada Legislature would have her ready to “hit the ground running” on her first day in office.
She said she helped grow the policy center’s revenue from $100,000 its first year to over $1 million in subsequent years without public funding.
To address crime, she previously told the Review-Journal that she would advocate for increased neighborhood watch programs and building a second police station in the ward.
She said that the affordable housing shortage is not unique to Las Vegas but that she would act to streamline the building process, including looking at zoning laws, and would strengthen partnerships with local and federal governments and private entities for funding.
She noted that Nevada ranks 46 for federal grants per capita. “We’re leaving money on the table,” she said about housing and other community projects.
“You’ve got two candidates who feel very … motivated by serving our community and giving back,” she said. “It’ll come down to someone who has deep expertise in one area … law enforcement, to another candidate who has two decades of experience” in housing, tax, education, water, energy and land use policies.
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Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @rickytwrites.
An earlier version of this story misidentified the area where Nancy Brune says she wants to build a new police station.
