Las Vegas city election packed with candidates in each council ward
Nearly two dozen candidates are vying for office in Las Vegas this spring, running the gamut from veteran elected officials to first-time candidates.
Councilmen Bob Beers and Stavros Anthony are each facing three challengers in their re-election bids, while the open race to replace term-limited Councilman Steve Ross in Ward 6 is stacked with nine candidates.
Christina Roush, Steve Seroka and Laura Feher are running against Beers in Ward 2, while Sean Lyttle, Deborah Harris and Jon Edge are challenging Anthony in Ward 4.
Michele Fiore, Kelli Ross, Chris Garvey, Ryan Alarid, Matthew Consoli, Joel Jarvis, Allen Jordan, Reid Rasner and Thaddeus Ynigues are all vying for the Ward 6 seat.
Municipal Judges Cedric Kerns and Heidi Almase will also need to fend off challengers to remain on the bench. Crystal Eller is challenging Kerns and Cara Campbell and Robert Kurth are running against Almase.
Early voting begins Saturday and runs through March 31. The city primary is April 4.
If a candidate draws more than 50 percent of primary votes, they seal their victory in April. Otherwise, the top two vote-getting candidates advance to a June 13 general election.
Contact Jamie Munks at jmunks@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Find @JamieMunksRJ on Twitter.
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LAS VEGAS MUNICIPAL ELECTION
JUDGES
MUNICIPAL COURT JUDGE DEPARTMENT 5
Cedric Kerns (incumbent)
Age: 51
Education: Attended UNLV, Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego.
Occupation: Las Vegas Municipal Court chief judge.
Relevant experience: Elected to the Las Vegas Municipal Court Department 5, in 1997; partner in the Law Office of Kerns and Lybarger before elected judge.
Priorities if elected: Relieve jail overcrowding; continue to address addiction and recovery programs that help people get out of the court system; homelessness and mental health issues.
Crystal Eller
Age: 50
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University, John Marshall Law School in Chicago.
Occupation: Attorney with criminal and civil experience.
Relevant experience: Former traffic commissioner in Las Vegas, defense attorney.
Priorities if elected: Increase courtroom efficiency, expand youth offender court to be accessible to more people, consistency in rulings.
DEPARTMENT 3
Heidi Almase (incumbent)
Age: 49
Education: Degree in psychology from UNLV, master’s in clinical psychology, graduated from William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV.
Occupation: Former prosecutor for the Las Vegas City Attorney’s Office and the Nevada attorney general.
Relevant experience: Elected to the Las Vegas Municipal Court in 2011, launched the mental health court in 2015.
Priorities if elected: Continue to focus on and potentially expand the mental health court, improve customer service in the municipal court system.
Cara Campbell
Age: 46
Education: Degree in political science from UNLV, The McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento.
Occupation: Chief deputy district attorney in Clark County.
Relevant experience: Nearly 20 years in the Clark County District Attorney’s Office, including two stints on the domestic violence team and time spent as the chief of training and recruitment.
Priorities if elected: Act as a deterrent when people are committing petty crimes from ending up back in the system for more serious offenses, increase respect and professionalism in the courtroom, focus on mental health issues.
Robert Kurth (need mug)
Age: 49
Education: Brigham Young University, business administration degree from UNLV, University of Denver Law School.
Occupation: Attorney with 25 years of experience.
Relevant experience: Practicing in all levels of Nevada courts.
Priorities if elected: Reduce recidivism, increase technology in the courtroom, focus on mental health issues.
CITY COUNCIL
WARD 2
Bob Beers (incumbent)
Age: 57
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration from UNLV.
Occupation: Certified public accountant.
Relevant experience: Ward 2 Las Vegas City Councilman since 2012, Nevada state legislator from 1999 to 2008.
Priorities if elected: Common-sense perspective to City Council decisions, fiscal responsibility, ensure Ward 2 continues to get infrastructure and police and fire services.
Christina Roush
Age: 53
Education: Degree in business administration from University of San Diego.
Occupation: Real estate agent.
Relevant experience: Business owner, has been a board member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada.
Priorities if elected: Provide city after-school programs to augment the school district offerings, curtail crime by working with police and increasing community policing efforts, urban renewal and core development in the city.
Steve Seroka
Age: 54
Education: U.S. Air Force Academy, specializing in mathematical modeling, master’s degrees in management and in strategy in essence.
Occupation: Retired Air Force colonel.
Relevant experience: Former chief of staff with the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce.
Priorities if elected: Protect property values and neighborhoods, end “big money influence” at City Hall, increase police presence in Ward 2.
Laura Feher
Age: 60
Education: bachelor’s degree in romance languages from Queens College.
Occupation: Past positions in state government, as a small business owner.
Relevant experience: State government work experience in Nevada and Florida.
Priorities if elected: Neighborhood safety, clean streets.
WARD 4
Stavros Anthony (incumbent)
Age: 60
Education: Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wayne State University, master’s degree in political science from UNLV and Ph.D in sociology from UNLV. Graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Occupation: Retired after 29 years with the Metropolitan Police Department officer, the last 10 years as a captain.
Relevant experience: Ward 4 Las Vegas City Councilman since 2009, Mayor Pro Tempore from 2011 to 2015, served on the Nevada Board of Regents.
Priorities if elected: Fiscal responsibility, downtown redevelopment, maintaining a good quality of life in Ward 4, including new recreational projects.
Sean Lyttle
Age: 40
Education: Degree from Rhodes College in Memphis, Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame.
Occupation: Lawyer.
Relevant experience: Owns family law practice.
Priorities if elected: Expand and coordinate homeless services, expand access to mental health care, work force development and job creation.
Deborah Harris
Age: 34
Education: Bachelor’s degree in pre-medical biology from Trinity International University in Illinois.
Occupation: College of Southern Nevada’s counseling and psychological services program; writer: published first book “Bosshion” in 2016.
Relevant experience: State coordinator of the Women’s March on Washington in Nevada; worked with local nonprofit groups including Friends of Parkinson’s.
Priorities if elected: Increase community engagement, focus on law enforcement, working with other agencies on increasing services like vocational and apprenticeship opportunities to help fill some of the gaps in education.
Jon Edge (need mug)
Age: 32
Education: Associate’s degree in history, working on bachelor’s degree in justice studies through the Arizona State University online program.
Occupation: Retail management, currently Natural Grocers in North Las Vegas.
Relevant experience: Not provided.
Priorities if elected: Foster business development, increasing community engagement and participation.
WARD 6
Michele Fiore
Age: 46
Education: Some college
Occupation: Entrepreneur, small business owner in construction and home health care industries.
Relevant experience: Two-term Nevada assemblywoman, elected in 2012.
Priorities if elected: Ward 6 safety with focus on police and fire resources, reducing bureaucracy for business owners and developers at City Hall, work with school leaders to help enhance education.
Kelli Ross
Age: 53
Education: Some college.
Occupation: Flight attendant for Allegiant Airlines.
Relevant experience: Small business experience, involved in Ward 6/city issues for past 12 years during husband Councilman Steve Ross’ tenure.
Priorities if elected: Infrastructure, public safety, improving/maintaining quality of life in Ward 6.
Chris Garvey
Age: 55
Education: Degree from College of Southern Nevada.
Occupation: Dental hygienist.
Relevant experience: Clark County School District trustee since 2008.
Priorities if elected: Neighborhood safety, common sense development, increasing fiscal transparency.
Thaddeus Ynigues
Age: 45
Education: High school, some college.
Occupation: Retired deputy city marshal, licensed realtor.
Relevant experience: More than 20 years combined as a city marshal in North Las Vegas and Las Vegas, previously owned a small business in Las Vegas, a Segway touring company.
Priorities if elected: Increase law enforcement presence in Ward 6, improve business sustainability in the city, increase cooperative efforts across jurisdictions in the valley.
Reid Rasner
Age: 33
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Wyoming, working on MBA at Western Governor’s University.
Occupation: Realtor.
Relevant experience: Real estate, small business owner.
Priorities if elected: Homeless youth, more rooftop solar in Las Vegas, strengthen ties between community and police.
Matthew Consoli
Age: 44
Education: Some college at San Jose State University.
Occupation: Works for MGM Resorts International.
Relevant experience: Resort industry background.
Priorities if elected: Create a city-owned trade school, strengthen on city government relationships with organized labor and business leaders, create job growth.
Ryan Alarid
Age: 35
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business and marketing from UNLV.
Occupation: Small business owner: Native Vitality.
Relevant experience: Small business owner.
Priorities if elected: Work with Clark County School District to boost local education system, bring more businesses into Ward 6 and create jobs in the city.
Joel Jarvis
Age: 48
Education: Bachelor’s degrees in accounting/finance and law from Illinois State University.
Occupation: Client manager for Kaercher Insurance.
Relevant experience: Board of directors experience with Aid for Aids of Nevada, Opportunity Village ARC Board.
Priorities if elected: Development, more parks and green space in Ward 6, fiscal responsibility.
Allen Jordan
Age: 58
Education: MBA from the New York Institute of Technology.
Occupation: 35 years in the information technology field, including about 28 years in management roles; currently self-employed as a consultant.
Experience: Past work on political campaigns.
Priorities if elected: Grow the number of and kinds of jobs in the city, reduce crime in the city.
