Two incumbent Clark County judges lose their seats while a third District Court race remains in question

What happened

Two sitting Clark County judges were defeated in Tuesday's election, and a third judge's seat depends on how many ballots remain to be counted, The Nevada Independent reported. Clark County voters had choices in 16 of the 58 District Court civil/criminal and family judge positions on the ballot. Judges in the other 42 seats ran unopposed. Our earlier coverage looked at how low-rated judges fared in early District Court results.

District Court civil/criminal races

Department 30: Wiese trails Santeramo

Judge Jerry Wiese, who has held the Department 30 seat since 2011, was behind attorney Josh Santeramo by 1.6 percent early Wednesday morning, according to the Clark County Election Department. Santeramo had 50.8 percent of the vote. He has practiced law for 15 years, including 10 years in private practice and five years with the Nevada Attorney for Injured Workers, a state agency.

Department 29: Reynolds holds a narrow lead

Judge Jacob Reynolds trailed challenger Alex Quagge in early vote counts but led by 1.2 percent Wednesday morning, The Nevada Independent reported. The outlet described this race as still in question. Reynolds won the seat in a 2024 special election, and Quagge is a criminal prosecutor in the Clark County District Attorney's Office who also served as a military attorney in the U.S. Army.

Department 28: An open seat goes to a justice of the peace

In Department 28, left open by the retirement of Judge Ron Israel, Justice of the Peace Noreen DeMonte beat private practice attorney Danielle Tarmu with more than 51 percent of the vote. DeMonte was elected to Clark County Justice Court, Department 10, in 2022. The Clark County Commission will fill her Justice Court seat by appointment.

Family Court results

Department R: Henderson defeated

Family Court Judge Bill Henderson, in Department R since 2008, lost to family law attorney Marilyn Caston, who earned 60 percent of the vote. Caston has practiced family law for more than 16 years and is a junior partner at Nevada Family Law Group, according to The Nevada Independent.

Departments D and S: Two open seats filled

Two Family Court seats opened by the retirements of Judge Bob Teuton and Vincent Ochoa were decided Tuesday night. In Department D, Gwynneth Smith, a chief deputy in the district attorney's office juvenile division, beat family law attorney Patricia Marr with more than 55 percent of the vote. In Department S, family law attorney Kristine Brewer defeated Family Court Commissioner Randall Forman with nearly 56 percent. Earlier results for these contests are in our Family Court races roundup.

Washoe County judicial races

In Washoe County, only two of the 14 District Court races were contested, and sitting judges in the other 12 were unopposed. Senior Justice of the Peace Derek Dreiling, who spent 22 years as a Washoe County deputy district attorney, won the open Department 1 civil-criminal seat with 52 percent of the vote. He defeated Washoe County Probate Commissioner Edmund "Joe" Gorman Jr., who oversaw the court fight involving media baron Rupert Murdoch's family trust.

Family Court Judge Alexander Morey won a full term in Department 13. His challenger died in late August, too late to remove the name from the ballot. Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed Morey in April after Judge Bridget Robb stepped down over charges she stalked the girlfriend of a former sexual partner, The Nevada Independent reported.

What to watch next

• Whether Judge Jacob Reynolds keeps his 1.2 percent lead over Alex Quagge in Department 29 as remaining votes are counted.
• The Clark County Commission's appointment to fill Noreen DeMonte's Justice Court, Department 10, seat.