Elections · Summerlin
Firefighter Luke McCarthy Narrowly Leads Judge Shannon Nordstrom in Las Vegas Ward 2 Council Race
Unofficial results show McCarthy ahead of Nordstrom by 0.01 percentage points for the Ward 2 seat, which covers parts of the west valley including Summerlin. The winner will replace Councilwoman Kara Kelley.
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What happened
Firefighter Luke McCarthy held a very narrow lead over Las Vegas Municipal Court Judge Shannon Nordstrom in the race for the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 seat, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The figures come from unofficial results that election officials released early Wednesday, following voting on Tuesday.
As of 1 a.m., McCarthy had 50.05 percent of the vote and Nordstrom had 49.95 percent, according to the Review-Journal. That left the two candidates 0.01 percentage points apart.
Where the margin stands
Unofficial numbers only
The Review-Journal described the results as unofficial and called the contest a close race. The newspaper did not declare either candidate the winner. The reported split reflects the count as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, not a final outcome.
Residents following the race should keep that timing in mind when looking at the current numbers. The Review-Journal's report covers only the results available at that hour.
Two candidates with public service backgrounds
McCarthy works as a firefighter. Nordstrom serves as a judge on the Las Vegas Municipal Court, according to the Review-Journal. The newspaper's report identified them as the two candidates competing for the Ward 2 seat.
Who lives in Ward 2
More than 116,000 Las Vegas residents live in Ward 2, the Review-Journal reported. The ward takes in parts of the west valley, including Summerlin.
Whoever wins will represent those residents on the Las Vegas City Council. Because the race is this close, the outcome for Ward 2 remains unsettled based on the unofficial figures.
Why the seat is open
An appointee stepping aside
The winner will take the place of Councilwoman Kara Kelley, according to the Review-Journal. Kelley was appointed to the seat and agreed at that time not to run for a full term, the newspaper reported.
Because of that agreement, Ward 2 voters were choosing a new council member this year rather than deciding whether to keep the person currently in the seat. Neither McCarthy nor Nordstrom was running as an incumbent.
Other council seats already settled
The Review-Journal noted that two other Las Vegas City Council contests were decided before November. Ward 4 Councilwoman Francis Allen-Palenske was declared elected as the only candidate in her race. Ward 6 Councilwoman Nancy Brune won her seat in the primary.
For more on how other local contests are shaping up, see our coverage of Nevada parties awaiting election night results and the early returns in the Henderson mayor and council races. Additional updates are collected on our elections page.
What to watch next
- Updated counts from election officials, since the 50.05 percent to 49.95 percent split reported by the Review-Journal was unofficial and reflected results as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
- Which candidate will succeed Councilwoman Kara Kelley in the Ward 2 seat. The Review-Journal had not declared a winner.
- Official results replacing the unofficial numbers released early Wednesday for the Ward 2 race.
