Elections · Nevada
Molina leads Denis as regents McGrath, Brooks and Goicoechea hold early leads in Nevada Board of Regents races
Preliminary results early Wednesday show Stephanie Molina ahead of Mo Denis in District 5 and three sitting regents leading, with the rural District 8 race close. The board oversees eight Nevada higher education institutions.
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What happened
Four seats on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents were on the ballot in Tuesday's election, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. Preliminary results as of 12:00 a.m. Wednesday showed a non-incumbent leading in District 5 and three sitting regents ahead of their challengers.
The closest of the races was in rural District 8, where the incumbent held a narrow edge. All figures below are preliminary, according to the Review-Journal. More local contests are collected on our elections page.
Why the Board of Regents matters
The 13-member board sets policies, approves budgets and hires top administrators for Nevada's public higher education system, the Review-Journal reported. It oversees four community colleges, three universities and a research institute.
Three of the districts on this year's ballot sit mostly in the Las Vegas Valley. The fourth covers rural northern Clark County and several other counties.
Where each race stands
District 5: Molina vs. Denis
Stephanie Molina was leading Moises "Mo" Denis, a former Democratic state senator, early Wednesday. Preliminary results showed Molina with 54.7 percent of votes cast and Denis with 45.3 percent, the Review-Journal reported.
The two advanced past the June primary with enough votes to leave Regent Patrick Boylan off the November ballot. According to the Review-Journal, Boylan faced criticism and pressure to resign over comments he made about transgender athletes at a 2024 board meeting, but he did not resign. District 5 is mainly east of downtown in the central valley and includes part of southern North Las Vegas.
District 2: McGrath vs. Villa
Regent Jennifer McGrath led challenger Patrick L. Villa with 60.5 percent of votes cast to Villa's 39.5 percent, according to preliminary results reported by the Review-Journal. McGrath has held the seat since 2025, when Gov. Joe Lombardo appointed her after Regent Lois Tarkanian's death in 2024.
District 2 is mostly west of downtown in the central Las Vegas Valley.
District 3: Brooks vs. Swendseid
Board Chair Byron Brooks held an early lead over Erik Swendseid, with 61 percent of the vote to Swendseid's 39 percent, preliminary results showed. District 3 covers the central and southern Las Vegas Valley, including UNLV and parts of the Strip.
District 8: Goicoechea vs. Lane
Regent Pete Goicoechea was narrowly ahead of challenger Lori Lane in his bid to keep his seat. He had 50.4 percent of votes cast and Lane had 49.6 percent, according to preliminary results cited by the Review-Journal.
District 8 is mostly made up of rural northern Clark County and all of Nye, Lincoln, Esmeralda, White Pine, Eureka and Elko counties.
Other races on the ballot
The regents contests were among many local races decided by voters Tuesday. The Review-Journal also reported that Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno was leading the North Las Vegas mayor race in preliminary results, and that the two candidates in the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 race were within 0.01 percent of each other.
Voters also weighed in on Clark County Commission seats, Clark County School Board seats, judicial races and statewide offices, according to the Review-Journal.
What to watch next
- Whether Goicoechea's narrow preliminary lead of 50.4 percent to Lane's 49.6 percent holds in District 8.
- Whether Molina's preliminary lead over Denis in District 5 holds in final results.
- Final results in Districts 2 and 3, where McGrath and Brooks led in preliminary counts.
