Scott Black and Daniele Monroe-Moreno Face Off in Runoff to Become North Las Vegas' Next Mayor

What happened

North Las Vegas voters will choose between City Councilman Scott Black and Democratic Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno for mayor, Nevada Current reported. Five candidates ran in the primary, and none won more than 50% of the vote. That sent the race to a general election runoff.

Current Mayor Pamela Goynes-Brown, the state's first Black mayor, cannot run again. According to the Current, she has served on the council since 2015 and was elected to her first term as mayor in 2022. Her time in office counts against the city's 12-year term limit on elected service. Residents can check dates and voting options in our Clark County voting guide.

Who the candidates are

Scott Black

Black owned a local marketing firm before joining the council. He was first elected in 2017 and now serves as mayor pro tem. Goynes-Brown backs him, and he says he has helped with the city's economic turnaround.

The Current noted that the city was nearing bankruptcy in 2013 during the economic downturn. Black's campaign website says the city is now thriving "with stronger public safety, improved neighborhoods, billions in economic investment, and great hope for the future."

Daniele Monroe-Moreno

Monroe-Moreno has represented Assembly District 1, which covers North Las Vegas, since 2016. Before her election she was a corrections officer with the North Las Vegas Police Department. She also chairs the Nevada Democratic Party.

She has pointed to the city's unemployment rate, which was 5% as of August. The Current reported that this is still the highest among Southern Nevada cities. She previously told the outlet it was a bad sign that the rate stayed higher than in other cities.

Term limits and party ties

Both candidates are Democrats, but the race is nonpartisan. Because of term limits, Black could serve only one term if he wins. Monroe-Moreno has argued that this hurts voters. Before the primary, she told the Current that residents need a mayor who "could serve them for the next 12 years if blessed to do so with re-election."

Black has called the state party chair post one of the "most partisan jobs in Nevada." His website describes the mayor's office as nonpartisan and says "City Hall should answer to neighbors" rather than to partisan agendas.

Housing and rent at the center

The Current reported that affordability and the high cost of living have weighed heavily on voters. Both candidates have said housing affordability would be a priority.

Limits on rent increases

The Culinary Union tried to establish a 5% limit on rent increases in the city through a ballot initiative. People disagreed over whether the measure had qualified. The council killed it in a 4-1 vote, with Black in the majority. He told the Current it was "a one size fits all" solution that did not fit the community.

Monroe-Moreno has talked about a stabilization plan that would limit how much rent can go up. She told The Nevada Independent that she opposes blanket rent control. She said she would support stabilizing rent increases for Nevadans on fixed incomes, including seniors, veterans and people with disabilities.

Corporate buyers and affordable units

Monroe-Moreno said she wants to look at ways the city could stop corporate buyers from purchasing excessive numbers of single-family homes. The Current noted that similar state legislative efforts were vetoed by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo. Black said the city has developed "1,400 affordable housing units in our community since 2017."

Money and endorsements

Black holds a cash advantage. Recent campaign finance reports showed him with roughly $513,131 cash on hand, compared with about $92,370 for Monroe-Moreno, according to the Current.

Former North Las Vegas mayors John Lee and Shari Buck have endorsed Black. So have the North Las Vegas Police Association, North Las Vegas Firefighters, the Vegas Chamber and the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association.

Monroe-Moreno is endorsed by Attorney General Aaron Ford, U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford and U.S. Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. SEIU, the Nevada State AFL-CIO and the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Action Fund also back her. Follow more races in our elections coverage.

What to watch next

• The general election runoff between Black and Monroe-Moreno, set up after no primary candidate topped 50%.
• Whether the term-limit argument matters to voters, since Black could serve only one term if elected.
• How each candidate addresses rent increases, after the council's 4-1 vote ended the Culinary Union's 5% cap initiative.