County Commissioner McCurdy seeking a second term in November

Clark County Commissioner William McCurdy II is seeking a second term representing District D, a large swath of the central county.

McCurdy, a former Nevada Assembly member, took his seat in early 2021, in the midst of the pandemic.

“We are in a much better place that we were when we took office,” Democrat McCurdy told the Las Vegas Review-Journal, mentioning an increase in employment opportunities.

His Republican challenger, David Gomez, 20, did not respond to interview requests. The Rancho High School graduate told Ballotpedia that he wanted to see lower taxes and housing costs, and wants to preserve water from “chemicals and waste.”

Gomez said he was a proponent of a transparent government. A search through campaign-related documents in the Secretary of State’s Office did not yield a return.

McCurdy is a Las Vegas native who was the youngest and first Black chair in the history of the Nevada Democratic Party.

Before being elected to the Legislature, he climbed the ranks of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), becoming its Nevada political director. He once was the student body president at the College of Southern Nevada.

He said he would continue to advocate for affordable housing, entrepreneurship and “increasing the social safety net” of his constituents, and would push to have a “very strong focus” on veteran-related issues.

The county funds a substantial portion of the Metropolitan Police Department’s budget. McCurdy said he has a good relationship with the agency, and he said he would continue to support public safety initiatives, including those that keep the hotel corridor safe and the department well-funded.

The county is facing an affordable housing crisis and an increasing homeless population.

While the county injected federal dollars to address housing needs at the outset of the pandemic, the challenges persist, McCurdy said.

He said would support programs that help renters, and those who want to own a home, and those who have ended up living in the streets.

As the county continues to grow, it has to continue addressing the “challenges” in natural resources availability, said McCurdy, adding that it has to push forward with its water preservation strategies.

He noted the county’s diversity and said he would continue supporting the commerce chambers so they can continue to help the community “grow and thrive.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.