Elections shake up Clark County School Board
Over half of the Clark County School Board will be replaced in January — including the current president — if initial results on Tuesday hold.
As of Tuesday evening, Trustee President Evelyn Garcia Morales was facing strong competition for her District C seat as initial results show her trailing challenger Tameka Henry. Henry had 53.8 percent of the votes compared with Garcia Morales’ 46.2 percent.
“I’m feeling amazing,” Henry said just before 11 p.m. Tuesday evening. “I’m feeling like we’ve put in a lot of work as far as the campaign goes.”
While Henry said she knew the preliminary results were not final, she was hoping to keep increasing the lead.
While the two last faced each other in 2020 they were both new to politics, Henry said that Garcia Morales has now had the chance to show what she can do.
“Voters and parents and teachers are ready for something new this time around,” Henry said.
During her tenure as president, Garcia Morales has faced criticism for her handling of several issues, most recently both preceding and in the aftermath of former trustee Katie Williams’ resignation, as well as during the wake of the district’s budget deficit.
Throughout, the Clark County Education Association has publicly criticized her for being an ineffective leader and accused her of covering up issues. The union, as well as sitting Trustees Linda Cavazos, Ramona Esparza-Stoffregan and Brenda Zamora, endorsed Henry.
In the meantime, Henry said she has continued working locally. She said she got her start in education advocacy in Head Start, which offers services to children under age 5 to prepare them for school. She has since served on several other boards and advocacy groups.
“I didn’t need a title to keep doing the work,” she said.
Elsewhere in the Las Vegas Valley, new faces competed for seats in District A, B and E.
As of Tuesday evening, Emily Stevens was leading Karl Catarata in District A. She received 58 percent of the votes to Catarata’s 42 percent in District A.
Both Henderson residents emphasized student safety and connection to the community in their campaigns.
Stevens, a mother of two, serves as the vice president of business development for SCE Credit Union, a job in which she said she works to engage in the community and create partnerships. She also serves on the board for several high schools and education groups.
“I feel great,” Stevens said Tuesday evening. “More than anything, I’m just thankful. I can’t tell you how much support I’ve had these last few days.”
Catarata, 26, is the Nevada state director for the Human Rights Campaign. He could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
Both candidates with ties to Moms for Liberty, which has been labeled an extremist group by the Southern Poverty Center, were up on Tuesday evening.
District B has had a particularly unusual election process, with Nakia Jackson-Hale having just been appointed to the seat last week. Jackson-Hale will serve for two months as she finishes out the term for Williams.
An elected trustee will assume the position come January.
As of Tuesday evening Lydia Dominguez was ahead of Eileen Eady, with 54.8 percent of the votes compared to Eady’s 45.2 percent.
Dominguez is a former U.S. Air Force and Moms for Liberty member devoted to parental rights.
“It’s clear that people are ready for real change in the Clark County School District,” Dominguez wrote in a message Tuesday evening. “I’m committed to prioritizing parents’ voices, safer schools, and real results for our kids!”
Eady is a former special education teacher who ran on supporting educators, students and families. In a message Tuesday evening, Eady said she expected the preliminary votes to show her opponent winning, given that many Republicans had voted early this year.
In District E, Lorena Biassotti was ahead of her opponent Kamilah Bywaters on Tuesday evening. Biassotti had 58.3 percent of the votes compared to Bywaters’ 41.7 percent.
Biassotti is a former member of Moms for Liberty who has been an outspoken critic of mask mandates and an anti-racism policy.
“Tonight, parents secured their seat at the table,” Biassotti wrote in a message Tuesday evening.
Bywaters — a licensed teacher who currently is a substitute in the district while earning her Ph.D. in special education — serves as the president of the Las Vegas Alliance for Black School Educators.
She was shocked when she heard the initial results Tuesday evening.
“Wow, wow, wow, that is not what I was expecting at all. That’s not good,” she said.
Like Eady, she credited it to the Republicans’ success this election cycle.
Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com. Follow @ktfutts on X.
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