4 of 7 Clark County Commission seats up for grabs in November

Commissioners Michael Naft, William McCurdy II and Marilyn Kirkpatrick are seeking re-election. Commissioner Ross Miller is leaving his position, creating an open contest for his seat.

Clark County, which serves more than 2.4 million Southern Nevada residents, is the 11th largest county in the United States. The general election threatens to shake up the all-Democratic composure of the board.

Voters haven’t elected a Republican to the commission since 2008.

The county is facing growth paired with a critical shortage of affordable housing units. Meanwhile, a daylong census earlier this year showed 20 percent year-over-year increases in the homeless population, which included sheltered and unsheltered people, the highest figure in a decade.

District A

Naft — who was appointed to the seat in 2019 before winning re-election in 2020 — is facing off against Ryan Hamilton, a communications expert who served as a business analyst for the Vegas Stronger nonprofit.

Naft help steered the county through the pandemic, but said that “there’s a lot more to be done.”

He has championed traffic safety and other public safety measures, such as pushing private ambulance companies to comply with their contractually-obligated response times.

Naft said the county “has done more to address affordable housing in the last five years than in our entire history.”

He touted the county’s rapid-rehousing efforts, and said he’s hopeful that $100 million approved by the 2023 Legislature — with a pledged match promised by the private resorts corridor — will help ease the homelessness issue.

Naft credited the sports economy and the expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center for hampering pandemic-related losses. He wants the county, with a less punishing tax base, to attract tech companies fleeing California.

Hamilton, a Las Vegas native, said he was concerned about airport and traffic-related delays.

He said he would explore eliminating red tape in permitting housing developments, and would be open to rent control measures.

The county’s systems to plan to combat homelessness are inefficient, and he would work on a regional plan to establish yearly goals, Hamilton said.

To combat crime, he said he would push state lawmakers to strengthen penalties related to theft, fentanyl possession and DUI.

Hamilton said he wants the county to attract more tech companies, such as those related to drones. And he would like to see Nevada to become a “center” for new water resources so that the county stops losing its greenery.

District B

Kirkpatrick faces a challenge from Libertarian Party candidate Jesse Welsh.

The commissioner served in the Nevada Assembly from 2004 to 2005 when she was appointed to the commission. She’s running for a final commission round before she terms out.

“There are things that I want to finish up and do for my district,” Kirkpatrick said.

She cited decreasing traffic fatalities and homelessness and hampering the opiate crisis as top priorities.

The traffic woes can be solved with enforcement and improving road designs, but also through education measures, Kirkpatrick said.

Kirkpatrick said increased resources for the homeless population are paying dividends and housing projects in the pipeline should help ease the problem. She wants to continue working with the federal government to gain more land so that residents have more home ownership opportunities.

She said she would work to bring more medical resources to Clark County.

“Covid took a long time to get through — that’s probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my career,” she said. “But we made it through, and we’re doing well, and I hope that we continue to do well.”

Welsh did not return messages seeking an interview and did not fill out the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s candidate survey. He challenged Commissioner Jim Gibson in 2022, coming in third place with 2.23 percent of the vote.

Records show that he’s raised no money for either run, and he most recently listed his occupation as a contractor.

On a campaign X account, @JesseJamesWelsh announced that he was running for the county seat.

“Some key issues I’ll be focusing on are short-term rentals, removing unnecessary licensing requirements, and discussing the unintended consequences that F1 had on many of the county’s citizens,” the post said.

The candidate shares a name with Las Vegas’ Jesse Welsh, the CEO of Nevada State High School.

District C

Miller opted against running for re-election opening up a race between Democratic Assemblywoman Shannon Bilbray-Axelrod and attorney April Becker, a Republican.

Bilbray-Axelrod is a four-term assemblywoman who’s served committees, such as government affairs, the judiciary, transportation and growth and infrastructure. She chaired the education committee.

She said she wants improve public safety efficiency and make affordable housing by curbing outsider hedge funds buying off entire neighborhoods.

The county will continue to grow, and the county has to find ways to expand vertically in existing land through mixed-use development, Bilbray-Axelrod said.

While she’s confident the valley will have enough water to sustain itself for at least the next half-century, she wants to find technological ways to extend the time.

“You think there’s a finite amount of water, but there are ways to help the environment do more with what we have,” she said.

New industries that come to Clark County should benefit its residents, she said.

Becker threw her hat in after losing tight races for the Nevada State Senate and the U.S. Congress, falling short by about 10,000 votes against Rep. Susie Lee, D-Nevada, during the midterm elections.

Similar to Bilbray-Axelrod, Becker cleared the June primary challengers with about 70 percent of the vote.

Becker did not respond to multiple interview requests, but she previously told the Review-Journal that she jumped in the race to change the commission into something that “truly reflects the interests and needs” of constituents.

She said that commission were being made “behind closed doors,” and she touted her “unique blend” of personal and professional experience and her deep ties to the community.

District D

McCurdy was first elected to the commission in 2020 after serving in the Nevada Assembly, also being the youngest and first Black chair in the Nevada Democratic Party’s history.

He said he wants to continue to focus on housing, entrepreneurship and increasing residents’ social safety net and employment opportunities.

McCurdy said he would continue supporting public safety initiatives from the Metropolitan Police Department, as well as ongoing water conservation efforts.

In granted a new term, he said he plans to “strongly focus” on veteran issues and the tools they need to succeed.

“We are in a much better place that we were when we took office,” he said about being elected in the midst of the pandemic.

David Gomez, 20, did not respond to interview requests. He is a Rancho High School graduate with volunteer experience, according to a survey he filled out for Ballotpedia, a website that tracks elections nationally.

He wrote that he wanted to see lower taxes and housing costs, wants to preserve water from “chemicals and waste” and was a proponent of a transparent government.

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