Las Vegas councilman to challenge Kihuen for Congress

Fresh off an overwhelming municipal election win, Las Vegas City Councilman Stavros Anthony is jumping into the race for one of Nevada’s congressional seats.

Anthony, a Republican, filed candidacy paperwork with the Federal Election Commission Monday to run for Nevada’s 4th Congressional District in 2018.

“If elected, I will focus on strengthening the economy, keeping our country safe, and providing the residents of the 4th district exceptional constituent services,” Anthony said in a statement. “I have a long record of working with both Democrats and Republicans to get things done for the people of Nevada and I will continue to do that in Washington.”

For Anthony, unseating freshman Democrat Ruben Kihuen could be a challenge, but it would not be unprecedented given the district’s short history.

Democrat Steven Horsford won the seat’s first election in 2012 but lost to Republican Cresent Hardy in 2014 during a red wave that saw the GOP take control of both chambers of the Nevada Legislature. Kihuen’s victory last year regained the seat for Democrats.

But there is a hefty gap in GOP voter registration in the district that stretches from North Las Vegas to Ely. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 41,000.

Anthony, a former Metropolitan Police Department captain, was first elected to the Las Vegas City Council Ward 4 in 2009. He garnered 74 percent of the vote in April’s municipal election to win a third four-year term, his last because of term limits.

He has sought higher office in the past. He ran for mayor of Las Vegas against incumbent Carolyn Goodman in 2015, but lost by a margin of 55 percent to 42 percent.

Contact Colton Lochhead at clochhead@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638. Follow @ColtonLochhead on Twitter.