4 school district seats go to November runoffs
The final results of the races for the Clark County School District Board of Trustees have produced four runoffs in the fall, with no candidate in any race winning enough votes to avoid going to the general election.
In District A, Lisa Guzman, executive director of the Education Support Employees Association, took an early lead and kept it, eventually winning 26 percent of the vote.
Guzman said moving forward, she is preparing for a tough race, while also paying attention to the conversation around reopening schools in regard to how to keep students and staff safe.
“I want to make sure my district knows I’m paying attention to what will be happening during the special session, how much money will be taken and how to keep it so it doesn’t affect our students,” she said.
She will face former teacher and administrator Liberty Leavitt in the fall. Leavitt, who took second place with 18.9 percent of the vote, said she was honored to be in the runoff race.
“At this point, it is up to me to make my case to the voters, and I plan on hitting the ground running so that we hopefully have a positive outcome in November,” Leavitt said. “Regardless of the outcome in November, I will continue to tirelessly advocate on behalf of our students and families, focusing on equity in education and closing achievement gaps.”
District B
District B will see Katie Williams, the front-runner with 23.9 percent of the vote, face off against Jeff Proffitt, who placed second with 18.6 percent of the vote.
In a statement on her website, Williams, an Army veteran, former Miss Nevada and Twitter fixture, praised her fellow candidates and promised change ahead.
“This election is a clear signal that the voters of District B are tired of the status quo that they have seen from their elected representation over the last decade,” the statement said. “Our people-powered campaign is a ray of hope for the citizens of District B, and a clear sign to the students, teachers, and parents that help is on the way.”
Proffitt, the business manager of Sheet Metal Workers Local 88 also issued a statement of thanks to his supporters looking ahead to the general election.
“I couldn’t be more elated to work hard for the kids, teachers, parents and administrators. We look forward to an awesome campaign,” the statement said.
District C
The District C race saw three candidates within 100 votes of each other as ballots were being counted. Tameka Henry, a district parent and early-learning advocate, pulled into the lead with 21 percent of the vote after initially placing third.
Henry said she felt confident that she would place in the top two but was surprised when she surged overnight into the top spot.
“We made the connections that we could out in the community during this pandemic,” Henry said. “I held onto this faith that hopefully they will remember my name.”
This fall, she will face Evelyn Garcia Morales, the executive director of the Fulfillment Fund of Las Vegas, who took second place with 20.3 percent of the vote, just 195 votes behind Henry. She said it was an honor to have earned enough votes to continue on in the race.
“I have a record of getting things accomplished. In these unprecedented times, we need bold and proven leadership to work to create a better future for our students,” she said. “As we advance to November, I am looking forward to connecting with more voters to hear their ideas and share my record to create change.”
District E
In District E, incumbent and board President Lola Brooks held onto her early lead with 21.6 percent of the vote. Brooks said of the early returns last week that she was pleased with the results.
“I hope to continue advocating for education policies that focus on the needs of students and their families, while ensuring the board focuses on improving educational outcomes and closing opportunity gaps for all students,” she said.
This fall, she will face teacher Alexis Salt, who initially landed in third place but pulled into second place with 17.5 percent of the vote.
In a statement, Salt thanked her supporters and the other candidates for the “spirited debate.”
“We are going to the general election this November as a voice for students and educators in Clark County School District,” the statement said. “This election has shown that the people of our community are ready to put educators in charge of education.”
Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.