The decision for who will be the next mayor of Las Vegas will likely have to wait until November’s general election with a crowded field dwindled down to the top two candidates.
In initial returns released shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, former U.S. Rep. Shelly Berkley was the top vote-getter with 38.82 percent of the vote, followed by Las Vegas Councilwoman Victoria Seaman with 27.10 percent and Cedric Crear with 19.53 percent.
The top two vote-getters will advance to the November general election. The nonpartisan election could be decided outright if a candidate garners more than 50 percent of the vote after Tuesday’s ballots are counted, an improbable feat with a field of 15 hopefuls who filed to run.
The results reflect the outcome of an April survey conducted by Emerson Polling and media organizations — which was limited to 500 likely voters — that predicted former Berkley would edge Seaman within the margin of error.
At the time, Berkley only polled at 16 percent. At the time, 56 percent of respondents said they remained undecided. Councilman Cedric Crear polled third.
The winning candidate will replace Mayor Carolyn Goodman who cannot run again due to term limits. The new mayor will bring an end to the Oscar Goodman and Carolyn Goodman’s quarter-century reign as the city’s top official.
The candidates have debated and participated in forum discussions.
The next mayor will more than likely inherit the increasingly costly legal dispute between the city and the would-be developer of the defunct Badlands golf course.
The majority of the candidates, with the notable exception of Crear, have told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the city should push for an out-of-court settlement.
The city and attorneys for EHB Cos. have stated that they’re open to further settlement discussions.
The developer alleges that the city took the land by now allowing his housing project to move forward after residents of the adjacent upscale Queensridge neighborhood came out against it shortly after he purchased the 250-acre plot of land.
EHB CEO Yohan Lowie alleged that a proposed $64 million settlement was scuttled at the last minute in 2022 after the city tried to change the terms at the last minute.
Four lawsuits are in various stages of litigation with courts so far ruling against the city at the tune of more than $230 million, the equivalent of roughly a quarter of the city’s general-fund spending this year.
The next mayor will also confront rising homelessness, a critical shortage of affordable housing, and the continued development of the Las Vegas Medical District and Symphony Park.
A total of 404,985 Las Vegas residents were eligible to vote during the primary as of this week.
For the latest primary results, visit lvrj.com/results.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.