Las Vegas council directs staff to pursue appointment process for Ward 2 vacancy, asks appointee not to run

The Las Vegas City Council voted on Sept. 3 to direct staff to pursue an appointment process to fill the Ward 2 council vacancy, rather than call a special election, and to include a written acknowledgement in applications asking finalists to state publicly they will not run in the 2026 municipal election.

City Clerk Dr. Lou Anne Holmes told the council the city charter requires the council to fill the vacancy by majority vote within 30 days or declare a special election under Nevada law (NRS 268.325). Holmes and elections staff laid out two options: appoint an eligible resident to serve until the 2026 election, or call a special election. Election staff estimated a one-ward, mail-ballot special election would cost about $467,000 and take roughly 90 days to complete.

The council chose the appointment…