EDITORIAL: Judges, council seat on ballot for LV residents

EDITORIAL: Judges, council seat on ballot for LV residents Las Vegas Review-Journal October 4, 2026 - 9:00 pm Las Vegas residents should not overlook the two down‑ballot judicial races appearing on the November ballot. Voters in Ward 2, which covers portions of Summerlin and the western sections of the city, will also decide who will fill the upcoming City Council seat. Luke McCarthy and Shannon Nordstrom are seeking the Ward 2 position. In 2025 the City Council appointed Kara Kelley to the vacancy left by Victoria Seaman’s resignation, and Kelley has agreed not to run as a candidate in that appointment. Ward 2 residents cannot make a mistake in this contest. McCarthy has served as a firefighter for 25 years, two decades of which were with Clark County. Nordstrom has been an attorney since 2021 and previously acted as an alternate justice in Las Vegas Municipal Court. Both candidates discuss tax increases, stress national information, and say they intend to address homelessness and e‑bike concerns in the ward. “I privation the radical to consciousness that … idiosyncratic volition perceive to them, volition find solutions,” Ms. Nordstrom said. Mr. McCarthy believes, “When you’re person to the problems, similar I am, you’re person to the solutions.” Both candidates would be an asset to the council, but we offer a slight edge to Luke McCarthy for his grasp of the issues, with the caveat that, given his background as a national employee, he must prioritize the interests of Las Vegas taxpayers above those of government unions. In Las Vegas Municipal Court, Department 1, Judge Matt Walker is opposed by Amanda Pellizzari, an attorney who represents indigent defendants. Judge Walker was appointed in 2025 after