Las Vegas Election News Roundup: Berkley Wins Race for Mayor

Posted on: November 7, 2024, 02:44h. 

Last updated on: November 7, 2024, 03:19h.

Ed Silverstein @casinoorgedsilv Read More
Expertise: Legal, Tribal Gaming.

Former Congresswoman Shelley Berkley is the new mayor of Las Vegas after her opponent conceded on Thursday.

Shelley Berkley
Shelley Berkley, pictured above, will become Las Vegas’ new mayor. (Image: KTNV)

Berkley, a Democrat, led Councilwoman Victoria Seaman (R) by some 15,037 votes before Seaman threw in the towel.

While the outcome of the Mayor’s race is not what we had hoped, I wholeheartedly congratulate Shell[e]y Berkley on her election as the next mayor of Las Vegas,” Seaman said in a Facebook post.

“I am confident that she will lead our city with dedication, and I stand ready to support and work alongside her as councilwoman of Ward 2 in any way I can to further the interests of all our residents,” Seaman added.

Many Years in Nevada

Born in 1951 in New York City, Berkley soon moved with her family to Nevada. She attended local schools and graduated from UNLV where she was president of the student government. Later, she went to the University of San Diego School of Law.

She worked as an attorney in Nevada and spent a lot of her legal career representing casinos.

Feud With Sheldon Adelson

One of Berkley’s clients was Sheldon Adelson, CEO of Las Vegas Sands. Their relationship eventually went sour, according to Politico, after he revealed he wanted to open the Venetian Las Vegas as a nonunion workplace.

He reportedly also rejected her plans to run for Congress as a Democrat, even though he was a Democrat for years before becoming a Republican, and later, a Republican mega-donor, until his passing in 2021.

In 2012, Berkley told Politico about Adelson: “I hate even talking about him because after all these years, it still upsets me terribly … We were very good friends, obviously, when I went to work for him.”

Adelson heavily donated to Crossroads GPS, a political action committee that spent more than $4M to fund Dean Heller (R), in his eventually successful Senate campaign against Berkley in 2012. It was a close race.

Before the Senate race, Berkley represented Nevada’s First Congressional District for seven terms between 1999 and 2013. Her district included the Las Vegas Strip and neighboring areas.

In addition, she was national director for the American Hotel-Motel Association, and was CEO of the Touro College and University System in Nevada and California.

Berkley will take over as mayor from Carolyn Goodman. Between Carolyn and her husband, Oscar, the Goodmans have been in the Las Vegas mayor’s post for 25 years.

Titus, Horsford Predicted Winners

In other election news, US Reps. Steven Horsford and Dina Titus, both Nevada Democrats, were projected on Thursday to be the winners in their reelection bids, according to the Associated Press.

As of Thursday morning, incumbent Jacky Rosen (D), was projected to win against Sam Brown (R) to represent Nevada in the US Senate. according to Decision Desk HQ, The Hill reported. Several other news organizations have yet to call the close race.

Rosen was leading with 47.6% of the votes, which totaled 644,471, as of Thursday morning. Brown had 46.7% of the votes totaling 631,772.