Shelley Berkley and Victoria Seaman are running in the general election for mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 5, 2024. Berkley and Seaman were the top two primary vote-getters on June 11, 2024, and both advanced to the general election because neither won a majority of the votes.
Incumbent Carolyn Goodman, who was first elected in 2011, is term-limited. Goodman’s husband, Oscar, served as Las Vegas mayor from 1999 to 2011. Goodman is one of eight mayors in the 100 largest cities registered as nonpartisan or independent.
The mayor is the only elected member of the Las Vegas City Council and presides over council meetings and official city ceremonies. KTNV Channel 13 Senior Reporter Steve Sebelius said, “The importance [is in] this bully pulpit role of the mayor.”
Berkeley represented Nevada’s 1st Congressional District as a Democrat from 1999 to 2013. Before that, she practiced law and served in the Nevada Assembly from 1982 to 1984.
Berkeley said, “[Las Vegas] is the fastest growing community in the United States, and it certainly was when I was in Congress representing Las Vegas. So many of the issues that I concentrated on when I was in Congress are still important issues today.” Berkeley said her campaign is focused on affordable housing, homelessness, and small businesses.
Seaman has represented Ward 2 on the Las Vegas City Council since 2019. From 2014 to 2016, Seaman was a Republican representing the 34th District in the Nevada Assembly. Seaman said, “I have a keen ability to recognize and face head-on complicated issues that impact our residents. It is for this reason and my commitment to this city that I live in — and the support of my family — that I’m announcing my campaign for mayor of Las Vegas.” Seaman’s top issues include public safety, infrastructure, and supporting local businesses.
Lawsuits against the city over a now-defunct golf course in the Queensridge area have been an issue in the election. In 2017, the city denied 10 Land Co.’s applications to build housing on a stretch of property it owned on what was previously the Badlands Golf Club, citing public opposition to the project. 10 Land Co. sued the city, alleging the city council’s actions were unconstitutional. In at least three cases, district judges ruled the city owed 10 Land Co. compensation. In April 2024, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed lower court rulings against the city, with SupremeCourt Justice Douglas Herndon writing, “When a governmental agency acts in a manner that removes all the economic value from privately owned land, just compensation must be paid.”
That ruling upheld a district court’s decision to award 10 Land Co. $48 million.
In a July 31, 2024, debate, Seaman said she supported settling the lawsuits quickly but faced opposition from her fellow council members: “Elections have consequences, and we are going to settle this, whether it’s in the courts or without. But we are going to make sure, for the taxpayers, that we come out, mitigate with as little damage as we can.”
Berkley said: “With all due respect, councilwoman, you have been there for five years. You have not been able to successfully conclude a negotiation. You can’t get one other city council member to go along with you and agree to settle this.” Berkley said she could negotiate a deal between the city council and the developer.
The city of Las Vegas does not include the Strip, which is in an unincorporated part of Clark County. Clark County and Las Vegas share a police department and other municipal services.
Thirty-four of the 100 largest cities are holding mayoral elections in 2024. Heading into the year, 18 of those cities had a Democratic mayor, meaning 29% of the 63 Democratic-led cities are holding mayoral elections. Eleven cities holding elections had a Republican mayor at the start of the year, meaning 42% of the 26 Republican-led cities are holding elections. The remaining eight top-100 cities holding elections in 2024 started the year with independent or nonpartisan mayors.
Las Vegas has term limits for the position of mayor. The limits are a four-year term and a 12-year lifetime limit.
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