What Just Happened
If you live in Henderson or North Las Vegas, buckle up. Neither mayoral race produced an outright winner in the primary. Both contests are heading to November runoffs.
In Henderson, incumbent Mayor Michelle Romero couldn't lock down the majority she needed — finishing at just 49.76%, a hair below the 50% threshold required to win outright.
Her challenger, former Henderson Police Chief Hollie Chadwick, finished second with 23% of the vote. Third-place finisher Adam Price has since endorsed Chadwick.
In North Las Vegas, state Assemblywoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno led the field with 46% but also fell short of the magic number. City Councilman Scott Black finished second at 42.5%. Those two will square off in November.
These aren't small towns. Henderson is Southern Nevada's second-largest city. North Las Vegas is third.
Combined, hundreds of thousands of residents will now spend months watching these campaigns play out — and watching their local tax dollars fund the extended process.
Why This Matters to You
Local government touches your daily life more directly than almost anything happening in Washington. Your property taxes. Your roads. Your neighborhood zoning. Your police response times. The mayor's office controls a lot of that.
For conservatives who believe in limited government and local accountability, city hall races deserve just as much attention as congressional contests—maybe more. A mayor can raise your taxes, approve a bloated city budget, or push regulations that squeeze small businesses, and most voters aren't paying attention.
Runoffs historically draw smaller crowds to the polls. Turnout drops. And when turnout drops, organized special interests like public employee unions and well-funded political machines carry outsized influence.
Your voice gets smaller unless you show up.
The North Las Vegas Race: More Than Meets the Eye
Monroe-Moreno isn't just a state legislator. She's the sitting chair of the Nevada Democratic Party.
She also served as speaker pro tempore and chaired the powerful Assembly Ways and Means Committee. She has serious institutional backing and knows how to raise money.
Her opponent, Scott Black, has been on the North Las Vegas City Council since 2017 and currently serves as mayor pro tem. He's been part of the city's day-to-day operations for years. He's campaigned on continuing the city's growth and keeping public safety front and center.
The contrast is pretty clear.
Monroe-Moreno brings statewide Democratic Party infrastructure and political muscle. Black brings local government experience and a record tied directly to the city's recent turnaround.
For conservatives, Black represents the more familiar profile — a local official with a track record voters can evaluate. Monroe-Moreno, as the head of the state Democratic Party, would bring that party's priorities directly into City Hall.
Henderson: The Incumbent on Defense
Here's some context that explains why Romero couldn't close this out.
Since winning her last primary with 76% of the vote, Henderson City Hall has been one long political soap opera.
Councilwoman Carrie Cox was indicted on a felony charge for allegedly hiding behind a curtain to secretly record a conversation between a fellow council member and constituents.
The full council — led by Romero — unanimously censured her.
Then the Nevada Ethics Commission turned around and dismissed the ethics complaint against that same councilwoman for lack of credible evidence.
That same councilwoman filed a battery lawsuit against a fellow council member, alleging he physically hit her.
Romero, meanwhile, threatened legal action against Cox over what she called “spurious rumors” about a purported extramarital affair. Cox denied it.
Romero also pushed through a mid-decade redistricting plan that Cox publicly accused of being designed to hurt Cox's re-election chances. The city denied it.
Meet Hollie Chadwick
Romero's November opponent is Hollie Chadwick, a 22-year Henderson law enforcement veteran who served as the city's police chief until the city manager fired her in early 2025.
But the story starts before that.
An internal investigation found that Henderson officers conspired to cover up a drunk driving crash involving an off-duty co-worker. The prior police administration recommended firing three officers for lying and falsifying a police report.
Chadwick inherited those cases, reversed the termination recommendations, and issued minor discipline instead.
A retired sergeant who led the investigation alleged that Chadwick and her deputy chief “turned a blind eye” to the misconduct and that the officers should have been terminated.
Chadwick denied it.
“First of all, I would never cover up a DUI. I never have, and I never will,” she said.
Here's the kicker. At a city council meeting in February 2024, Romero publicly praised Chadwick, saying:
“I want to commend Chief Chadwick for the work that she's done over the past year to resolve the outstanding issues and make some significant changes in the department.”
Less than a year later, the new city manager fired her — not for cause or misconduct, but because their management styles weren't aligned. Chadwick was offered a settlement that included signing a nondisclosure agreement. She turned it down, took her pension, and announced she was running for mayor instead.
“While my tenure as police chief unfortunately became political and did not end the way I had hoped. I know I did nothing wrong,” she said.
She raised about $50,000. Romero raised over $800,000. Chadwick still forced a runoff.
Combined, the four candidates who ran against Romero pulled in more votes than she did.
Looking Ahead
Between now and November, expect both races to intensify. Outside money could flow in. Endorsements will matter. And the candidates who can turn out their base in a lower-turnout runoff environment will have a real structural advantage.
Watch for where each candidate stands on city spending, development approvals, and public safety funding. Those are the issues that will define daily life for Henderson and North Las Vegas residents for years to come.
If you're a conservative voter in either city, now is the time to get informed. Find out who the challenger is in your race. Look at the candidates' records. Talk to your neighbors. And mark your calendar for November.
Local elections are won and lost on turnout. Your city government is closer to your kitchen table than any bill in Congress. Don't let someone else decide who runs it.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
