Candidates line up to file for upcoming city elections

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005 | 9:39 a.m.

The race to replace Las Vegas Councilman Michael Mack got off to a crowded start on Tuesday as four candidates filed for the city's Ward 6 council seat.

Several incumbent mayors, City Council members and Municipal Court judges headed the list of 17 hopeful candidates filing on Tuesday to run in their cities' spring elections.

Tuesday was the first day candidates could file for the spring elections in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson and Boulder City. The candidate-filing period runs through Feb. 4.

North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon and Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson both filed to run for re-election, as expected.

Other incumbents filing Tuesday were: Las Vegas Councilman Steve Wolfson; North Las Vegas Councilwoman Stephanie Smith; Henderson Councilman Jack Clark; Las Vegas Municipal Judges Betty Kolkoski, George Assad and Cedric Kerns; and North Las Vegas Municipal Judge Warren Van Landschoot.

As of Tuesday night, the candidates for the Las Vegas Ward 6 council seat were city Planning Commissioner Byron Goynes, Debbie Kitterman Burgos, Jeff Crisman, and Steve Sanson. Mack has said he won't run for re-election because he wants to spend more time with his children.

Others who officially launched their candidacies Tuesday were Willa Chaney, who is running for the newly-created second municipal court in North Las Vegas; and David Gibson Jr. and Diana Hampton, who are both candidates for the newly created third municipal court in Henderson.

The other positions at stake in the spring elections include, the Las Vegas Ward 4 council seat currently held by Larry Brown, who has said he will seek re-election; the North Las Vegas Ward 1 council seat, which Councilman Robert Eliason has said he will try to win again; and the Boulder City council seat held by Michael Pacini, who has also said he will run for re-election.

The cities' primary elections will be held April 5, with early voting from March 19 to April 1. The general elections will be on June 7, with early voting from May 21 to June 3.

In all the cities, if a candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote in a primary election, they are declared the winner and no general elections is held in that race.