Three incumbents re-elected to Clark County School Board

The Clark County School Board retained much of the same look after Tuesday's election with all three contested incumbents re-elected for another four years.

School Board President Linda Young was unopposed for the District C spot in the north-central Las Vegas valley.

Incumbent Deanna Wright – a homemaker who came in second in the June primaries – rallied back, maintaining her strong early vote lead late into the night. Wright won the District A seat in the southeast valley with 57.6 percent of the 95,855 votes cast. Her challenger, Kevinn Donovan – a local construction contract negotiator – received 42.4 percent of the vote.

"I'm very excited and very happy," Wright said. "It has been a pleasure to service the last four years. I feel like I'm the right person to continue fighting for Clark County families so we can get closer and closer to the top of the education rankings."

Incumbent Chris Garvey, a dental hygienist, held off special education advocate and radio host Rose Moore, winning the District B seat in the northeast valley with 52.2 percent of 75,652 votes cast. Moore received 47.8 percent of the vote.

"I'm appreciative of all the people in District B," Garvey said. "I'm excited for the opportunity to serve again. I'm ready to get back to work."

In District E - located in the northwest valley - the seat was open. Former attorney Patrice Tew held off charter school consultant Jim Clinton, 52.9 percent to 47.1 percent.

"There are so many voices from teachers and students and parents that need to be heard," Tew said. "I'm willing work hard, to become acquitted with every teacher, parent and administrator at every school."

The incumbents' win was bittersweet, because their major initiative to raise property taxes to fund school renovations and maintenance was resoundingly shut down by voters on Tuesday. The returning and incoming School Board members said they would have to make tough decisions regarding its aging schools and failing electrical and HVAC systems in the future, warning of possible school closures and a return to the unpopular year-round school schedule.

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Voters also cast ballots for the state school board, which was revamped by the Legislature in 2011 to include more diverse perspectives. There were three Southern Nevada seats open on the Nevada Board of Education.

Former Teach for America educator and Zappos.com recruiter Alexis Gonzales-Black won the District 1 seat with 55.4 percent of 139,599 votes cast. Her opponent Forrest Darby, an union electrician had 44.6 percent of the vote.

Former Teach for America educator and School District consultant Allison Serafin eased past CSN professor and former congressional candidate Ed Klapproth to win the District 3 seat. Serafin posted a dominating 67.1 percent of 200,711 votes cast. Klapproth had 32.9 percent of the vote.

In District 4, president of the UNLV College of Engineering alumni chapter and local software business owner Mark Newburn was unopposed.

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Nevadans also voted for their higher education leaders. There were three Southern Nevada seats contested on the Nevada System of Higher Education's Board of Regents.

Incumbent Cedric Crear, an outdoor advertising business owner, coasted by retail company owner and truck driver Jeff Eggeman to win the District 1 seat with 57.3 percent of the 55,268 votes cast. Eggeman had 42.7 of the vote.

UnitedHealthcare consultant Allison Stephens beat state school board president Stavan Corbett to win the District 4 seat. Stephens had 67 percent of 37,280 votes cast. Corbett received 33 percent of the vote.

Incumbent and former CSN administrator Andrea Anderson defeated Lonnie Hammargren, a former regent and former lieutenant governor, to win the District 12 seat. Anderson won 57 percent of 69,904 votes cast. Hammargren had 43.3 percent of the vote.