Nordstrom Claims Ward 2 Council Seat Lead
Former municipal judge Shannon Nordstrom declared victory in the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 race as fewer than 200 votes separate her from Luke McCarthy.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Elections
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Shannon Nordstrom declared victory over Luke McCarthy in the Las Vegas City Council Ward 2 race after McCarthy conceded by phone on Friday. The margin remains under 200 votes out of more than 32,000 counted as of Sunday.
Why it matters
The result shapes representation for Ward 2, which has more than 116,000 residents spanning parts of the west valley and Summerlin. Nordstrom's win follows a June primary in which McCarthy led by 355 votes without reaching 50 percent.
Fewer than 200 votes separate Nordstrom and McCarthy as of Sunday, with more than 32,000 votes counted in the race. Mail ballot cure deadlines and county certification have not yet been finalized.
The players
Shannon Nordstrom
A former Las Vegas Municipal Court judge who is seeking the Ward 2 seat on the Las Vegas City Council and has pledged to address construction-zone lane closures and e-bike and e-scooter misuse.
Luke McCarthy
A longtime Clark County firefighter who led the June primary in Ward 2 before conceding the general election contest to Nordstrom.
The details
Nordstrom, a former Las Vegas Municipal Court judge, attributed her improved performance to door-to-door campaigning since June, knocking on thousands of doors. McCarthy, a longtime Clark County firefighter, called to concede Friday evening and delivered a bottle of champagne.
Timeline
June 2026: McCarthy led Nordstrom by 355 votes in the primary.
Friday: McCarthy called Nordstrom to concede.
Saturday: Nordstrom declared victory in a Facebook post.
Monday, 5 p.m.: Deadline for mail ballot voters to cure ballots.
Friday: Deadline for city and county governing bodies to certify returns.
Political Context
Nordstrom's rise from the June primary, where McCarthy led by 355 votes without reaching the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright, shows how a narrow first-round lead can fail to hold in a general election. Opposition concerns and counter-arguments to the outcome have not been reported.
Ward 2 residents will see who represents them on the council once the count is certified, affecting decisions on lane closures and e-bike and e-scooter rules. Voters who used mail ballots should confirm their status through myballot.nv.gov before the cure deadline.
The takeaway
Close races can shift late as mail ballots are cured, so checking your ballot status before the deadline matters. Ward 2 voters should watch the certification schedule for the final result.
What happens next
The Monday 5 p.m. deadline for mail ballot cures and the Friday certification deadline for city and county governing bodies will determine the final outcome of the Ward 2 race.
Further reading
Explore more coverage in Elections for context on this and other local races.
More information
Track your mail ballot status on the Nevada My Ballot portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Las Vegas Review-Journal.
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