Bob Beers wins special election for Ward 2 City Council seat

By Gregan Wingert

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 | 9:20 p.m.

Bob Beers, 52, a former Republican state senator and assemblyman, won the Ward 2 special election for Las Vegas City Council Tuesday night by 776 votes over second-place finisher Ric Truesdell.

“It’s a big job, a lot of responsibility. I have a lot to learn and I’m a little intimidated,” said Beers, adding that he was excited about the victory.

About 60 of Beers’ family and friends celebrated Tuesday night in the courtyard of Mundo, a Mexican restaurant near the World Market Center downtown.

As a councilman, Beers said he plans to work toward prioritizing public safety over redevelopment.

Beers served in the Nevada Legislature from 1998 to 2008. He lost his state Senate seat to Democrat Allison Copening.

During his time in the Legislature, he served as vice chairman of the Finance Committee as an anti-tax conservative.

Beers won with 36.7 percent of the vote with 1,924 votes, beating eight other candidates including Truesdell, a 57-year-old small-business owner who has served on the Las Vegas Planning Commission. Truesdell secured 1,148 votes.

“I still believe in Las Vegas,” said Truesdell, adding with a laugh, “I also believe in an election with a primary.”

Truesdell said he plans to still work to improve the city by fundraising for the Discovery Children’s Museum and working on other community projects.

“Still working for greater Las Vegas,” he said.

Of the 42,706 registered voters living in the Summerlin-area ward, 5,245 residents voted in person or by mail.

“City elections generally suffer from a low turnout,” Beers said.

Beers will take up the nonpartisan seat left by newly appointed District Attorney Steve Wolfson and will be sworn in in about two weeks.

Beers is managing partner of Seale & Beers CPAs and is certified as both a fraud examiner and public accountant. He and his wife, Sarah Beers — coordinator for Parenting Project for Clark County — have two children.

He can also play the banjo.