Tuesday, April 2, 2019 | 10:30 p.m.
For hours on Tuesday evening, the results of the Ward 3 Las Vegas City Council election were as predicted. The two highest profile candidates, former state Assemblywoman Olivia Diaz and former Rep. Ruben Kihuen, were projected to come out on top in the closely watched primary race.
Then a third candidate, neighborhood activist Melissa Clary, climbed ahead of Kihuen. By 9:30 p.m., Clary was projected to come in second place, beating Kihuen by just five votes.
Although the results are still unofficial, Diaz and Clary are poised to advance to the general election on June 11.
“I feel really good,” Clary said. “I’m grateful to our supporters who turned out to vote.”
Diaz came in first place with 1,016 votes, or 33.15 percent of the vote. Clary received 866 votes, or 28.25 percent. By the end of the night, Kihuen won 861 votes, or 28.09 percent.
Diaz, who was endorsed by both Nevada senators and the Culinary Union, said she felt grateful for the voters who turned out for the race.
“I’m feeling honored and super excited that the voters in Ward 3 have supported me in this primary race, and given me a percentage of votes that allows me to continue to work hard in the next round to earn their support and be their next city councilwoman,” Diaz said.
Seven candidates had vied for the open council seat in Ward 3 to replace Councilman Bob Coffin. Kihuen, a former one-term congressman who has been accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, attracted national attention when he announced that he was throwing his hat in the race.
His decision to run prompted the formation of No Means No, Ruben, a political action committee that campaigned against Kihuen due to the sexual harassment allegations against him. A spokesperson for the PAC said that its members, which include state and local lawmakers, were “feeling good” about the results.
“This is a victory for the women that Ruben harassed. It shows that voters in Las Vegas believe them, trust them and that sexual harassment will not be tolerated,” Assemblywoman Heidi Swank, D-Las Vegas, and Maria-Teresa Lieberman, co-founders of the PAC, said in a joint statement.
The remaining four candidates in the race fared as follows: David Lopez received 102 votes, Shawn Mooneyham received 90 votes, Aaron Bautista received 71 votes, and Mingo Collaso received 59 votes.
A spokesperson from Kihuen's campaign said he will not seek a recount.
