Initial results emerge in races for District Court judges

Initial results showed the continued trend of female judicial candidates leading in Clark County District Court races.

In the recent past, women have dominated Clark County judicial races, defeating men in 15 out of 18 contested District Court races in 2020. Female incumbent judges were ahead in all four races in which they were challenged by men this election.

Unpopular judges also appeared on track to hold onto their seats.

Voters were faced with a confounding array of candidates for District Court because all 32 seats were on the ballot. Two-thirds of the candidates ran with no opponent.

Some of those who faced challengers had received low scores in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 2025 Judicial Performance Evaluation. The poll, informally called Judging the Judges, allowed attorneys to provide anonymous feedback, including whether they would keep each judge in office.

District Judge Joanna Kishner, the incumbent in Department 31, received a failing 46.6 percent retention score, the third lowest of all judges on the survey and the lowest for a judge currently sitting in District Court. (District Judge Erika Ballou scored 32.8 percent, but has since resigned.)

Kishner was challenged by Alexandra McLeod, a civil attorney who has repeatedly failed in her attempts to win District Court seats.

As of early Wednesday, Kishner was leading with 58.9 percent of the vote.

In Department 8, District Judge Jessica Peterson passed the failing mark in the Review-Journal, with a retention score of 54.2 percent that still fell below the court average of 72.9 percent.

Prosecutor Austin Beaumont ran against her.

Peterson was ahead with 57.5 percent of the vote early Wednesday.

District Judge Jasmin Lilly-Spells also scored low in the news organization’s poll. Only 57.3 percent of attorneys wanted to keep her on the bench in Department 23.

Martina Bauhaus, an attorney for the Metropolitan Police Department, tried to unseat her.

Results showed Lilly-Spells in the lead with 55.9 percent of votes.

In Department 5, District Judge Veronica Barisich was leading with 57.9 percent of the vote to Tracy Hibbetts, a prosecutor.

Longtime District Judge Michelle Leavitt, one of the judges who hears homicide cases, was ahead with 71.2 percent of the vote to public defender Daniel Gilliam’s 28.9 percent in Department 12.

District Judge Jennifer Schwartz was leading with 75.4 percent of the vote in Department 17. Prosecutor Jacob Villani, who described himself as a “ghost opponent essentially,” ran a low profile campaign, but used the race to attack Schwartz’s record.

Incumbent District Judge Tara Clark Newberry faced a challenge from public defender Alex Hubert in Department 21. She was in the lead with 63.4 percent of votes Wednesday.

In Department 28, incumbent District Judge Ron Israel — who garnered only a 50.7 percent retention score on the Review-Journal survey — decided not to run again. Justice of the Peace Noreen DeMonte and civil attorney Danielle Tarmu competed for the seat, DeMonte leading with 51.5 percent of the vote early Wednesday.

District Judge Jacob Reynolds faced a challenge from prosecutor Alex Quagge in Department 29. Quagge was slightly ahead with 50.4 percent of the vote to Reynolds’ 49.6 percent early Wednesday.

In Department 30, workers’ compensation lawyer Joshua Santeramo opposed District Judge Jerry Wiese, the former chief judge of the court. Wiese and Santeramo were also close, with Wiese at 50.5 percent of the vote and Santeramo at 49.5 percent in early results.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Contact Noble Brigham at [email protected].