Bill Henderson has been running for a judgeship every other year since 2000, and as results trickled in Tuesday night, it looked as though he might finally win one.
But Henderson saw his slim lead over Elizabeth Halverson diminish, and late Tuesday, the race was hers.
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Halverson had slightly more than 50 percent, winning by about 1,000 votes.
Halverson served as a law clerk in District Court for nearly 10 years until 2004.
For the past two years, she has been working in private practice, handling primarily divorce and real estate cases.
"I did run a grass-roots campaign, and if I win it, it'll be because people were able to come out and they got a chance to meet me," Halverson said earlier in the evening.
Henderson has spent about 20 years in private practice, handling both civil and criminal cases.
Halverson will take the new District Court Department 23 seat after Jan. 1.
In the race for the newly created District Court Department 22 seat, Susan Johnson defeated Ron Israel.
She had about 55 percent of the vote compared with Israel's 45 percent.
Both are Republicans, but Johnson had the backing of Gov. Kenny Guinn, former U.S. Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., police groups, firefighters and Clark County prosecutors.
Johnson has served as an arbitrator and as a temporary judge in the District Court's Short Trial Program.
She also has served as a mediator and as a Nevada Supreme Court settlement judge.
In the race for Family Court Department M, former Family Court Judge Robert Lueck lost to William Potter.
Potter, a Henderson native with a law degree from Brigham Young University, has worked as a judge pro tem and has owned a legal practice for the past 10 years.
The final tally showed Potter ahead 55 percent to Lueck's 45 percent.
Lueck ran on a nine-point plan to make Family Court more efficient.
He said Monday that regardless of the results on Election Day, he planned to bring a bill draft to the Legislature to reform Clark County Family Court.
Potter said he planned to move cases efficiently through the system and issue common-sense rulings to help families "move on from the animosity and fighting."
District Judge Tim Williams held his seat in District Court Department 16, beating Chief Deputy Attorney General Conrad Hafen by a margin of 59 percent to 41 percent.
Guinn appointed Williams in April after District Judge John McGroarty retired.
"I guess the results kind of speak for themselves, and I'm very humbled by it," Williams said as he enjoyed the evening at home with his family. "It really gives me a lot of motivation."
