Henderson mayor launches re-election bid, rebuffs critics over transparency

Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero is a little more than halfway through her first term, and she is already taking steps to secure a second.

Romero last Tuesday officially announced her re-election campaign for the 2026 election cycle — becoming the first to announce a candidacy for the race, according to multiple local political strategists. The Nevada Secretary of State’s website lists the filing period for nonjudicial political candidates as running from March 2 to March 13, 2026.

In a sit-down interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal a day after making the announcement, Romero highlighted a number of areas of growth during her tenure, such as several new and renovated police and fire facilities that have opened, as well as last year’s OK by state officials for the city to sponsor charter schools. Romero also touted the city winning the 2024 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award — a national award given by the U.S. Department of Commerce for organizational excellence — becoming one of just five municipal governments to win the honor since its introduction in 1988.

“When I was in high school, the city’s population was about 40,000, and now it’s almost 340,000,” Romero said. “That doesn’t happen without a lot of thought and a lot of planning going into it.”

Romero’s campaign announcement comes roughly a week after the city officially began its search for the next chief of the Henderson Police Department. Former Chief Hollie Chadwick was fired March 6 after being placed on leave Feb. 13.

Chadwick was ousted after city manager Stephanie Garcia-Vause lost confidence in Chadwick’s ability to improve the department’s culture and operations, rather than a specific finding of misconduct or cause, according to a March 6 memo sent to Henderson Police Department employees at the time of Chadwick’s firing.

Calls for more transparency from some residents

But some residents have protested Chadwick’s departure. An online petition on Change.org to reinstate Chadwick had received more than 1,900 signatures as of Friday, and dozens criticized city officials for what they believe has been a lack of transparency during a March 4 city council meeting.

Those upset with the city’s handling of Chadwick’s firing could seek a new direction for the mayoral and city council races, said political consultant Lisa Mayo-DeRiso.

“I think voters want somebody and a city government that puts them first,” said Mayo-DeRiso. “The culture begins with you. We haven’t had a competitive mayor’s race in the city of Henderson in a long time.”

In 2022, Romero easily won her primary and received more than 75 percent of the total vote, and Romero’s predecessor Debra March won her 2017 primary election with more than 55 percent of the vote. Romero also previously served four years on the Henderson City Council, and prior to that was manager of the city’s redevelopment agency from 2007 to 2016.

In addition to being the incumbent, Romero has also earned endorsements from Henderson Professional Fire Fighters Local 1883 union and the political arm of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce. In a statement, Chuck Mohler, chairman of HCC Issues Mobilization Political Action Committee chairman, said the group was proud to endorse Romero’s re-election campaign.

“Mayor Romero has consistently been a staunch advocate for the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and our members,” he said. “Her proven track record supporting pro-business and pro-development policies has made her a champion for the Henderson business community.”

Mayo-DeRiso has coordinated campaigns in Henderson, but not against Romero, but she said nobody else to her knowledge has announced a 2026 run for mayor. Local public affairs specialist Liz Trosper, who is also Romero’s campaign spokeswoman, said the same.

“I think incumbents tend to announce earlier,” Mayo-DeRiso said. “It’s just really early and every year it seems to get earlier.”

Search for a new police chief

In the interview, Romero provided no additional details surrounding Chadwick’s departure, citing a city policy not to discuss personnel issues, but said she would prefer to see Chadwick’s successor have local roots. That’s not to say there aren’t qualified candidates nationally, she said, but learning to coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Department, state police and other federal agencies can come with a learning curve.

“I would like to see somebody who puts the city first … somebody who knows our city, who has the ability to collaborate regionally, and understands what our community needs,” Romero said. “We need to have somebody who is experienced enough to make those decisions, understand what goes into those decisions, and then communicate that information to the council and to city management.”

Romero also said she would like to see continued resources to continue growing the city’s charter school program, which is currently fielding applications through the end of the month. Advocates of the charter school movement, including Gov. Joe Lombardo, have said charter schools can help bolster education outcomes and reduce classroom sizes.

“Almost every school in the city of Henderson is overcrowded,” Romero said. “At the city level, we don’t have jurisdiction over Clark County School District, but we do work with them very closely to try to make sure that there is every opportunity available to our kids to be able to have the best achievement possible.”

‘It’s your fault’

Romero rebuffed criticisms that city officials were being opaque, especially in regard to the police chief vacancy. Romero said she and City Council members each host a monthly “Morning Meet Up,” an open forum for residents to voice questions or concerns about current city events.

Though people might not always be satisfied with the information provided by city officials on a given topic or issue, Romero said, she maintained the city is swift and professional in its communications efforts. It also is part of the reason the city was recently recognized for its overall efficiency and effectiveness, she said.

“If you are interested in what’s happening in Henderson and don’t know what’s happening in Henderson, it’s your fault,” Romero said. “We have had a very concerted effort to make sure that there is two-way information, not just the city pushing out information, but also taking in information. And we do it on a regular basis, and that will continue.”

Contact Casey Harrison at charrison@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Casey_Harrison1 on X or @casey-harrison.bsky.social on Bluesky.