Anthony defeats Trowbridge by 10 votes for Las Vegas council seat
In a come-from-behind victory, Las Vegas City Council candidate Stavros Anthony defeated Glenn Trowbridge by a mere 10 votes for the open Ward 4 seat.
In complete but unofficial returns, Anthony, who trailed Trowbridge most of the evening, had 3,309 votes for just over 50 percent. Trowbridge had 3,299 votes, or 49.9 percent.
“We won, and I’m looking forward to representing the residents of Ward 4,” Anthony said. “We came back from behind, and I appreciate the voters putting their faith in me.”
He said he was confident even with the prospect of a recount.
“I’ve been elected by the people tonight, and I don’t expect a recount to change that.”
Trowbridge called the results “practically a tie” and said, “There will be a recount.”
“We expected it to be very close,” he said. “There was a ton of negative pieces that came out in the last three days — persuasive stuff, if somebody buys into that stuff.
“We’ll just see how it comes out in the recount.”
According to Clark County election officials, a candidate has three days after the vote is canvassed to request a recount, and must put up funds to cover the estimated cost.
The two candidates had clear differences on some issues, but the campaign increasingly focused on other things, such as the support Trowbridge received from city and construction unions and the fact that Anthony, a police captain, did not get the endorsement of the Police Protective Association.
Anthony argued to voters that he would be an outside, independent voice, and was critical of Las Vegas’ current plans to build a new city hall as part of an ambitious downtown redevelopment plan. With the economy struggling and city revenues falling precipitously, he said, the city shouldn’t be burdening itself with an expensive new building.
Trowbridge, a former Clark County department head and a sitting member of the Las Vegas Planning Commission, has supported the new city hall as a key part of remaking downtown and an important statement that the city has confidence in its future.
The two men emerged from a field of six candidates who sought to replace popular former councilman Larry Brown, who is now on the Clark County Commission. Brown endorsed neither candidate but appeared in mailers for both of them, saying he thought either one would be effective on the City Council.
Both started campaigning last year, and both raised and spent similar amounts of money.
Trowbridge gained the endorsement of the police and firefighters union, as well as the Las Vegas City Employees Association, the largest union representing city employees. Anthony’s campaign ended up trying to use that support against him by saying that Trowbridge would be beholden to the unions, a charge Trowbridge disputed.
In return, the Police Protective Association brought up the fact that Anthony, who is also a university system regent, once used his status as a police officer to secure an upgrade to business class on a flight, a practice that is against the police department’s policy. He was not formally reprimanded for that incident.
Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.
