Vote culls candidates in District Court bids

Tuesday's primary election narrowed the races for four new district judge seats created by the state Legislature to focus on civil cases that have overwhelmed Clark County's justice system in recent years.

The four nonpartisan races featured 14 candidates angling for eight spots on the November ballot.

The Department 26 race was won overwhelmingly by Gloria Sturman, a private attorney who garnered 47 percent of the vote with 100 percent of precincts reporting.

In the general election, Sturman will face perennial judicial candidate Bruce Gale, an attorney who won 29 percent of the vote.

Lawyer Kurt Harris finished with 25 percent.

The Department 28 race was won by another perennial judicial candidate, Ron Israel, who snagged 44 percent of the vote.

Jack Howard won the race to face off against Israel, beating out Lucinda Coumou with 29 percent to her 27 percent.

It was a tight race between Department 30 candidates Michael Davidson, with 32 percent, and Jerry Wiese, with 31 percent. Their closest challenger was Patricia "Trish" Palm, who got 27 percent of the vote.

Davidson, a former North Las Vegas and Clark County prosecutor, and Wiese, a private attorney whose practice focuses on civil cases, will face off in the November election.

In the Department 31 race, Phil Dabney and Joanna Kishner emerged from a field of four to advance to the general election.

Dabney led the way with 32 percent of the vote, while Kishner grabbed 31 percent. Marc Risman finished third with 27 percent of the vote.

Kishner and Dabney are civil attorneys who also have experience as arbitrators and pro tem judges.

Contact reporter Francis McCabe at fmccabe@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-1039.