Embattled Henderson councilwoman faces challengers in primary

Henderson Councilwoman Carrie Cox, who was indicted on a felony charge last year for allegedly hiding behind a curtain at City Hall and recording her colleague in a conversation with constituents, is warding off primary challenges from two candidates in Ward 3 – Jennifer Atlas and Annette Dawson Owens. 

Cox contends the indictment, a related censure by the city council in November, and a cease and desist letter from Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero alleging that Cox spread rumors about her, are all part of an effort by her colleagues to replace her with a more compliant member. “I maintain my innocence and the truth will come out. People will be shocked by the lies,” she said. 

Romero has endorsed Owens for Ward 3. Last year, Romero championed a mid-decade redistricting map that Cox asserts was designed by the mayor to give Owens an edge. It was the seventh time in 15 years that Henderson redrew its maps.

A review panel of the Nevada Ethics Commission recently found that the allegations in the city’s complaint against Cox, which, like the censure, is based on the findings of the investigation conducted by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police after the January 2025 incident at City Hall, “do not establish credible evidence to support a determination that just and sufficient cause exists for the Commission to render an opinion in this matter.”

The panel agreed to dismiss the complaint against Cox and to issue a letter warning her that her conduct implicated ethics law and to provide guidance on future compliance.  

“The city council censured me based on the Metro detective’s report and the Nevada Ethics Commission threw it out,” Cox told the Current.

The felony charge is still pending. The police investigation, made public by the city, was conducted by Metro’s Criminal Intelligence Section Public Integrity Squad. It’s unknown why the investigation was conducted by Metro, rather than Henderson Police. 

Former Police Chief Hollie Chadwick, who is now challenging Romero, did not respond when asked whether Henderson Police investigated the allegations against Cox. The Current broke the news of the city’s plans to fire Chadwick in February 2025, a month after the alleged eavesdropping incident.  

Cox is charged with monitoring or attempting to monitor a private conversation, a category D felony.

“Investigators found Cox surreptitiously recorded many encounters with various people,” the police investigation says, adding it’s “important to note that while surreptitiously recording in-person conversations, in which an individual is a part of, is not illegal” but suggests “it does however reveal a pattern of conduct.”

The police investigation also alleges Cox: 

• was “in frequent contact with and disseminated copious amounts of information to multiple media outlets”:
• used her city credit card to obtain copies of the Animal Shelter key, which she gave to volunteers, “granting them access to police buildings.” Cox, however, says that while volunteering, the shelter’s lead volunteer, Scott McIntyre, complained volunteers were not returning keys to the kennels. Cox says she went to Home Depot and returned with ten copies of the key for the kennels, which she turned over to McIntrye; and, 
• violated the city’s exceptional governance policy by operating an unlicensed day care from her Henderson home. In her defense, Cox cites a state law that exempts a day care with no more than four children who are unrelated from being licensed. The investigation alleges Cox has never been licensed to provide day care, however, Cox provided the Current with her license from 1991 – 1996 when she operated in Clark County, which has additional requirements that Henderson does not.   

The allegations in the police report “are, in large part, a collection of complaints about Councilmember Cox by individuals of a decidedly different political stance than Mrs. Cox,” her attorney Joshua Tomsheck wrote to the council in response to its censure. “They do not allege crimes. They do not put forth actionable items. They simply recite opinion information from political opponents and individuals with patently obvious bias against Mrs. Cox.”

Cox, who raised $102,000 last year, added $1,600 in the first quarter. She has roughly $200,000 in the bank. 

“Money is not going to be a factor in my race, just like it has not been a factor in the last two,” said Cox, who lost her first bid for Ward 3 and won her second and third.  

She is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Veterans in Politics, and several Republican former elected officials, including Sen. Ann O’Connell and former Gov. Robert List. 

Owens, who declined through campaign official Liz Trosper to be interviewed by the Current, serves as policy director of the Children’s Advocacy Alliance. The organization’s priorities, according to its website, include reducing predatory eviction practices by expanding tenant rights, expanding health insurance via CHIP, Medicaid, and subsidized premiums, and promoting restorative justice for juvenile offenders.

Owens raised $160,000  through March 31 and has $97,000 on hand. She is endorsed by the Henderson Chamber’s Political Action Committee, the Vegas Chamber, the Nevada Veterans Caucus, Laborers Union 872, and the Asian American Group of Las Vegas. 

A third candidate, Atlas, works for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. She says she believes Henderson is in need of change. 

In 2024, Atlas, a Democrat, lost a race for Nevada Senate to Republican Carrie Buck. Last year she testified in favor of a bill requiring that hospitals presume newborn intensive care patients are eligible for Medicaid.  

Atlas says Henderson’s pricey endeavors, such as purchasing the Fiesta parking garage for $32 million and letting it sit for years with no return on investment, should take a backseat to “keeping residents safe. Public safety has to be number one. We have to make sure that our law enforcement has what they need to keep our community safe, and then look at those other projects after law enforcement is funded.” 

Atlas says as a voter she supported the city’s failed effort to raise property taxes to fund fire safety, and will support the measure on the ballot this year to fund Henderson parks. 

She said she’d consider requiring developers to pay more for providing community resources such as parks, but said she’d have to look at the details. “I want them to be responsible, like community members. I want them to be partners with our community.” 

Atlas said she’d also consider requiring that luxury developers include low-income price points in their projects. “I don’t think that having a big development that only serves one part of our population is best for Henderson, I would like to see areas where people can work in Henderson and afford to live here,”

Affordability is top of mind for Henderson residents, she says. “They are afraid they are going to get priced out of their homes.” Atlas said she’d like to see Henderson “put up some guardrails” to limit corporate homebuying. 

Atlas raised about $25,000 in the first quarter and has about $20,500 on hand. She’s endorsed by the Plumbers and Pipe Fitters Union 525, Nevada Teamsters, and Western States Carpenters. 

The Current was unable to locate candidate Leroy Hood. He has not filed any financial reports with the Nevada Secretary of State and there is no evidence he has an active campaign, other than a Facebook page, which includes a year-old post noting that “All Democrats suck.” 

A candidate who receives a majority of the vote in nonpartisan primary races wins the election outright and avoids the general election.