Early voting for the 2022 midterms is underway, and in the next two weeks people will have the opportunity to cast their ballots up until General Election Day on November 8.
Quite a few federal and statewide offices are up for renewal, such as choosing a representative for the U.S. Senate and Congress representative for District 2 along with who will be our next Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Secretary of State. State Treasurer, State Controller, and Attorney General positions are also up for grabs.
Sparks residents may also vote for representatives in district partisan offices, including who should stand for District 13 in the State Senate and a person for District 30 in the State Assembly. Voters are also asked to consider who should serve on the Washoe County Commission representing District 3 and choose a county assessor and public administrator. Several nonpartisan statewide offices are on the ballot as well, including two people in a race against each other to function as Supreme Court justices and candidates to serve as judges within the Court of Appeals.
There are also people running for the positions within our local education system such as candidates vying for the spot of University of Nevada, District 11 regent as well as choosing the next Washoe County School District trustees.
Within the City of Sparks, there are two major races to note- two people vying for the position of Mayor, two people in a race to serve as the next Sparks Municipal Court Judge for Department 1, and two people competing against each other to serve as Sparks Justice of the Peace in Department 4. City Council seats for wards 2 and 4 are also on the ballot if you live within those jurisdictions. Here is some more information about the candidates for those positions:
Sparks Mayor (4-year term)
Christine “Chris” Garvey- Born and raised in Sparks, Chris Garvey graduated from Reed High School before attending UNR for a year-and-a-half then transferring to the College of Southern Nevada to pursue a career in dental hygiene. While in the southern part of the state, Garvey was elected to the Clark County School Board in 2008, 2012, and 2016 before terming out. According to her candidate profile, safety needs to be the number one priority in Sparks. “Our police and fire departments are not fully staffed, and property and violent crime seem to be occurring more and more while residents are left to fend for themselves when homeless individuals roam their neighborhoods, parks, and business centers. Growth must be within our resources and align with the best interests of our community, not the big money developers,” it states. For more information, visit chrisgarvey4sparks.com.
Ed Lawson (incumbent)- Ed Lawson currently serves as the City of Sparks’ 26th mayor, who was officially sworn into the role on September 14, 202. He was born in Washington State, grew up in Las Vegas and moved to Sparks after attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Lawson was first elected to the Sparks City Council in 2010, reelected in 2014, and again in 2018 before he became Mayor Pro Tempore that same year. Taken from the City of Sparks website: “He is active in the Sparks Rotary Club and volunteers time to the community. A champion of economic development, Mayor Lawson also plays a significant leadership role with the annual Kid’s Free Fishing Day, which attracts more than 3,000 kids to the Sparks Marina. In 2014, he was recognized as the Public Official of the Year by the Builders Association of Northern Nevada.”
Sparks City Council Ward 2
Dian VanderWell (incumbent)- Sparks City Councilmember Dian VanderWell was appointed on September 14, 2020, to fill the seat that Ed Lawson occupied before being sworn in as mayor that same year. VanderWell grew up in Sparks, graduated from Reed High School, and has been a licensed mortgage agent for 33 years. VanderWell is also concerned about her and her family’s safety and was prompted to act when her young daughter was inadvertently pricked by a hypodermic needle left by squatters in the foreclosed house next door. Her daughter is fine, but she is running for election to keep her seat to continue serving the City’s neighborhoods. “I want to make sure that we have clean, safe, affordable places to raise our families, and places that small businesses can thrive,” her website says. For more information about Dian VanderWell, visit https://votevanderwell.com.
John “Johnny” Eastwick- Johnny Eastwick runs the Victorian Saloon in Sparks and credits former Ward 2 Council representative Phil Salerno for being one of his mentors. He believes that the city council is blinded by big developers and the Nugget Casino Resort and forgets about small businesses. He made waves in the city in 2019 when he refused to raise drink prices during special events put on by the Nugget.
Sparks City Council Ward 4
Charlene Bybee (incumbent)- A lifelong Sparks resident who has been active in the community for more than 37 years, Charlene Bybee was first elected to the Sparks City Council representing Ward 4 in 2014 and reelected in 2018. She is passionate about education and functioned as an unpaid lobbyist at the Nevada Legislature on several occasions, speaking out for fiscal restraint and education reform. Bybee has served on the United Way Fund Distribution Panel and as a member of the UNR Pack PAAWS Women’s Athletic Booster Board, and during her time in office she has sat in on the Sparks 2040 Master Plan Steering Committee and the City of Sparks Charter Committee. She has lived in Sparks for 58 years. For more about her platform, visit www.charlenebybee.com.
Damon Harrell- Damon Harrell is a US Marine veteran who served in Desert Storm, and a staunch advocate for protecting second and fifth amendment rights. Harrell is against increasing taxes and believes that the city must work harder with other agencies to stop the illegal drug trade along the I-80 corridor as well as hire more emergency first responders. Harrell would like to look at expanding the sewage treatment facility to match the population growth and believes he can help lead Ward 4 towards steadier growth and stable economy via good data-driven decisions.
Judge Seats Open
Along with the mayor and city council positions, voters will be asked to vote on who should be the next Sparks Municipal Court Judge for Department 1 (for a 6-year term) and who should serve as the Sparks Justice of the Peace for Department 4 in a 4-year term.
Robert Delong is running against Shirle Eiting for the Municipal Court Judge seat and Erica Flavin is running against Matt Lee for the Justice of the Peace position.
Where to Vote
There are 18 places to vote in Sparks that will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day Nov. 8. Here are the city’s voting centers:
Dilworth Middle School
255 Prater Way
Hug High School
3530 Sullivan Ln.
Hungry Valley Gymnasium
9075 Eagle Canyon Dr.
Kate Smith Elementary School
1925 F St.
Mendive Middle School
1900 Whitewood Dr.
Moss Elementary School
2200 Primio Way
Red Hawk Resort
6600 N Wingfield Pkwy.
Reed High School
1350 Baring Blvd.
Sky Ranch Middle School
1200 Windmill Farms Pkwy.
Spanish Springs High School
1065 Eagle Canyon Dr.
Spanish Springs Library
7100 Pyramid Way
Sparks Christian Fellowship
510 Greenbrae Dr.
Sparks Library
1125 12th St.
Sparks Middle School
2275 18th St.
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
2255 Green Vista Dr STE 402
Van Gorder Elementary School
7650 Campello Dr.
Whitehead Elementary School
3570 Waterfall Dr.
Yvonne Shaw Middle School
600 Eagle Canyon Dr.
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