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The June primary election will feature three candidates vying to represent Skye Canyon in the Las Vegas’ City Council Ward 6.
Incumbent Nancy Brune will vie for a second term, facing Dave Marlon and Steve Grammas.
Brune had been the founding executive director of the Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities before becoming the councilwoman in 2020. She has a PhD from Yale and has master’s and bachelors from Harvard. She has lived in Ward 6 for nearly 20 years.
Marlon is the founder of the non-profit Vegas Stronger treatment center, which also helps raise awareness about addictive behavior and its consequences. Marlon has four college degrees, including a doctorate from Walden University, and has served on the boards of HELP of Southern Nevada and the Las Vegas Rescue Mission
Grammas works for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and has been president of the police association since 2014. He has been a police academy instructor, an undercover detective, problem-solving unit detective and field training officer. He has lived in Ward 6 since 2002.
Election day is Tuesday, June 9 and mail-in and drop-off voting began on May 23. The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November, unless one of the candidates earns more than 50 percent of the vote.
Nancy Brune
What prompted you to first seek a spot on the city council?
Prior to running for City Council in 2022, I was running the Guinn Center, Nevada’s only bipartisan policy center, which I helped launch in 2013. In that role, I authored and oversaw the research on dozens of data-driven policy reports addressing issues like education, energy, economic development, housing and workforce development. Each report was filled with dozens of recommendations and our research was embraced by both Democratic and Republican legislators. After years of formulating recommendations for state legislators to implement, I realized that I wanted to try directly implementing some of those recommendations myself. Additionally, one of my priorities (or personal passions) has been housing. (During high school, my family faced some economic challenges, which led us to be faced with several eviction notices and significant uncertainty about our housing options. At one point, my dad and I slept for several months on the carpeted floor in a spare room without a mattress or bedding in the home of a family friend). My time at the Guinn Center engaging with legislators made me realize that questions about housing and the way our communities look are primarily taken up at the local level, not the state legislature. And too often, we don’t pay enough attention to the people who run for city council and county commission. At the time, Councilwoman Fiore had decided not to seek re-election. And City Council appeals to me because it is a NONPARTISAN office. Over the years, I have earned the respect of and been endorsed by both Republicans and Democrats because I have demonstrated that I listen to good ideas and am willing to work with anyone — Democrat or Republican – who wants to help our community and move Nevada forward.
What are the biggest issues facing Ward 6 and/or the city?
First, economic growth and diversification. Southern Nevada relies heavily on sales taxes to fund programs and services. Tourism generates sales tax revenues. When tourists stop visiting Vegas, cities and counties have less revenue. So decision makers are now trying to figure out how to fund the same level of services and programs with less revenue. We are committed to diversifying our local economy so that we are less dependent and vulnerable to tourism as an economic driver. Second, growth that makes sense. Ward 6 continues to be a focal point and center of attention for developers. The city is running out of available land. Most of the big tracts of available land are in Ward 6. So we face incredible pressure to build, build, build. In my position, I have advocated for growth that makes sense for Ward 6 and which adds real value to our neighborhoods — like creating jobs. Our Ward 6 neighbors have very clear ideas about what is missing in our area and what makes sense. I’m proud that we’ve listened to neighbors, pushed back on development projects that didn’t make sense for Ward 6 (e.g., including a lithium battery storage project at the base of our beautiful mountains), and worked to create win-win projects for our community. Third, residents are concerned about water. This is one of the top concerns I hear. We need to have an honest, valley-wide conversation about the availability of resources and the alarming forecasts. We can’t just conserve our way out of a drought. We need real solutions and answers that seem plausible and defensible to our residents.
What type of experience have you gained in your first term that makes you an effective councilwoman?
I have learned how to negotiate with my colleagues, champion important causes, and successfully pass laws that help our community and improve safety. I have a better sense of the planning and development process and land use policy. As such, we’ve been able to work with neighbors and developers to support projects that add real value to our neighborhoods. Through my regular small business breakfasts and engagement opportunities, I’ve learned directly from small business owners about some of the challenges or barriers they face and we’ve worked to help them address those. I’ve also learned that there are small actions I can take that don’t require a change in city policy or lots of money but can have a significant impact on quality of life issues.
Dave Marlon
What prompted you to run for city council?
I’ve spent nearly four decades in Las Vegas building organizations, creating jobs, and working directly with some of the city’s toughest challenges; addiction, homelessness, mental illness, public safety, and quality of life. Over the years, I became increasingly frustrated watching government move too slowly while residents and businesses felt the impact of rising homelessness, higher fees, increasing bureaucracy, and declining trust in leadership.
I’m running because I believe Ward 6 deserves practical leadership focused on outcomes instead of politics. I’ve spent my career solving problems, building teams, managing large budgets, and creating systems that work in the real world. I want to bring that same business-minded, accountability-driven approach to City Hall.
What are the biggest issues facing Ward 6 and/or the city?
The biggest issue facing both Ward 6 and Las Vegas overall is quality of life. Residents want safe neighborhoods, cleaner streets, less visible homelessness, reduced traffic congestion, responsible growth, and a city government that responds efficiently.
Homelessness continues to impact parks, businesses, trails, and neighborhoods throughout the valley. Compassion matters, but compassion must also include accountability and treatment. We need stronger coordination between law enforcement, behavioral health providers, housing resources, and outreach teams to help people stabilize while also protecting neighborhoods and public spaces.
Affordability is another major concern. Families are being squeezed by inflation, rising housing costs, utility increases, and fees. The city must become more efficient, reduce unnecessary red tape, and support smart economic growth without continually shifting costs onto residents.
Public safety, infrastructure, and responsible development are also critical as Ward 6 continues to grow rapidly. Residents want growth managed thoughtfully so infrastructure, roads, schools, and public safety keep pace.
What type of experience do you have that would make you an effective councilman?
My background is rooted in both business leadership and community service. I’ve served as the CEO of large healthcare and behavioral health organizations, managed multimillion-dollar budgets, overseen hundreds of employees, and built organizations from the ground up.
I founded and grew one of Nevada’s largest addiction treatment organizations and currently serve as CEO of Vegas Stronger, a nonprofit focused on homelessness, behavioral health, addiction recovery, workforce development, and integrated care. Through that work, I’ve collaborated with hospitals, law enforcement, local governments, nonprofits, courts, and community leaders to solve complex issues affecting Southern Nevada.
I also hold advanced academic and clinical credentials, including an MBA and a PsyD, which gives me both operational and human-service perspectives. Most importantly, I understand how to take an idea, build a strategy, manage people and finances responsibly, and produce measurable outcomes.
Las Vegas doesn’t need more political talking points. It needs experienced leadership focused on execution, accountability, and results.
Steve Grammas
What prompted you to run for city council?
I have lived in Ward 6 since 2002. I have raised my family in Ward 6. All 4 of my daughters have attended public school in Ward 6. Ward 6 is my home.
After a lifetime of serving others, LVMPD for over 27 years, I recognize that I want to continue to serve. Knowing how I work, and how much I love representing and serving others, this was an easy decision to make. I will listen to our neighbors in Ward 6, fight for them, and represent them in a way no one has before.
What are the biggest issues facing Ward 6 and/or the city?
Our city as a whole, and similarly Ward 6, share a concern for public safety. If our children and families don’t feel safe, then our community isn’t where it should be. Prioritizing making our community the safest it can be, while working with LVMPD and the LVDPS officers, we will act swiftly with our law enforcement partners to make sure anyone preying on our community is held accountable quickly.
We also have a concern for housing. Working with builders to build good, quality homes to get the American dream of home ownership moving will be important. I think we also need to make sure our young ones have places that are safe for them to ride their bikes and play.
That’s why I want to expand on our safe roadways and access points for our kids, especially around the schools. I would also love to build a true recreation center, that has no fees for our community to utilize, in Ward 6. I grew up at Mirabelli Community Center, and have many fond memories there during the school year and summer.
Our kids and families should have a center that they can use as well, that doesn’t charge a monthly fee for usage. We also need to work on healthcare in our valley so families have access to quality healthcare when it matters most! I have been fully supportive of making Sunrise Hospital a level 1 trauma center, which our incumbent councilwoman voted against.
I can’t understand why anyone would not support another trauma center, but residents of Ward 6 can guarantee I wont support special interest folks over the citizens of our great city.
What type of experience do you have that would make you an effective councilman?
Having served our community for over 27 years with LVMPD, and more specifically, as the 3 term elected President of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, I have always looked out for others.
I know what it takes to be a servant of the people, something I have done with pride for a long time. Also, as President, I have been involved with our city council, county commission, and state legislature.
Working with others in this capacity has been eye opening to a new world that a normal police officer doesn’t typically see.
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