Boulder City voters keep incumbents in power

Boulder City residents voted to keep their current leadership in place during the 2026 midterm election. Incumbent Mayor Joe Hardy and Councilman Steve Walton both secured victories in four-year terms, while the city also decided on two major infrastructure and land use questions.

The election saw a strong turnout for local offices. Hardy won the mayoral race with 4,536 votes, capturing 75.56% of the total. His opponent, Brent Fultz, received 1,389 votes, or 23.44%. The results were largely finalized by noon on Wednesday, November 4, though some mail ballots may still be processed.

In the race for two open council seats, incumbents also prevailed. Walton finished first with 3,301 votes, representing 31.39% of the total. Cokie Booth took the second seat with 2,879 votes, or 27.38%. The race remained competitive with challengers Adam Schultheis and Chris Gatlin in the mix. Schultheis received 2,318 votes (22.04%) and Gatlin received 2,018 votes (19.19%).

Voters also weighed in on two specific questions regarding city development and finances. The first question asked whether data center facilities should be approved as a land use within the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area, specifically outside the Multi-species Habitat Conservation Easement. Voters rejected this measure by a wide margin, with 4,726 votes against (70.55%) and 1,973 votes in favor (29.24%).

The second question concerned the Capital Improvement Fund. It asked if the city should be authorized to expand available funds from this fund by up to 50% of the most recent audited fiscal year’s ending cash balance each year. This proposal replaced the previous authorization of $1 million per year. Voters approved this measure, with 3,504 votes in favor (52.79%) and 3,133 votes against (47.21%).

City Clerk Tami McKay explained that the voting process allowed for mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted up to four days later. Ballots with unclear or missing postmarks could be counted up to three days after the election. Because of these rules, some votes were still being tallied as of Wednesday.

The official results for Boulder City will be formally canvassed at a special meeting scheduled for Friday, November 13. The meeting is set to begin at 9 a.m. in city hall. This step finalizes the official count of the election.

Several candidates responded to the results. Walton, who has been part of his family’s home in Boulder City for nearly 30 years, said he is honored to serve another four years. He stated he remains committed to serving all residents and is accessible to anyone who wishes to reach out. Booth thanked residents for their support and said she is committed to acting in the best interests of the community. Gatlin thanked his supporters but noted that the work is not done, urging residents to continue engaging with elected officials.