Challenger Wendi Rawson held an eight-vote lead over Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson in the city's mayoral race Wednesday morning, Nov. 4, according to unofficial election results.

Rawson had 16,102 votes to Lawson's 16,094, with both candidates receiving about 50% of the vote, the Reno Gazette Journal reported.

This Is Reno also reported the eight-vote margin, listing the Sparks contest among several local races that remained too close to call based on results posted early Wednesday.

The results could change as Washoe County continues processing ballots. Mail ballots postmarked on or before Election Day can still be counted if received by 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, under Nevada law, according to 2 News.

Washoe County officials reported Wednesday morning that thousands of mail ballots were still being processed, along with provisional ballots and ballots requiring signature verification, according to This Is Reno. The number of outstanding ballots specifically in the Sparks mayor's race has not been reported.

Voters can follow updates through the county's official election results dashboard and its 2026 election reports page.

How they got here

Lawson held an advantage in the June 2026 primary, receiving 35% of the vote to Rawson's 27%. Two other candidates split the remaining votes. As the top two vote-getters, Lawson and Rawson advanced to the general election, according to the Reno Gazette Journal.

Lawson was appointed mayor in 2020 after the death of Ron Smith. He won the 2022 general election.

Rawson, a Sparks small business owner, co-owns Engine 8 Urban Winery with her husband, Mike. They opened the winery in 2019, according to her campaign website. A Reed High School graduate, Rawson has served on the Sparks Citizens Advisory Committee representing Ward 4 and on the board of Centennial Little League.

Neither candidate's public response to the eight-vote margin had been reported as of Wednesday morning.

What happens next

Nevada law allows mail ballots postmarked by Election Day to be received through Nov. 7. Counties must count all mail ballots by Nov. 10, according to the Reno Gazette Journal's election-counting timeline.

Results are not considered final until the Washoe County Commission canvasses the returns. The canvass must take place by Friday, Nov. 13.

The Sparks mayor serves a four-year term, according to the Washoe County election information page.