Las Vegas City Councilmember Victoria Seaman announced Monday she will resign her Ward 2 seat and is leaving Nevada for a post with the Trump administration. 

After six years in office, she announced she has been appointed to the position of U.S. Health and Human Services regional director based in Denver. The move comes as an abrupt surprise to some after she launched a campaign website suggesting she would seek a seat on the Clark County Commission, challenging Democrat Justin Jones, who has been dogged by an ethics case related to a housing development. 

During a phone interview with The Nevada Independent, Seaman said she applied to the position after meeting Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. earlier this year and wasn’t sure if she would receive the job until Friday last week. Seaman said she greatly admires RFK Jr. and in a follow-up statement added that all of the policies he’s implemented would “greatly benefit the American people.” 

Seaman said she was deeply connected with Nevada and called leaving Las Vegas a “bittersweet” moment. She said the move to Colorado was because there was an administrative opening in the state — her region does not include Nevada. 

Seaman, a former Republican assemblywoman who has a year left in her term representing  Ward 2 on the city council, lost the race for Las Vegas mayor last year to Shelley Berkley by about 6 percentage points. She was active in settling the nine-year legal dispute over the Badlands Golf Course, voting to pay $286 million to the developer. 

In her statement, Seaman said she would act as the department’s liaison to state, local and tribal governments and non-governmental organizations across Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

“While it is with a heavy heart that I step down from the City Council, I am deeply honored to continue my public service under the leadership of President (Donald) Trump and Secretary Kennedy,” Seaman said in a press release. 

The Health and Human Services Department announced the appointment Monday. 

The Las Vegas City Council has 30 days to decide whether to call for a special election or appoint a temporary replacement for Seaman’s position, which will be discussed at the council’s Sept. 3 meeting, according to city spokesperson Diana Paul. 

Seaman does not have a public health background. She was an urban studies major with a minor in family studies during her time at UNLV and holds an associate’s degree in political science.

Seaman’s predecessor in Denver, Lily Griego, also did not have a background in public health. 

As an assemblywoman, she successfully introduced bills related to housing, workplace issues and protecting seniors from elder abuse. During her time on the Las Vegas City Council, Seaman also pushed to create a committee that would meet quarterly to discuss animal rights issues in the city — an idea that was rejected in a 6-1 vote by the council. 

This story was updated at 4:20 p.m. on 8/25/25 to include statements from Seaman as well as additional information on her background and time in office.