Washoe County Commission shifts to Democratic control amid Reno and Sparks upsets

Democratic candidates won three of five seats on the Washoe County Commission in Tuesday's election, giving the party a 4-1 majority for the first time in the board's history. The new composition will take effect when commissioners are sworn in this January. Commission Chair Alexis Hill, a Democrat, retained her District 1 seat through 2028. Clara Andriola of District 4 is the board's lone Republican.

In District 2, former Reno police officer Marie Rodriguez holds a narrow lead over Republican Jon Killoran. The race was too close to call as of Wednesday evening. Registered Republicans outnumbered Democrats in that district by nearly 10 percentage points as of September. Rodriguez raised just over $9,000 through Sept. 30, while Killoran raised nearly $100,000 and spent almost $121,000, mostly before the June primary.

Brian Wadsworth, a former Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribal Council member, defeated Republican Rob Pierce in District 5. The district covers about 89 percent of the county's land and has been held by Republicans for at least two decades. Pierce raised almost $147,500 this year, roughly five times Wadsworth's approximately $27,000. Wadsworth said the result shows that candidates do not need to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to run a successful campaign.

Incumbent Democrat Mariluz Garcia won a second term in District 3, defeating Republican Troy Regas. Garcia stated that the election result reflects a cry from the public for change. She hopes the board will remain focused on nonpartisan work, including mental health, senior services, and infrastructure.

Democrats also won the open seats on the Reno City Council. Former Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall won the mayoral race, and Matt Johnson won in Ward 2. Both candidates raised less money than their opponents in the final fundraising period. Marshall said people want the government to invest in them and noted that what is special about Reno is starting to slip away. Johnson said he benefited from Democratic enthusiasm but that the race was largely local, with voters concerned about the council's relationship with developers.

In Sparks, incumbent Mayor Ed Lawson faces a tight race against Wendi Rawson, a winery owner and registered Republican. Rawson raised almost six times less money than Lawson through the first nine months of the year. The race was too close to call as of Wednesday evening. City Councilmember Dian VanderWell conceded her contest. Jamie O'Connell, a registered Democrat, is leading VanderWell in that race despite raising only about $1,400 compared to VanderWell's nearly $74,000.