On Tuesday morning, Councilman Devon Reese sent out his campaign launch email announcing he is running for Mayor of Reno. The message was full of lofty language, and—like most political mailers—carefully designed to tug at heartstrings. But when you hold his promises against his actual record, the cracks become obvious.
Reese frames his candidacy around three themes: safety, affordability, and opportunity. He compares Reno’s future to the river running through the city, steady and strong. It’s a poetic line, but one that quickly falls apart under scrutiny.
Housing and Affordability: Words vs. Votes
In his email, Reese claims to have “fought for affordable housing for seniors.” Yet his track record on the City Council tells a different story. Time and again, Reese has aligned with developers and insiders, supporting projects that do little to address affordability while leaving existing residents squeezed.
The reality is that Reno remains one of the least affordable housing markets in the West. Rents have soared, seniors remain at risk of displacement, and speculative projects have taken precedence over true affordability solutions. Reese’s “affordable housing” branding looks more like campaign spin than lived reality.
Downtown and the Riverfront: Demolitions, Not Renewal
Reese touts his efforts to “clean up our river and downtown” and promises a riverfront that “brings life back to our city.” But my reporting has documented how his allies—including major developer Jacobs Entertainment—have done the exact opposite.
Over the last several years, Jacobs has leveled entire blocks of historic motels, creating empty lots, fenced-off gravel pits, and urban blight in the name of “redevelopment.” Rather than pushing back against this destruction, Reese stood by as downtown residents and business owners were displaced.
If life has been sucked out of downtown, it wasn’t because of neglect—it was because of policy choices made by Reese and those he supports.
Public Safety: A Convenient Talking Point
Reese’s email leans heavily on “strengthening police and fire coverage.” On the surface, this sounds reasonable. But those of us following city politics know it’s a superficial talking point.
Washoe County’s justice system is under intense strain. Police complain about high charging standards from DA Chris Hicks, public defenders say they’re overwhelmed, and judges face trial backlogs stretching years. Public safety in Reno is not just about more officers or fire stations—it’s about leadership willing to confront systemic problems.
Reese has never shown himself to be that leader. Instead, he uses the issue as a campaign slogan, glossing over the deeper dysfunction.
The Money Question
Nearly half of Reese’s launch email is devoted to one thing: asking for money. He emphasizes that the mayoral race will be crowded, and that the only way to “stand out” is to raise more resources.
This is revealing. Reno politics has been plagued by an insider culture where money from developers, lobbyists, and special interests drives decision-making. Reese has been at the center of that system. His fundraising appeals serve as a reminder that his campaign will be fueled not by grassroots energy, but by the same donors who benefit from the status quo.
The Authenticity Gap
At its core, Reese’s campaign suffers from an authenticity problem. He wants voters to believe he has been fighting for seniors, affordability, and a revitalized downtown. Yet the evidence shows otherwise:
Housing remains unaffordable.
Downtown has been gutted by demolition and displacement.
Public safety issues are treated as slogans, not solutions.
Donors remain his lifeline, not everyday citizens.
When reality and rhetoric diverge this sharply, voters should ask: which Devon Reese is the real one? The one in the polished email, or the one whose actions on the council tell a very different story?
Closing
Reno deserves a mayor who is honest about the challenges ahead and willing to confront entrenched power, not one who wraps the same old politics in new poetic language.
Reese’s announcement email is less a vision for the city than a carefully crafted sales pitch. And like most sales pitches, the fine print tells a different story.
Look what Reese did to the Lakeridge Tennis Club! After the developer made promises on the record that they would build affordable housing with that now-vacant site, they switched horses completely and decided to build only high-end housing, with Reese’s full blessing. And this all happened after the developer decided to not keep their earlier promises that half of the community’s health and fitness club would be saved in order to grab a zoning code that probably wouldn’t have been allowed if the developer had been honest from the start. Reese went along with the entire scheme, as is usual, to the end that more money was sent his way. Would make for a great Netflix series on how to dupe the public, make a ton of money, on a mediocre law career.