2026 City of Reno Primary Election Guide
Please educate yourself about the candidates for our local elections, and then VOTE!
Mail-in ballots have been delivered, early in-person voting is now available through June 5, with Election Day on Tuesday, June 9th. Visit the Washoe County Registrar of Voters website for more information about voting.
Voter turnout for local primary elections is historically very low, so your vote is crucial and can make an enormous difference!
Who are the 2026 candidates for City of Reno elections?
Links to candidate websites are provided when available. Many candidates are also active on social media; see their websites for links to those platforms or conduct searches on each.
Reno Mayor (4-year term, 2026-2030)
Nine candidates are running for Reno mayor.
George “Eddie” Lorton (website)
Kate Marshall (website)
Greg “Nutt” Nuttle (website)
Jesse O. Razo
Devon T. Reese (website)
Tim Ross (website)
Kathleen Taylor (website)
Corinthia M. Yancey (website)
John Wayne Zink
Ward 2 Reno City Council (4-year term, 2026-2030)
Four candidates are running for the open Reno City Council seat for Ward 2.
NOTE: There are no primaries for the following races, but they will appear on the General Election ballot in November:
Ward 4 Reno City Council (4-year term, 2026-2030)
Two candidates are running for the Ward 4 City Council seat, where Meghan Ebert is the incumbent. Because there are only two candidates, there is no primary election for this race, and both candidates will appear on the General Election ballot.
Reno City Attorney (4-year term, 2026-2030)
There was only one candidate for Reno City Attorney (current City Attorney Karl Hall is retiring) so this race has no primary election and there will only be one name on the General Election ballot.
Zelalem Bogale (website)
Reno Municipal Court Judge (6-year term, 2026-2032)
There are only two candidates for this race, so both of them will proceed to the General Election. More about that here.
Local Media Guides to the 2026 Primary Elections
Many of our local media organizations have created Voter Guides covering state, county, and local races, complete with bios, interviews, and more:
Nevada Independent: Northern Nevada Voter Guide
News 4: Know Your Candidates 2026
Reno Gazette-Journal: Guide to all candidates on Washoe County’s primary election ballot
Sierra Nevada Ally: 2026 Elections Voter Guide
This Is Reno: Election Guide
Who’s financing local candidates’ campaigns?
Want to know who’s financing all of these local campaigns? Head to the Secretary of State website, where you can pull up all of the Contributions & Expenses Reports and Financial Disclosure Statements here.
A few outlets reported on the latest financial filings, including for some local races:
Who has the most campaign cash in Reno, Sparks mayor 2026 primaries? (RGJ 4/21/26)
Nevada candidates got millions in campaign donations in 2026. Who is backing them? (Nevada Independent 4/21/26)
Recent media coverage of City of Reno races
NOTE: Many candidates have submitted opinion pieces to publications like the Reno Gazette-Journal or This is Reno; search their names on those sites to locate those pieces. The candidates likely also link to those on their campaign websites (see above).
Reno’s council and mayor candidates differ on what to do about downtown (This is Reno 6/5/26)
Reno Mayor Race: Meet the Candidates (KOLO 8 5/29/26)
Voters are fired up over data centers. Do Nevada candidates care? (Nevada Independent 5/20/26)
Reno Mayor race: Incumbent Schieve termed out, 9 candidates running in primary (News4 5/21/26)
Reno mayoral candidates outline challenges and solutions (KUNR Public Radio 5/21/26)
What Reno mayor candidates say about police transparency, firings (RGJ 5/15/26)
Reno mayoral candidates participate in forum (2 News Nevada 5/13/26) This story contains a link to the entire May 13th Reno Mayoral Forum.
Reno’s budget is in trouble. Here’s how top mayoral candidates say they’ll fix it. (Nevada Independent 4/30/26)
Upcoming Forums for City of Reno political candidates
Check back for more announcements of candidate forums, and let me know if you hear of any more that I should include.
Now that you’ve done your research, be sure to VOTE!
Be sure to check out my Citizen Guide for helpful resources and links to help anyone become more informed and engaged in issues related to urban development (& more) in Reno.
You can view this and prior newsletters on my Substack site, subscribe to receive each new edition in your email inbox, and follow the Brief (and contribute to the ongoing conversation) on X, Facebook & Instagram. If you feel inspired to contribute, you may purchase a paid subscription through Substack or contribute via Venmo at @Dr-Alicia-Barber, via the Buy me a coffee platform, or via check to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510. Thank you!