Commissioner Jeanne Herman Sets the Record Straight on Endorsement Rumors in District 5

Commissioner Jeanne Herman’s email to the 2026 District 5 candidates November 2, 2025.

Full disclosure — our publisher, Larry Chesney, has tossed his hat in the ring for the Washoe County Commission District 5 race in 2026. As always, we’ll keep reporting the facts wherever they lead.

It seems the Washoe County political rumor mill has been running a little too hot lately.

At last month’s Washoe County Republican Central Committee meeting, there was talk that Commissioner Jeanne Herman had endorsed Tammy Holt-Still in the upcoming District 5 race. Holt-Still herself helped fuel the perception, she had announced her candidacy during a County Commission meeting while publicly thanking Commissioner Herman for her years of service — a gesture that some attendees took as a subtle nod of support.

Several attendees told Picon Press that chatter rippled through the room claiming Tammy Holt-Still had the full endorsement and blessing of Commissioner Jeanne Herman for the District 5 seat. By the end of the night, the rumor had grown legs faster than a campaign flyer in a parking lot.

But according to Herman, that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth.

In an email sent to her candidate constituents, Herman made it clear she has not endorsed any candidate in the primary — and doesn’t plan to.

“Yesterday I noticed on Picon Press that I had already chosen a candidate to sponsor in the primary, which just is not factual,” Herman wrote. “I believe the Primary is the place where the people vote for their Party’s candidate.”

Herman went on to explain that as the sitting commissioner, all declared candidates are her constituents — and that it wouldn’t be fair to pick sides.

“During the past years I have appointed two of the candidates to seats of important offices in the county, giving them an advantage over the others,” she noted. “I wish them all, even those who have not announced yet, the best.”

Herman closed her message with a call for fairness and integrity in the election process:

“We have such outstanding candidates, it should be an exciting time! I pray for a fair, honest and transparent primary election for all. I hope I have set the record straight.”

Rumors travel fast in local politics — especially in a year when multiple candidates are vying for an open seat. But for now, Commissioner Jeanne Herman wants it clearly understood: she’s staying neutral in the District 5 primary and leaving the choice where it belongs — with the voters.