Dynasty or Delusion? Hey Chris, Washoe County Isn’t Buying It …

Picon had far more faith in Alexis Carrington of Dynasty fame—because at least that dynasty knew it was fiction. The Hicks version? It’s becoming a punchline. Meanwhile, McDonald Carano is left trying to spin relevance out of a press release about Josh Hicks’ appointment. Just like Dynasty we think the Hicks Dynasty has been cancelled.

Bless his heart—someone finally found the nerve to ask questions. Kudos to Bob Conrad at This Is Reno. 

Because what’s unfolding around Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks isn’t complicated, no matter how polished the messaging tries to make it. The employment—and upward trajectory—of his wife, Nicole Hicks, isn’t some misunderstood bureaucratic quirk.

It’s the kind of arrangement that makes people use words like conflict—even if no one in power seems eager to say it out loud.

And yet, the bigger story might be the one they’d prefer you buy into:

The “dynasty.”

Yes, that word again. Dynasty.

Because somewhere along the way, this stopped being about public service and started sounding a lot like legacy branding—who do they think they are? The Murdoch's. The Hick's clan come  complete with a magazine cover and carefully curated narratives. A feature in Attorney at Law Magazine highlighting the late Judge Hicks, DA Hicks and "cousin" Josh Hicks—who works at McDonald Carano, yes, the love triangle law firm featuring the now "retired" Judge Bridget Robb, a lawyer, and the former managing partner. :

Who, exactly, is this Dynasty for?

Because to the average voter in Washoe County, it doesn’t read like merit.
It reads like a family plan.

And if that weren’t enough, the hits just keep coming.

Because while the storm brews in the press about Judge Robb and questionable practices as she held court at the law firms offices, McDonald Carano somehow finds the bandwidth to celebrate Josh Hicks’ appointment by Governor Joe Lombardo to a Public Records Task Force born out of the 83rd Legislative Session.

Public records.

Transparency.

You almost have to admire the timing.

After all, many in the community remember the recent past a little differently—years where access to public records felt less like a right and more like a negotiation with Josh's kin - the Washoe County District Attorney who all but locked down public records in 2021, 2023, and 2023. 

So let’s connect the dots.

A DA accused of blurring ethical lines.
A family network being elevated and showcased.
A law firm navigating controversy while applauding insider appointments.
And a “task force” on transparency populated by names that raise more questions than confidence.

That’s not a dynasty.

That’s an echo chamber.

And voters aren’t deaf.

With Wes Duncan gaining traction, and his overwhelming support by local law enforcement, the message coming out of Washoe County is getting harder to ignore: this isn’t about legacy—it’s about limits.

Because dynasties only work when people buy in.

And right now?

They’re not buying it.