Reno Ward 2: The Ground Game vs. Vaupel’s Garden Party

Vanessa Vaupel home in Reno’s Ward 2. Didn’t fire endorse her?

We were not going to write about the City of Reno Ward 2 race because, frankly, it feels like nobody cares about some of these local races anymore. We see it in this race and over in the Ward 4 race in Sparks. We still cannot believe Sparks residents appear willing to embrace Adam Mayberry without asking harder questions about using “Save Our Schools” funds to buy books — you know, the funds that raised Washoe County sales taxes to some of the highest in the nation and were supposedly earmarked solely for building and rehabilitating schools. Add in some of Mayberry’s comments about the Seeno’s Wingfield Springs housing project and you would think voters might pause. Instead, they seem to shrug and move along.

Which is why we have grown tired of city council races altogether.

But then we read the opinion piece penned by Vanessa Vaupel, in the Reno Gazette Journal, and it caused us to stop and think. It was filled with the modern political buzzwords of self-love, self-importance, and carefully crafted virtue posing. What interested us even more, however, was that current councilmember Naomi Duerr is backing Vaupel so enthusiastically.

Of course, Duerr has never lacked for self-love herself.

Duerr recently hosted a fundraiser for Vaupel in her beautiful backyard, which has practically become part of Duerr’s political brand over the last twelve years. And to be fair, we cannot take anything away from her commitment to what can only be described as full-blown Martha Stewartism. For a moment, we wondered if perhaps gardening and landscaping were the bond that brought Duerr and Vaupel together.

Apparently not. We have a photo of Vaupel’s home at the headline of this article, bet her neighbors aren’t voting for her.

And before anyone accuses us of being creepy, after reading Vaupel’s opinion piece about self-awareness and authenticity, we naturally became curious about where exactly she lives in the ward she hopes to represent. That curiosity quickly answered another question: gardening does not appear to be the shared passion here.

What this race really comes down to is the old-school reality of Reno politics: knocking doors wins elections.

People forget that when Jenny Brekhus defeated JD Drakulich years ago, she did not do it with glossy mailers, consultant-crafted messaging, or backyard fundraisers. She did it by knocking on doors — over and over again. Some homes reportedly saw Brekhus four times during that campaign. That is what SHOULD win in these wards.

And remember, the City of Reno redistricted these neighborhoods. Many longtime Ward 1 residents were not exactly thrilled to suddenly become Ward 2 voters.

Which brings us to Matt Johnson.

Matt Johnson has a whole lot of signs up all over the neighborhoods in Ward 2.

While others appear focused on image-building and insider support, Johnson is reportedly out doing the actual work. According to emails we have received from readers, Johnson has already knocked on some doors three separate times. Imagine that — a candidate actually meeting voters instead of trying to purchase the race through high priced handlers, endorsements and curated political events.

If anyone deserves to win this race based on effort alone, it is Matt Johnson.

Johnson also carries support from both Jenny Brekhus (DEM) and Toni Harsh (REP), which says something about where the grassroots energy in this race may actually exist.

Bet Vanessa doesn’t walk you by her house …