Reno’s Little Jack Horner
Little Jack sat in the corner, eating his Christmas pie. He put in his thumb, and pulled out a plum and said, “What a good boy am I.”
We thought of this nursery rhyme the minute we read ‘no longer at large’ Councilmember Devon Reese’s greedy plea for more campaign funds, because now he has an opponent, he will need to buy signs. Someone would dare to run against Reese! Who would have thunk it?
Much like the nursery rhyme where Little Jack Horner selfishly sat in the corner and had his pie all to himself, a similar sense of entitlement has emerged with Reese needing more campaign dollars. Reese, who has been raising funds for his campaign since October 2022, has found himself in a scenario where he is seeking even more financial support due to the presence of an unnamed opponent. Isn’t that why he has been raising funds since 2022 to run a campaign? Are we to believe Reese thought he would run unopposed? This inclination towards seeking further contributions has prompted discussions about the underlying motives. A closer examination of the situation reveals that former Reno Councilmember Neoma Jardon’s campaign fund contribution $1,000 to Reese’s campaign in 2022 to kick things off for her former colleague.
The notion of greed comes into play as Reese’s quest for additional resources raises questions about ethical conduct and transparency. The question is Reese truly raising funds for this Council Ward 5 race or the 2026 Reno Mayoral race. Picon didn’t take the time to create a spreadsheet but in a quick tally it appears Reese has built an arsenal of upwards of $135,000 for the city council Ward 5 race in 2023. Little Jack Horner stuck his grubby hands into the pie and pulled out a juicy, sweet, tangy, sugary plum. Much is the same with Reese, but he wants to use his hands to pull cash out of developers, lobbyists, and special interests’ wallets.
In an attempt to line his pockets with even more cash, Reese shamelessly claims, “my opponent has officially launched their campaign and begun fundraising.” But the truth is a little different. When we contacted an individual associated with Sheila Peuchaud’s campaign, they revealed that the December 6, 2023, event was actually a ‘friendrasier’ and not a ‘fundraiser.’ Reese seeks to manipulate the facts for his own benefit.
They also told us Reese has known about Peuchaud’s candidacy for a couple of months meeting her at a Young Democrats event on November 17, 2023, when they spoke about the race, they were kind enough to send a photo, since it pretty much proves their point.
Reese’s call for financial assistance is not uncommon in political campaigns. However, his assertion that the funds raised would dissuade his opponent from running raises eyebrows. It seems to be rather unprecedented, and some might say, this has questionable motives. If the goal is to prevent the opponent from filing for office, why the need for additional signs? This logical paradox invites skepticism and prompts a closer look at the motives behind Reese’s request for more and more campaign donations.
Might the true motive be another race? Is Reese attempting to build up a reserve of cash for the race that is his ‘plum.’ Reese wants to be Mayor of Reno. Reese needs to win the Ward 5 council seat in order to bide his time to run for mayor in 2026. Residents need to ask Reese to commit to serve the four-year term to 2028 in Ward 5. Would you want to elect someone who only plans on serving two years?
The court of public opinion, we interviewed for this article, thinks this campaign fundraising is only a ploy because Reese is building a war chest of cash to run for mayor, so he can sit in the corner, not sharing his Christmas pie, and say, “What a good mayor am I.”
