Sometimes beating a dead horse isn’t cruel—it’s journalism. Especially when taxpayers are still being forced to pay for the feed.

Earlier this year, we exposed how Mayor Ed Lawson’s pals—lobbyists Chris Barrett and Scott Bensing—scored an individual $80,000 annual contract to push a federal lands bill through Congress. That bill is deader than disco, yet Sparks continues to pay them monthly, as if the next paycheck will somehow resurrect it.

To everyone in the Save Lakeridge movement: time to take a hard look at who’s backing whom in Washoe County politics.

Turns out T.J. Duncan—the developer at the center of your fight to protect Lakeridge Golf Course—is a supporter of none other than District Attorney Chris Hicks, who is kicking off his re-election campaign on September 9, 2025.

The Reno Gazette-Journal’s Mark Robison recently posted a piece by political analyst Louis Jacobson of the Crystal Ball suggesting Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan should drop his bid for Washoe County District Attorney and instead run for Nevada Attorney General. Interesting timing—and even more interesting implications.

Current DA Chris Hicks is facing what could be the toughest challenge of his career. Duncan, with a campaign war chest reportedly over $500,000, is a serious contender. Hicks, meanwhile, is stumbling through missteps, from the growing dysfunction inside his office to questionable charging decisions and opaque settlements.

On June 12, 2025, Reno Gazette Journal reporter Mark Robison dropped a little political grenade: a group of donors — now dubbed the “Gang of Eighteen” — were furious with Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan after he announced his candidacy for Washoe County District Attorney. Their big grievance? They wanted their political contributions back.

Yes, you read that right — refunds.

The money had originally gone to Duncan’s Sparks City Attorney race, which, thanks to a lack of an opponent, was essentially a political formality. But the Gang of Eighteen didn’t care about campaign technicalities. They staged their outrage publicly, then (for added flair) leaked it to the press.

An invite dropped in our inbox: District Attorney Chris Hicks, speaking Monday, August 11th at Mimi’s Cafe. Cue the political theater.

What will he be talking about? His many misfires as DA? The ongoing Izabella Loving homicide proceedings? The Reno High School vandalism protest one could argue his office mishandled. The DA’s refusal to fulfill reasonable public record requests for two years - allowing Washoe County Government to remain insulated from public scrutiny. Or is this just a veiled attempt at “equal time” after Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan announced his DA candidacy at a luncheon hosted by a different branch of the same group in June? Watch the video - Duncan has a wonderful story about President Teddy Roosevelt as his lead-in to announcing.. Very clever Wes.

Picon is unapologetically amused.

Wes Duncan announces a run for Washoe County District Attorney and—poof!—a select few locals faint into their fainting couches like we're all trapped in some steamy 1860s Southern drama. Someone fetch the smelling salts—there’s a Republican challenger in the DA’s race, and the self-appointed gatekeepers of Washoe County are scandalized, and it seems are fearful of a primary.

Who died and made them the candidate police of the region?