The Rebel With a Sign …

Garcia’s campaign kickoff in November 2025 … Regas ‘do you like my sign ask’ yeserday.

It slipped past the daily write-up schedule, but the social media moment surrounding Troy Regas may end up being more telling than a formal campaign announcement. Instead of a polished press release or scripted video, Regas posted something far simpler: a photo of campaign sign designs — created by his father — and asked Facebook friends which one they liked best yesterday.

On its face, it was casual and even a little homespun. But the response numbers told a different story. Engagement climbed quickly, with reactions and comments piling up in a way most local candidates quietly hope for but rarely achieve. The contrast was hard to miss when placed beside his opponent’s earlier kickoff event, where weather concerns were mentioned and turnout, while respectable, did not mirror the kind of digital enthusiasm Regas generated with a single sign poll.

We are not campaign managers, but raw engagement matters. It signals energy. It hints at curiosity. And in local races, where name recognition and relatability often outweigh glossy mailers, that kind of organic interaction can be more valuable than a room full of folding chairs and catered coffee. Voters are not just liking a sign — they are responding to a tone. Informal. Unfiltered. A little rebellious.

That “independent rebel” perception may be exactly what some residents of Washoe County appear to be leaning toward: someone who looks less manufactured and more self-directed. In an era where political partnerships and alliances are scrutinized down to the fine print, the absence of visible entanglements can become its own message. Authenticity — or at least the appearance of it — travels fast online.

The irony is that this level of Facebook traction is the kind of engagement seasoned candidates often chase with paid ads and strategic consultants. It is the digital buzz that Reno mayoral hopefuls like Devon Reese or Eddie Lorton would gladly welcome. Yet here it appeared from a simple question about signage, not policy.

For Regas’s opponent, the takeaway may not be panic but perspective. Traditional campaign milestones — kickoff parties, endorsements, mailers — still matter. But the modern political arena has a second stage, and it lives online. When a candidate’s most engaging moment comes from a candid post rather than a choreographed event, it suggests the electorate may be responding less to polish and more to personality.

In local politics, momentum does not always arrive with a marching band. Sometimes it shows up as a comment thread, a like count, and a sign designed at the family kitchen table. And sometimes, that is enough to make every other campaign take a second look at its strategy.