(Michael Leonard) – With Naomi Duerr termed out, the field is open for Reno Ward 2. The top 3 candidates are Summer Pellet, Vanessa Vaupel, and Matt Johnson.
I’m finally seeing action from the candidates. After the redistricting, this is now my Ward, so I’m especially interested to see how it turns out.
Of the 3 candidates, I’ve only had the opportunity to talk with Matt Johnson.
The financial information in this article is based on the last filing and is likely to have changed. I will be writing an update after the next reports are filed on May 20th.
In the meantime, I’m interested in hearing what you are seeing from these candidates.
Three Campaigns, Three Timelines
The candidates are not just different; they are operating on different clocks.
- Summer Pellet appears to be waiting
- Vanessa Vaupel is preparing her campaign
- Matt Johnson is engaging with voters
What the Campaign Filings Show
The filings tell a story most voters won’t see:
- One campaign is sitting on a war chest
- One is building a professional operation
- One is already in the neighborhoods
And only two advance to the general election in November.
The Top Two Dynamic
Because only two candidates advance, this isn’t about winning outright.
It’s about not finishing third. That changes everything.
- You don’t need a majority
- You need a durable share of likely voters
- Early impressions can lock in enough support to survive
Link: Johnson, Luetkehans, Pellett, and Vaupel running in Reno Ward 2 primary
You can read about the candidates in this article from the RGJ. Since Luetkehans has not raised any money, nor put up a website, I don’t cover him.
Link: Reno-area political offices and candidates
This is Reno did a questionnaire with the candidates and posted their answers.
Our Town Reno wrote about the candidates, called out Pellet’s support for Grant Denton and Karma Box after she posed with him at an event, and posted it here on her Facebook profile.
Pellet is also controversial for having voted for the Stericycle medical incineration facility in Story County in 2020. You can read about that here: Stericycle.
You can click on the image to view the Reno Ward map and see which one you are in.
Summer Pellet: The War Chest
Links: Pellet Campaign Website, Pellet Campaign Facebook
Summer Pellett is COO of Pellet Construction LLC. She isn’t just leading in fundraising; she’s operating on a different scale.
- Raised: $89,969
- Spent: $1,102
- Cash on hand: $83,488
Her donor list reads like a who’s who of construction, development, and trade groups:
- Construction Development Services — $5,000
- AGC PAC — $5,000
- Sierra Nevada Construction — $5,000
- Mt. Rose Heating & Air — $5,000
- Clark/Sullivan Construction — $5,000
- Laborers Local 169 PAC — $2,500
This isn’t grassroots fundraising. It’s coordinated industry backing.
With $83,000 in reserve, Pellet can:
- Flood the ward with mail in multiple waves
- Run digital ads at scale
- Hire consultants and field staff
But here’s the twist:
- She’s spent almost none of it. Aside from about $1,000 in digital media
- Pellet has not yet built a visible voter contact infrastructure
- I have only seen yard signs and nothing else, no emails, no texts, no flyers.
That reveals a possible strategy: Raise early. Spend late. Overwhelm the field. It’s a high-risk, high-reward model, but money unused is influence unrealized, and time is running out.
Link: Pellet C&E Report 2026 #1
Vanessa Vaupel: The Professional Build
Links: Vauple Campaign Website, Vauple Campaign Facebook
Vaupel is a former Chief of Pharmacy for the Veterans Affairs, and sits in the middle, financially.
- Raised: $29,552
- Spent: $11,685
- Cash on hand: $17,728
Vauple does not have:
- PAC money
- Major donors
- Union money
- Developer blocs
Her campaign is being:
- Professionally structured
- Strategically positioned
- Built for a coordinated rollout
But here’s the odd part:
- She is new to Reno and not known to voters
- She has a fundraiser coming up at Duerr’s house
- She’s spending her money on consultants
The spending reveals her approach: She is investing in consultants and campaign infrastructure first. With five weeks left, the timeline compresses for her to get going.
Link: Vaupel C&E Report 2026 #1
Matt Johnson: The Ground Game
Links: Johnson Campaign Website, Johnson Campaign Facebook
Matt Johnson has prior government experience with Americorps and the Conservation Corps, and is running the opposite kind of campaign.
- Raised: $19,558
- Spent: $5,104
- Cash on hand: $13,077
He has:
- The least money
- The lowest burn rate
- The least reliance on consultants
Johnson is:
- Holding fundraisers
- Knocking on doors
- Distributing pieces through door drops
- Sending out text messages
- Writing positioning articles
Matt has something the others don’t: Actual voter contact. The point is to get it done, and Matt is doing the right things.
Link: Johnson C&E Report 2026 #1
Of the 3 I’ve only found that Matt Johnson wrote an article.
Link: Opinion: A failure to plan
The Strategic Collision Ahead
One candidate has the resources to dominate. One has the structure to compete. One is already in the field. Only two move on. Here’s how this likely plays out:
If Pellet deploys soon, she can become the dominant financial force and is likely to secure one of the two slots, but she can’t wait.
If Vaupel accelerates her professional campaign, she could consolidate broad support and compete for the second slot, but we haven’t seen anything beyond yard signs.
If Johnson sustains contact, he can build familiarity and loyalty among high-propensity voters, which is often enough to outperform better-funded candidates.
Who has the most Appeal?
The candidates appeal to different voter segments.
Pellett’s donor‑driven model resonates with pro‑growth and development interests, but if she waits, she risks being the best‑funded candidate voters never meet.
Vaupel’s messaging appeals to healthcare‑adjacent voters, but if Vaupel doesn’t accelerate, her professional build may not matter until it is too late.
Johnson’s door‑knocking hits hardest in high‑propensity precincts, especially the older neighborhoods. If Johnson can scale his outreach, he can go for the win.
This isn’t just a three-way race. It’s a strategic contest.
With five weeks left, the race comes down to timing: Who reaches the voters multiple times before June 9?
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was originally published via MikesRenoReport.substack.com on 5/6/2026.
