There are many local races up for grabs in the upcoming election, including Reno mayor and two city council seats. RenoElections.org has an advertising campaign regarding the local races and issues. Paul White is the director of the organization. He says his goal is to inform voters and and encourage them to get to the polls.
"Our advertising campaign has simply been geared to drive people to our website, read and compare the candidates," White said.
White says the ads are paid for with money raised as a nonprofit organization. He says he is focusing on issues like crime, education, debt and homelessness.
"What's our goal? Reno citizens and voters need to wake up and ask hard questions and get informed," White said. "This election is for Reno's future."
White says the website is nonpartisan but many of the incumbents say the advertisement and the website are biased. The website has pictures and bios of the challengers for mayor, city council and Washoe County School Board, but not the incumbents.
"If you read the website, it says they were contacted repeatedly and asked to participate and thus far have refused," White said.
Mayor Hillary Schieve is running for re-election against businessman Eddie Lorton. Lorton says he appreciates the organization while Schieve says they misrepresent the city of Reno.
"I think it's misleading and some of it has been sort of these scare tactics, how they promote it," Schieve said. "Like they say Reno is on fire and things of this magnitude and so you know that's concerning."
"Reno Elections is just trying to get honesty," Lorton said. "In an election cycle, we should be talking policies and issues before early voting starts. I've been going a year-and-a-half already, trying to get a debate with her."
RenoElections.org is planning a debate at City Plaza this Saturday, but the incumbents we talked to say they will not attend for various reasons. Councilman Paul McKenzie says he received the application for the website and the debate but said the questions are biased. He says he would participate in a debate but not a pep rally. Schieve is not attending either.
"I want to apologize to people because I think it's been false advertising that they've been out there saying that candidates are participating in this debate and we've always said from day one that we would participate with a credible new station, KTVN and RGJ," Schieve said.
"They already pre-sent out their question," Lorton said. "Everyone gets the same questions, so they're on some kind of witch hunt or something, to discredit these people, when it's not flying in my book."
