The Nevada Supreme Court this week tossed an appeal filed by former Reno mayor candidate William Mantle. Mantle was challenging the eligibility of Reno City Council member Jenny Brekhus’ ability to run for mayor.
Mantle argued that since Brekhus has already served 10 years as a council member, she would have been termed out after being elected to the mayor’s seat.
District Court Judge Connie Steinheimer ruled in May Brekhus was eligible to run – however, both Mantle and Brekhus lost in the primary election to incumbent Hillary Schieve and challenger Eddie Lorton.
“If Brekhus is successful in her 2022 campaign for Mayor for the City of Reno, the staggered election cycles make it an impossibility for Brekhus to have served for twelve years or more within the same local governing body prior to assuming the position of Mayor for the City of Reno,” Steinheimer determined.
Mantle appealed to the Nevada Supreme Court, which declined to give an opinion on the matter because neither candidate will advance to the general election.
“Having considered the parties’ filings, this court concludes that this appeal is moot,” judges wrote. “This court has a duty to decide actual controversies by a judgment which can be carried into effect, and not to give opinions upon moot questions or abstract propositions, or to declare principles of law which cannot affect the matter in issue before it.’”
Brekhus called Mantle’s appeal frivolous.
“They don’t opine on hypotheticals,” she told This Is Reno today. “I am pleased that they accepted my request to dismiss the appeal. I’m ready to move on and ready to devote more of my time to ward one constituent needs.”
