FEATURE STORY

The Democrats decided to have their convention in Denver for a strategic reason: to woo voters in the West. Both major parties view the West as a battleground because the opinions of people from states like Colorado and Nevada may very well decide the election. The critical nature of the West has focused the national spotlight on pundits who are experts in Western political trends. Jon Ralston, 22-year veteran of Las Vegas punditry, is showing the nation what issues are important to Southern Nevada.

The national media have been cozying up to Jon ever since the midterm election cycle. The Washington Post called Jon “Nevada’s leading political reporter” and asked for his analysis on the political parties’ strengths and weaknesses in Nevada. In 2007, when it was announced that Nevadans would get a coveted January primary slot, USA Today asked Jon how successful Democrats had been at reaching out to rural Nevadans. Jon replied that the Democrats had “failed miserably.” Since then, Jon’s phone has been rung by reporters from Los Angeles Times, The Hill, Roll Call, The Progressive, The Boston Globe, and others.

Jon has the ability to see politics through a variety of lenses, including the candidates’ effects on Real Estate. As a speaker at the upcoming Las Vegas High-Rise & Condominium Association luncheon, he will provide insights about the state and national candidates. He says that county commission and state assembly races have the most direct impact on the Real Estate community. As for the most hot-button issue in REALTORS’® minds, property taxes, Jon says. “No candidate will support property tax increases.”

Jon’s understanding of Nevada politics is a result of his relentless reading and reporting in a variety of media. He is best known for his weekday news interview program titled “Face to Face with Jon Ralston,” which airs on the all-news cable channel Las Vegas 1 (COX channel 19). On “Face to Face,” Jon interviews people ranging from leaders of the Culinary Workers Union to candidates such as Chris Dodd and John Kerry.

Jon especially enjoys bringing experts and candidates onto the show for a live debate. In the 2006 election cycle, Jon brought the two lieutenant gubernatorial candidates onto the program. He played Bob Unger’s advertisement accusing Brain Krolicki of corruption, and then grilled each candidate about the facts.

Many journalists who work for local news organizations are tough on local candidates. When national candidates come to town, however, many journalists show gratitude for the interview by throwing softball questions to the candidates. Not Jon Ralston. When interviewing Barack Obama for KLAS TV, Jon asked the Democrat about offshore oil drilling. Jon said, “You don’t really favor drilling, but for political reasons you’re going to change your position. This is change we can believe in?” Barack, normally cool under fire, actually stuttered for moment before responding, “As usual, you’ve been provocative but misstated my position.” Jon understands that political interviews are only fun when the candidate is forced to stutter.

In print, Jon presents the business perspective of politics in the weekly business-to-business paper In Business Las Vegas. He also writes a weekly insider’s column for the Las Vegas Sun that discusses politics from a citizen’s point of view. For those die-hard Ralston junkies, Jon also posts a political blog several times per week (sometimes several times per day).

When discussing politics, Jon is direct and fervent. The political scene is ever-changing and keeps him on his toes. He describes politics as “exciting, intriguing, provocative, sometimes depressing, and occasionally uplifting. And there is always humor.”

When sharing his insights via television or in print, Jon hopes to make an actual difference in people’s lives. He explains, “I just try to get behind the scenes and show people how and why decisions are made.”

Jon is a native of Buffalo, NY. He earned an English degree from Cornell University and a Master of Arts in journalism from University of Michigan. Upon graduating, he found an advertisement for a nighttime police beat reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He recalls, “I had all the usual, pre-conceived notions [about Las Vegas]. Not really a city, just the Strip. But I decided to try it for a couple of years.” Like so many who move to Las Vegas, he fell in love with the city, and decided to make it his home. “That was 1984,” he says. “Here I am.”

Jon’s childhood was strengthened by his mentors. His father, for instance, was tough but fair. Jon recalls his father providing a loving environment while also pushing the children to do well in school. Jon also had several teachers, including a French teacher and soccer coach named Mr. Calandra, who made differences in his life.

Like many people, Jon didn’t understand his true calling when he was a child. His father, a professor, was very politically active. Nonetheless, politics was not a burning concern for young Jon. Fortunately, the strength imparted by his mentors laid the foundation for Jon’s future career. Once his calling became clear, he was able to achieve meteoric success.

Click here to go to Jon's Blog.

See Jon in action at the Sept. 19th LVHCA meeting. Register here.

Jon Ralston can be reached via his Web site, www.ralstonflash.com.