Author, The Game Changer: How Harry Reid Remade the Rules and Showed Democrats How to Fight
This week on “Talk About Las Vegas With Ira,” Ira sits down with veteran political journalist Jon Ralston, founder and CEO of The Nevada Independent and author of The Game Changer: How Harry Reid Remade the Rules and Showed Democrats How to Fight.
In a candid and fascinating conversation, Jon reflects on his complicated, sometimes turbulent relationship with legendary Nevada senator Harry Reid—a political powerhouse who rose from humble beginnings in Searchlight, Nevada to become one of the most influential figures in Washington.
Jon shares why he once doubted Reid could win a Senate seat—describing him as having “no charisma” and “the limpest handshake I ever experienced”—and how Reid’s quiet determination, relentless strategy, and behind-the-scenes maneuvering proved him wrong.
The episode explores Reid’s complex personality, the tension between his private political machinations and his public image, and the moments when Reid pushed back against Jon’s reporting. Jon also recounts how Reid unexpectedly gave him the green light in 2021 to finally write the book he had long wanted to write—granting access to his vast archives at the University of Nevada, Reno and sitting for 24 Zoom interviews before his death.
With more than 1,000 boxes of records and 12 million digital files, Jon uncovered surprising material—including FBI files on Reid—and insights into the senator’s rise, his strategic brilliance, and his determination to make Nevada a national political force.
Jon also discusses Reid’s mentorship under former Nevada governor Mike O'Callaghan, his role in passing the Affordable Care Act, and why Reid believed that Democrats needed to learn how to fight politically—both in Nevada and across the country.
The result is a nuanced portrait of an “incredibly complex guy” whose influence reshaped American politics.
ABOUT JON:
Jon Ralston is the founder and CEO of The Nevada Independent. He has been covering politics in Nevada for more than thirty-five years and has been a columnist at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Las Vegas Sun, and most recently at the Reno Gazette-Journal, which he left in November 2016 to start The Indy. He has hosted several TV programs over the years, including Ralston Live on Vegas PBS and Ralston Reports on KSNV News 3. In 2012, Politico named Ralston one of the Top 50 “Politicos to Watch.” He frequently appears on MSNBC, and he has also appeared on NBC’s long-running Meet the Press. He lives in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Independent Website