What happens as political prodigies age?

By Ron Knecht

Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 | 2 a.m.

What happens to young prodigies in early adult years, middle age and Medicare days? Here’s the story of one political prodigy:

Alan Glover grew up in Carson City. As a 22-year-old senior at UNR in 1972, he ran for the Nevada Assembly in his hometown. He organized his fraternity brothers into a political strike force, bringing them to Carson to canvas door to door for him.

He won and served five terms before being elected to the state Senate in 1982. In 1985, he resigned to be appointed Carson City recorder. That office was combined with the city clerk in 1987, and he was elected to the position.

As a young rising star in 1991, he ran for secretary of state but lost. He returned to working as an insurance agent, as he had during his legislative years. But the person who replaced him as clerk-recorder sensibly hired him as the chief deputy to run the office.

Glover again ran successfully for clerk-recorder in 1994, serving from 1995 to 2015. When he had electoral opponents, he won by huge margins. He became the dean of county clerks and recorders, running the best operation in Nevada’s 17 counties — a role model to his professional peers.

He led state organizations of county fiscal officers, county clerks and county election officials. Smart secretaries of state sought his counsel.

Carson City ran efficiently and effectively because he served simultaneously as the following: ex-officio clerk of the 1st Judicial District, Board of Supervisors, Board of Equalization and General Obligation Commission, and ex-officio public administrator. At the same time, he oversaw operations of the recorder’s office, marriage bureau, elections and records management. And being a great manager, he built a great staff.

Glover’s protégé and successor, Sue Merriwether, calls Glover “a walking history book of Nevada” because he often regaled her with stories from his long career. For example, when Glover was a young assemblyman, bull-of-the-woods Sen. Bill Raggio mistook Glover for a student intern and asked him one day to fetch a cup of coffee. Glover shrugged, smiled and did so. Eventually, Raggio learned he was leaning on a fellow legislator, but Glover always was gracious.

Along the way, Alan married Harle — an outstanding public servant, too — and they raised a great family. He was a real guy in an F-150 pickup truck who hunted and chewed tobacco. But he also led the modernization of public operations by digitizing property records and via outstanding service on a court-appointed state redistricting panel in 2010.

Glover was a classic conservative Nevada Democrat. He always was helpful to me when I got involved in politics upon moving here in 2001. As his party evolved, away from him and toward its exotic 21st-century liberal progressive politics, he became the Nevada Republicans’ favorite Democrat. But he couldn’t bring himself to change parties because his mother had been an active lifelong Democrat.

So I, as Republican chairman in 2006, offered to host a celebratory dinner, press conference, etc., if he would change parties. Or, if it would help him even more, we’d keep it a secret. Pleasantly, he demurred. But some months later, I checked the voter rolls and was thrilled to learn he had made the change without telling anyone.

In retirement, he’s now been hired by new Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske for his vast knowledge of election matters.

So, what happens sometimes is this: They age very gracefully into truly distinguished professionals, public servants and community leaders. Also, cheerful and very likable guys and great family men who make their mothers proud.

Ron Knecht is Nevada state controller.