Columnist Jon Ralston: Porter may have a worthy foe

Jon Ralston hosts the news discussion program Face to Face on Las Vegas ONE and publishes the Ralston Report. He can be reached at (702) 870-7997 or at [email protected].

WEEKEND EDITION

Feb. 21-22, 2004

The profile is impressive: Harvard Law School. Capitol Hill experience. Former gaming industry CEO.

So he has money, he's no dummy and he knows Nevada and Washington. Sounds like prime political material, does he not? Sounds like a perfect candidate for Congress, does he not? Sounds like a good Republican, does he not?

Well, he's not -- at least on the latter point. Tom Gallagher, former chairman of Park Place Entertainment (now Caesars Entertainment), is a Democrat. And he may be just the salve the ailing party needs in Congressional District Three, where no one else has been brave enough to challenge rookie GOP Rep. Jon Porter. Whether he is savior or sacrifice, Gallagher seems intent on moving forward with a bid against Porter in what could metamorphose from one of the least-watched districts in the country to one of the most closely followed.

"I've pretty much made up my mind I am going to run in the third district," Gallagher said in an interview last week. And that pretty much means the Republicans, who were counting on an easy time for Porter, will now have to vigorously defend a district that could hold the key to Democratic fortunes from the bottom (Assembly) to the top (president).

If -- and this is a large "if" because no one knows what kind of candidate Gallagher would be -- the former gaming chieftain can mount a credible challenge in a district where Republicans have a slight registration advantage (2,700 voters out of 300,000 total), the political dynamic could radically change in Campaign '04.

Congressional District Three is in danger of becoming a Democratic black hole after the last cycle, when the great promise of Dario Herrera's candidacy disappeared into a disastrous 37 percent showing against Porter. The congressman remains well liked, he now has a political base in that district and he hasn't made any spectacular rookie mistakes. He also has raised a significant sum -- more than $1 million, with more than half of that on hand -- putting him near the top of freshman incumbents.

So, a passel of A-listers -- as in anchorwomen and assemblymen -- have taken a pass, despite the best efforts of Recruiter-in-Chief Harry Reid and others. But unlike these elected officials and well-known TV types who declined to get on the track, Gallagher is a horse of a different color -- and that color is green. Gallagher insists that he is "not going to buy an election." But, he quickly added, "I do expect to be competitive." Translation: If I need to, I'll infuse some cash.

Gallagher, though, will be of interest to Reid and others for more than just his wallet, attractive though that will be. Gallagher has been on Capitol Hill before, working as chief legislative counsel to U.S. Sen. John Tunney of California in the early 1970s. And he has vast experience in the state's pre-eminent industry, not just as Park Place's erstwhile chairman but also as an executive with Hilton Hotels and for Merv Griffin.

Gallagher would have to deal with a Porter machine that proved very effective in 2002 -- with a little help from their enemies -- in slicing and dicing Herrera. Gallagher would confront several problematic issues -- and we don't know yet what skeletons the Porter opposition research team can unearth -- ranging from questions of whether he was forced out of Park Place in late 2002 to whether the delegation needs another gaming guy (we already have John Ensign and the others genuflect pretty well).

The real issue for Gallagher, however, is how far he is willing to go -- and I don't just mean into his pocket. There are two types of rich guys who run for office; they are both type-D personalities.

The first are the dilettantes, who think they have been so successful in the private sector and are so much smarter than most of the politicians that they can just buy a congressional or senatorial or gubernatorial seat. But when they find out how hard it is, the fire in their belly returns to a hunger for the good life.

The second, though, are the driven, those who really believe they have productive years left and have a burning desire to show they are up to the challenge. Sure, they may retain a touch of corporate haughtiness. But their juices still flow.

Which one is Gallagher?

"I've always gone a hundred miles an hour," he insisted. "Assuming I do this, it's not just to see what happens."

Assuming he does it? He's "pretty much" there? Wait a second. What might stop him? "Probably nothing," Gallagher insisted, but he wants to run his potential candidacy by prominent Democrats to see if there is interest.

I wonder. Somehow I can't imagine Reid saying, "Oh no, Tom. Stay out. I don't want a workaholic who can put some of his own money into the race and can help us in that district, where turnout will be critical. No, don't run."

Gallagher has been musing about public office since he left Park Place and has been dabbling in venture capital and real estate. But last week, after participating in a Boyd Law School panel on constitutional issues such as the Patriot Act, Gallagher said he felt as if "my batteries were recharged."

If he goes through with his candidacy, that's exactly how some Democrats, who had given up on being competitive in this critical and close congressional district, will feel.

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