As the Reid/Angle showdown in Nevada emerges as one of the most important races this fall, one man has become the premier source of information about the two campaigns. Jon Ralston, a veteran Nevada political reporter, has a lockdown on the print, TV, and newsletter markets in the state.

Keach Hagey profiles Ralston in Politico:   

The 51-year-old Las Vegas-based television host, newspaper columnist, blogger, email-list author and prolific Tweeter, has built a one-man media franchise in Nevada that has few parallels anywhere else in the country. ...

Nationally, Ralston is probably best known as the first mainstream journalist to interview the press-shy Angle on his show, "Face to Face," during a period when much of the national press was mocking her for giving interviews only to friendly conservative outlets.

Ralston was aggressive, forcing Angle to explain apparent contradictions between her pre- and post-primary positions on Social Security and a senator's role in job creation. But when Angle smiled and said it was "always great to be here," she seemed to mean it. Even when Ralston wisecracked about Angle's mantra-like repetition of Harry Reid's failures, she didn't seem to mind.

Both within and outside Nevada, Ralston is revered by politicians and journalists, Democrats and Republicans alike:

"His influence is pervasive enough that, in a legislative session, you know how things will be headed in one direction and then something happens to send them in another direction? Ralston is often times the 'something' that happens," said Billy Vassiliadis, the chief executive of R&R Partners, Nevada's largest advertising, PR and government relations agency. "Something that he flashes [in his email newsletter] will be read by legislators, and if there is a vote scheduled on a bill, the committee chairman might pull it. His influence is such on the political process here that press secretaries for campaigns will rethink or at least make adjustments based on Ralston."

Read the full story at Politico.