Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Porter emphasizes experience in office

Jon Porter

He starts by telling the pre-9 a.m. meeting about an event many of them weren't here for -- the 1987 explosion of the PEPCON plant in Henderson.

"Talk about changing our world in Boulder City," said Porter, who at the time was the city's mayor.

Porter, a 47-year-old district manager for Farmer's Insurance, has almost two decades of public service to talk about as he vies to be Nevada's first congressman in District 3.

The new seat, he tells the workers, is historic because it will give Western states about 12 new representatives. And that, he said, will help Nevada get its fair share of money from Washington, D.C.

Porter is campaigning like a front-runner, a few events a day -- typically a meet-and-greet at someone's home for 20 or so people and a speech at a business with reminders to turn out the vote.

Many times his wife, Laurie, a former elementary school librarian, joins him at events, giving Porter both a chance to talk about his family and to launch into his top issue -- education.

But during campaign events last week, people wanted to know about Social Security and about all those television ads firing back and forth between Porter and his Democratic opponent Dario Herrera.

"Those television ads just don't tell the story," Porter said. "Privatization is a term that is disingenuous. I would not ever privatize Social Security."

Herrera accuses Porter of flip-flopping on Social Security based on statements Porter has made in this race versus the position he took in 2000 during his unsuccessful bid for Congress against Shelley Berkley.

"Last cycle when I ran, I was questioned about a package of possible areas to help Social Security," Porter said. "I said then that you have to look at all issues and all options. But I will not do anything that will jeopardize Social Security and my position hasn't changed."

That's about as riled up as Porter gets. He will bemoan the politicians in Washington, D.C., saying Nevada doesn't get its fair share of education dollars, but mostly he just calmly talks about his background and the differences between he and his opponent.

Porter's wife, Laurie, whom met him on a blind date when he had just become mayor of Boulder City, calls her husband "just a very genuine man."

"He doesn't turn it on or turn it off," she said. "He has a dry sense of humor, but he holds that in check."

On a campaign day last week, Porter did let one line out to the surprise of a campaign aide. While touring the Art Institute of Las Vegas, with Laurie and son, Chris, Porter met the school's human resources director who told him she was doing a background check.

"Any escaped felons?" he joked.

Porter was born in 1955 in Fort Dodge, Iowa and attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City.

When a man at the Prudential campaign stop mentions he is also from Iowa, Porter's face lights up. "Where? Oh, we were neighbors. Let's talk afterward."

This, Porter's seventh campaign, has that small-town feel, but with big bucks at stake. He and Herrera have raised a combined $3 million and both the Republican and Democratic parties have tossed in even more for ads.

Porter says he leaves the commercials and the strategy to others. A quiet legislator not prone to making headlines, Porter has been accused of just "going along to get along" with his party's leaders in Carson City.

But Porter insists he is his own man, and said the $70,000 in campaign contributions he received from House Republicans who pushed for Yucca Mountain won't make him beholden to them.

"My approach to finding solutions to the problems has been to go into the community," Porter said.

He was a Boulder City Councilman from 1983 to 1993, serving as mayor from 1987 to 1991. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1994 and has served as chairman of the Legislative Affairs Committee and as majority whip.

Porter said he has learned a lot from his 2000 loss to Berkley. Most notably, that running in a district with 45,000 more Democrats than Republicans, was an uphill battle.

The 3rd District was created the way it is just for him.

For all of his talk of bipartisanship and his low-key manner, it was Porter's complaining about a few hundred voters that derailed the 2001 Legislature's reapportionment efforts, forcing a special session.

But Porter got the kind of district that appreciates small-town talk and values. The district has just 500 more Republicans than Democrats, but has 45,000 non-partisans -- the type of voter that doesn't want to align with a party and who generally likes bipartisan styles, according to GOP campaign consultant Mike Slanker who is working with Porter.

"This race for him is about rekindling relationships he's made over the past 20 years and making sure the support's still there," Slanker said.

A recent campaign day took Porter into a Jitters coffee shop to meet a half dozen rabid old-time Republicans to secure the base.

He asks Al and Edith Levitt what they hear about the campaign and what they think he should be doing in the next few weeks leading up to the election.

"Early voting might give you an opportunity," Al Levitt said. "If the last thing a voter saw before going into the store was two people walking by with Porter shirts, the name Porter would stick."

Porter nods as three campaign staffers make calls from their cell phones outside. After the hourlong meeting, the Levitts walk Porter back to his car to get a yard sign.

"These are the kind of people who can get other people out to vote," Porter said. "We expect turnout to be low, and when turnout is low, strange things can happen in elections. So we want to make sure everyone gets out to vote."

Later that afternoon he walks into the library at the Art Institute to address students after the school's culinary students prepared him a gourmet lunch.

"I had trouble with scrambled eggs," he said.

Porter tells the students, about half of whom have temporarily put their gigantic portfolio cases on the floor, that "I look forward to following your careers."

Afterward as he is walking down a corridor he bumps into a student.

"I'm running for Congress," Porter said. "I'd appreciate your vote."

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