We have just concluded what, by any measure, we consider a successful two-day ideas conference at the Durango Casino & Resort called IndyFest. The discussions were elevated, the sponsors were generous and attendance was good (despite the governor having the nerve to call a special session at the same time!). We had local and national guests, and I thank all of them for coming.

The event was our most successful IndyFest yet, despite the three Democratic elected officials who committed to participate and then abruptly pulled out. They may have scored political points with a powerful special interest in doing so, but it could have undermined our most important fundraising event of the year — and the sustainability of independent local journalism at the same time.

To be honest, I actually thought about not telling the world what they did. But their behavior was so craven, and so emblematic of the politics of fear that is pervasive today that I felt I must. I write not out of anger — that has long passed — but because people should know what they did.

Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Attorney General (and gubernatorial hopeful) Aaron Ford and California Rep. (and possible 2028 presidential candidate) Ro Khanna all reneged on their commitments — not because of family emergencies or unanticipated conflicts or even because they decided they don’t like me (the latter being understandable, I suppose).

They all decided not to come for one reason: The Culinary Union is in a long-running dispute with Station Casinos, which owns the Durango. This conflict, stretching back decades, has resulted in a plethora of news releases from the Culinary and adverse National Labor Relations Board findings against Station Casinos but no long-term resolution in sight.

It's clear from my conversations with these politicians that the Culinary exerted pressure, and they were unanimous in asserting that they were shocked, shocked to learn IndyFest was being held at a nonunion property. The humanity!

(For the record, we held the event at the Durango for the second straight year because after exploring all avenues in 2024, Station Casinos offered us the best deal. It’s my job as CEO of a nonprofit to make sure we spend wisely and ensure the event does as much as possible to financially shore up our non-paywalled, independent journalism. Durango’s union status was never a consideration.)

Now not all hypocrisies are equal, and Ford’s was especially egregious because he has accepted so much money from the company he suddenly and conveniently took a stand against, so let me explain what happened with each commitment.

Rosen was the first to back out on Aug. 24. Her spokesman told me the senator “would pay a political price” for appearing at a Station Casinos property.

Oh? Rosen is up for re-election in 2030!

What’s more, Rosen has taken money from Station Casinos. When she ran for the House in 2016, she took a $2,500 check from a Station-aligned PAC. Also happening in 2016: The Culinary began an all-out organizing campaign at Station properties. I’m sure Rosen was aware of this.

Ford’s decision not to come was relayed to me only hours after the Rosen staffer contacted me. The chances of a “Hey, Aaron, I’m backing out so you better do so, too” conversation taking place are about the same as the Las Vegas Review-Journal endorsing Ford in the gubernatorial election.

What was the reason? “It is about the location being nonunion and AG deciding to stand with workers and organized labor,” a spokesman told me via text. Oh? Ford’s campaign contribution history is fascinating:

Since 2012, when he was in the state Senate, Ford has accepted $29,000 in direct contributions from Station-connected entities. During his tenure in the Legislature — Ford was in leadership all of that time — Station Casinos gave $33,500 to the state Senate Democrats’ PAC. While the Fertitta family, which owns Station Casinos, had control of the UFC, Ford took $10,000 from its PAC and the Nevada Senate Democrats scooped up $8,000.

So if Ford was standing with the Culinary and the working men and women over the weekend by not attending IndyFest, what was he doing when he accepted all that money from Station Casinos over the years? If it’s a principled stand against Station Casinos, what changed? It’s so confusing.

Finally, Khanna was the last to pull out, and he at least called to tell me it was because of the Culinary. 

“They are insistent that this would be akin to crossing a picket line,” he told me.

Of course that is nonsense. There is no strike at Durango Casino. But what was most disappointing about this sudden about-face was Khanna has built a reputation by being an anti-establishment voice at times within his own party, an independent and smart thinker whose intellect matches his ambition. Or so it appeared.

I actually may be more sensitive, after decades of doing this, than most journalists to the pressures politicians feel from special interests — Rosen wants to climb the Senate ranks, Ford needs the Culinary in an uphill gubernatorial battle and Khanna may need Nevada to win the presidency.

But succumbing to pressure from a special interest — or trying to avoid making one angry — and backing out of a commitment to appear at an ideas festival are not qualities of a leader. I’m not mad at any of them anymore — IndyFest was successful beyond what I had hoped.

It just makes me sad.

Jon Ralston is the CEO of The Nevada Independent.