J. Graham Ralston, ESQ/CPA
Born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula with a legacy that goes back over 100+ years.
Graham's great-great grandfather, John M. Ralston first arrived to the shores of Port Townsend two weeks after Washington became a state in 1889 and was the first judge of Clallam County. Another grandfather, "Mac" Thomson worked in the timber industry, including as manager of the PenPly mill and chair of the Olympic Logging Conference (1967-1968).
Graham went on to graduate Port Angeles High School in 2003 while simultaneously earning an Associates Degree from Peninsula College through the running start program. Graham was an entrepreneur and hard worker while growing up in town. He would sell firewood out of the back of his truck in the Rite Aid parking lot, mow lawns, and work summer jobs that ranged from computer set-up for the school district, soccer coach for Skyhawks, and wildland firefighter for the Olympic National Park crew.
After high school Graham continued his school at the University of Washington where he was able to graduate in a year and half post high school and then completing his law degree at Seattle University.
After law school, Graham moved to Washington, DC in 2010 where he served as one of the youngest senior federal executives in Washington DC for the U.S. Department of Transportation. He ran a national program for small businesses and was involved at a senior level in the office of the Secretary of Transportation. A unique position where Graham worked within the Obama administration but for a Republican Secretary, Ray LaHood. He served his duties as part of the Presidential Transition team at the US Department of Transportation before going into private practice and starting a technology company in 2018.
Graham is currently the owner of Ralston Law, PLLC in Port Angeles, WA where he helped many businesses pro-bono with COVID relief and defending businesses against government over-reach in it's attempt to stigmatize or deny civil liberties to business owners. He spends the majority of his time with an AI Technology company out of Seattle that helps expose him to the power of Artificial Intelligence and how it might transform the workforce of tomorrow.
These life experiences equip him with a lifelong connection to the Olympic Peninsula, an appreciation for the hard work of small businesses owners, and the knowledge and network of Washington DC to deliver value immediately to the voters of Washington's 6th district.