John Joseph DiStaso (February 18, 1954 – April 21, 2022) was an American political journalist from New Hampshire.
[1][2] DiStaso began his career with the New Hampshire Union Leader as a correspondent before becoming a staff reporter in the early 1980s.
He was particularly well known for his work during the New Hampshire presidential primaries, interviewing and candidates participating in the contest as well as moderating debates, and is also credited with the earliest use of the phrase "Republican in Name Only" in 1992.
[1][3][4] DiStaso was accused of Republican bias in a Columbia Journalism Review article for an interview he conducted with George W. Bush presidential adviser Karl Rove.
DiStaso died from pancreatic cancer in Manchester, New Hampshire on April 21, 2022, aged 68.