Senate hopeful adds his own $1.1 mil. to campaign

Larry Henry

Friday, Aug. 1, 1997 | 9:10 a.m.

Retired publisher Bruce James, a Republican hoping to unseat Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., has already pumped $1.1 million of his own money into the 1998 election.

James, who lives in Crystal Bay on the north shore of Lake Tahoe, has also raised $55,700 from contributors, said campaign manager Dick Cooper.

Cooper said most of those contributions came from James' acquaintances at Lake Tahoe and from out-of-state contacts he's made in publishing.

James owned Barclays Law Publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area before selling it to Thompson Publishing "for 10s of millions," Cooper said. James has lived in Nevada since 1993.

James expects to raise $6 million for the race, Cooper said.

He said James hopes he won't have to lend more of his own money to the campaign, but he'll "do what it takes to be competitive in this race."

Reid's report with the Federal Election Commission shows that he has nearly $1.2 million in the bank, said spokeswoman Jenny Backus. The first reports were due Thursday.

Backus said Reid won't comment on James' campaign.

"Filing closes in May, and the primary is more than a year away," she said. "It's much too soon, and campaigns are too long."

Rep. John Ensign, R-Nev., said the size of James' campaign account won't determine whether he decides to seek re-election or run in the Senate Republican primary.

Cooper said Ensign has been pressured to run for re-election because he sits on the Ways and Means Committee, which deals with tax and spending issues. Casino executives have said they value Ensign's position on Ways and Means.

Ensign said he has received more "pressure" to run for the Senate. "But I won't be pressured," he said.

No other Republican besides James has declared. Reid hasn't made an official announcement, but he's expected to run for a third term next year.

Cooper said James isn't worried about being labeled a rich carpetbagger.

"He did live in California, but so have a lot of other people in Nevada," Cooper said.

He said James will emphasize his disagreements on issues with Reid. Cooper said James is pro-choice, while Reid and Ensign are anti-abortion.

In addition to Cooper, James has hired Vicky Soberinsky, a former staffer for Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, R-Nev. Soberinsky will run James' Las Vegas office. During the 1996 primary, she worked for Vucanovich's daughter, Patty Cafferata, who lost to now-Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

Cooper, who describes himself as a moderate Democrat, has worked on the campaigns of Nevada Democrats Gov. Bob Miller and Sen. Richard Bryan.

James' campaign has spent $126,018, according to his report.