Rogich to head up Bush fund-raising

Thursday, Sept. 30, 1999 | 10:34 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Sig Rogich, who helped Kenny Guinn raise $6 million in his race for governor, has been named Nevada finance chairman for the presidential campaign of Texas Gov. George W. Bush.

Rogich, who has known the candidate since 1984, said $150,000 has already been collected. He expects to receive another $150,000 when Bush's mother, Barbara, appears in Las Vegas at a fund-raising event. But he said no goal has been set on how much in donations should come from Nevada.

Rogich joins Guinn, who was named state chairman for Bush earlier. Supporters tried to arrange an appearance in October at Lake Tahoe for the Texas governor, but Rogich said Bush had committed to other engagements. He said he hopes Bush can come to Nevada early in 2000.

Bush has opposed gambling in Texas, but Rogich did not see that as a barrier to donations from the Nevada gaming industry, the cash cow for political campaigns.

Bush, Rogich said, "has told me he thinks gambling is fine where it is now ... Nevada, Atlantic City and other states. He does not want to see gambling on every street corner in America.

"This is the perfect thing for Nevada," he said. "It makes Nevada a better destination resort."

Democrats suggested Bush skipped the Tahoe appearance because he didn't want to answer questions about gaming and nuclear waste.

Nevada Democratic Party Chairman Rory Reid said some of "Bush's far-right-wing friends in the Republican Party want to shut down the gaming industry. So where does Bush stand?"

Reid said Bush has portrayed himself as a "staunch anti-gambler" in Texas.

Reid also said Bush should tell Nevadans where he stands on shipping high-level radioactive waste to this state.

Rogich said recent polls show Bush getting 60 percent of the Republican vote in Nevada compared with 15 percent for Arizona Sen. John McCain. The other 25 percent was split among the other candidates, he said.

In a match-up against Democrats Vice President Al Gore or former Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey, Rogich said Bush wins by 15 to 25 percent. He said Gore comes closest because he has made a number of visits to Nevada, as has President Clinton.

Rogich, president of the Rogich Communications Group, has experience in presidential politics. He worked on Ronald Reagan's successful election bids in 1980 and 1984, as well as George Bush's successful campaign in 1988.

He worked in the Bush White House as an assistant for the creative development of public events and later was appointed by Bush as ambassador to Iceland, the country in which he was born.

After Clinton's election in 1992, Rogich returned to Las Vegas and founded his current company.

Rogich has also been a key consultant in numerous local and state political campaigns. At one time he was mentioned as a candidate for governor.

He founded R&R Advertising, the Las Vegas firm that handled accounts for casinos and many of the state's major politicians. He later sold his interest.

"Since 1984 George W. Bush has been a good friend," Rogich said.

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