Ensign outdistances Bernstein in fund raising

Wednesday, April 19, 2000 | 10:17 a.m.

Ensign also reported net contributions of $461,243 for the quarter, compared with $202,979 for Bernstein. But Bernstein reported $711,807 in total receipts for the quarter, including a $505,000 loan from his personal account.

The latest figures show Ensign so far has raised about $2.5 million, compared with $1.1 million for Bernstein, in their bid to replace Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., who is retiring. Ensign also has outspent Bernstein by an 8-to-1 margin.

Ensign spent $524,309 during the last quarter for a total of nearly $900,000 for his campaign. Bernstein has spent only $113,925, including $97,232 so far this year.

Ensign, a veterinarian who served two terms in Congress, received slightly more than half of his contributions for the previous quarter from political action committees. Only about one-sixth of Bernstein's contributions came from PACs.

His latest contributions included $1,000 from Miami sports magnate H. Wayne Huizenga, $2,000 from boxing promoter Don King, $400 from former UNLV interim Athletic Director Dennis Finfrock, $500 from Frehner Construction executive Garth Frehner, $1,000 from Barrick Goldstrike Vice President Michael Brown, and $2,000 from businessman E. Parry Thomas.

Bernstein received $1,000 from Slim Fast Foods Chairman S. Daniel Abraham, $2,000 from entertainer David Cassidy, $2,000 each from Jockey Club Resort owner Sheldon Cloobeck and Cloobeck Enterprises executive Stephen Cloobeck, $500 from Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., $1,000 from former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, and $1,000 from Fiesta hotel-casino President George Maloof Jr. Bernstein also received $2,000 from the campaign of Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.

Other reports include one from Rep. Berkley showing she remains far ahead of her Republican competition in campaign money she has raised and spent in her bid for re-election.

But state Sen. Jon Porter of Henderson, one of her GOP foes, raised nearly as much as the congresswoman over the first three months of the year.

Berkley raised $281,464 for the three months ending March 31 for a total of $1.24 million so far. Porter raised $250,083 so far this year and $451,017 total. He also contributed $17,301 of his own money.

Berkley also ended the first quarter of 2000 with $936,938 cash on hand, compared with $300,059 for Porter.

Porter outspent Berkley $138,720 to $110,930 so far this year, but the congresswoman has spent $330,426 total, almost double Porter's $169,198.

Berkley's individual contributors this year included $1,000 from Lewis Homes executive Robert Lewis, $500 from Anchor Gaming executive Michael Rumbolz, $2,000 from Park Place Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Arthur Goldberg, $500 from New Frontier owner Phil Ruffin, and $1,000 from MGM Grand President Daniel Wade.

Berkley also received $500 from architect Domingo Cambeiro, $1,000 from Abe Pollin, majority owner of the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association, $750 each from Mirage entertainers Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Uwe Horn, and $1,000 from Olympic Garden owner and taxicab company executive Peter Eliades.

A large number of Porter's individual campaign contributions this year have come from Republican House members. They included $2,000 from Gibbons; $1,000 each from House Majority Leader Dick Armey and fellow Texas GOP Reps. Henry Bonilla, Kevin Brady and Larry Combest; $1,000 from Rep. Richard Baker, R-La.; $1,000 from Rep. Christopher Cannon, R-Utah, and $2,000 from Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif.

Other contributions included $1,000 from Rep. Philip Crane, R-Ill.; $1,000 from Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va.; $2,000 from Rep. John Doolittle, R-Calif.; $250 from Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla.; $1,000 from Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif.; $1,000 from Rep. Frank LoBiondo, R-N.J.; $2,000 from Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif.; $1,000 from Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio; $1,000 from Rep. Edward Pease, R-Ind., and $1,000 from Rep. Joe Pitts, R-Pa.

Porter also received $2,000 each from Station Casinos owner Frank Fertitta Jr. and outgoing Mirage Resorts Chairman Steve Wynn; $250 from state Contractors Board President Margi Grein; $1,000 from former Gov. Robert List; $1,000 from Robert Lewis of Lewis Homes; $500 from Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald; $2,000 from Wanda Lamb Peccole, widow of Peccole Ranch developer William Peccole; $1,000 from media consultant Sig Rogich; $2,000 from Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, and $500 from former Rep. Barbara Vucanovich.

Jim Blockey, another declared Republican in the race, raised $74,747 and spent $29,688 last year.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who faces no opposition so far in his re-election bid, has raised $93,012 this year and $321,848 total.

Gibbons this year received $500 from Nevada Resort Association President Bill Bible, $1,000 each from Mandalay Bay Resorts executives Mike Ensign and Mike Sloan and $1,000 from Anchor Gaming Chairman Stanley Fulton.