Berkley’s war chest deep, but Porter keeping pace

Friday, Aug. 25, 2000 | 10:01 a.m.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., is heading into the fall campaign season with more than three times as much cash on hand as the top GOP fund-raiser in the 1st Congressional District race.

Berkley, who is seeking her second term representing portions of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson, had $971,058 cash on hand through Aug. 16. Her closest opponent financially, state Sen. Jon Porter, R-Henderson, had $283,180 in the bank.

Berkley, who has no Democratic opponents, raised $104,404 over the past six weeks and $687,585 this year, according to federal campaign finance reports. She has spent $178,633 from July 1 to Aug. 16 and $492,261 for the year.

Porter raised $98,917 from July 1 to Aug. 16 and $619,750 for the year. He also spent $203,070 over the past six weeks and $529,588 for the year.

Though Porter's fund-raising has kept pace with Berkley this calendar year, the congresswoman entered 2000 with a large campaign war chest, which explains her substantial cash-on-hand lead.

Berkley received $1,000 from performer Barbra Streisand, $5,500 from Station Casinos, and $5,000 each from the Service Employees International Union, International Brotherhood of Painters & Allied Trades, and Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics & Allied Workers International Union.

Porter received $1,000 each from Gov. Kenny Guinn, former Gov. Robert List and former Sen. Chic Hecht. He also received $5,000 from the Ipaa Wildcatter political action committee and $4,000 from the Fund For A Free Market America.

Fellow Republican candidate Jim Blockey of Las Vegas raised $22,440 from July 1 to Aug. 16, spent $32,286 and has $34,779 cash on hand. The figures for the other Republican candidate, Nancy Price of North Las Vegas, were not immediately available.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., whose 2nd Congressional District covers the rest of the state, had $509,833 cash on hand as of Aug. 16 for his re-election bid.

He raised $49,093 over the past six weeks for $240,510 total this year. He also spent $87,769 from July 1 to Aug. 16 and $170,720 for the year.

Gibbons received $2,000 from Imperial Palace hotel-casino owner Ralph Engelstad, $1,000 from Guinn and $1,000 from performers Siegfried and Roy. He also collected $4,500 from the Station Casinos political action committee and $2,500 from the Howard Hughes Corp. Employees PAC.

The figures for Gibbons' GOP primary opponent, Mitchell Tracy of Las Vegas, were not immediately available. Democratic candidate Tierney Cahill of Reno raised about $500 over the past six weeks, spent $300 and has $200 cash on hand. The figures for fellow Democratic candidate Clay Baty of Las Vegas were not immediately available.