Kincaid’s campaign arsenal depleted

Adrienne Packer

Thursday, Aug. 31, 2000 | 11:17 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Mary Kincaid raised nearly $1 million in her effort to maintain her District B seat, but the incumbent has spent the bulk of it defending herself from a barrage of assaults launched by her opponent.

Kincaid's campaign contribution report, which arrived at the Clark County Elections Department a day late, showed she collected $833,575 and has spent about $714,588 in her race against primary opponent Stephanie Smith.

While Smith was heavily backed by the United Food and Commercial Workers International, Kincaid received a flood of contributions from the gaming industry. Kincaid collected nearly $200,000 from casinos and gaming companies.

Station Casinos, which was behind an aggressive campaign to unseat Clark County Commissioner Lance Malone after he voted in favor of a competing neighborhood casino, didn't hold a grudge against Kincaid.

Although Kincaid also voted against Station's wishes, she received $50,000 from the gaming company. Smith received $5,000 from Station Casinos.

Also a large contributor to Kincaid's campaign was Wal-Mart, who donated $10,000 to the commissioner. Kincaid was one of two board members who voted against a union-backed ordinance -- which was later overturned -- that prohibited the nonunion Wal-Mart from opening a full-sized Supercenter in the county.

Kincaid didn't buy fellow commissioners' argument that the ordinance was to protect the valley against "big-box" stores. Apparently Kmart, another big-box store, appreciated the vote. It donated $1,000 to Kincaid.

The incumbent also received a little help from her colleagues: Yvonne Atkinson Gates put in $5,000 and the Myrna Williams Campaign Committee invested $1,000. Southwest Engineering, the company co-owned by Malone's opponent Chip Maxfield, also pitched in $1,000.

Unlike Malone, who nearly depleted his war chest and still faces a tough opponent should he win the primary, whoever wins the Smith-Kincaid race is expected to run away with the general election and therefore won't need much money.

Kincaid will go into the primary race with about $120,000 in her coffers; Smith will have nearly $14,000.

Malone had nearly a half-million dollars and no opponent when he cast his vote on the controversial neighborhood casino, prompting Station executives to search for an opponent.

The Republican incumbent built his coffers up to $670,200, but so far has spent all but about $20,000 on the primary. Maxfield, who despite having a sixth of what Malone collected is ahead in some polls, will have nearly $30,000 after the primary.

Meanwhile awaiting the winner of the Republican primary is Democrat Lois Tarkanian, a longtime Clark County School Board member.

Tarkanian, who also submitted her report in a day late, has collected $213,512 and has spent $73,567.