State politicos see Bush-Gore race

Thursday, Feb. 3, 2000 | 10:35 a.m.

The New Hampshire primary may have raised some questions as to who will be on the presidential ballot this fall, but Nevada political leaders are still predicting a Bush-Gore race.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who will return here Feb. 28 to raise more money for his White House bid, surprised some pundits with his 18-point margin over Texas Gov. George W. Bush in Tuesday's primary.

And Vice President Al Gore's victory over former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley - 52 percent to 47 percent - was less than expected.

Still, key party figures say it will be Bush and Gore.

John Mason, chairman of the Nevada Republican Party, said he thought Bradley "would have appealed more strongly to the independents, and he didn't."

"That shows significant strength in the vice president," Mason said.

Former Democratic Gov. Bob Miller, a strong Gore supporter, agreed.

Although Nevada doesn't have a presidential primary, Gore has sent four staffers to work out of th state Democratic headquarters. He is the only presidential candidate who now has a physical presence in Nevada.

Miller said the presence of Gore operatives in Nevada would be a signal to voters that he cares more about the state than Bush on issues such as nuclear waste and gambling.

The New Hampshire primary was a "stunning victory for McCain," Miller said, and will force Bush to spend more money in the primary than he had anticipated.

"But New Hampshire, historically, has not had the final say, and Bush has so much more money, eventually it will be Bush-Gore," Miller told the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Rory Reid, state Democratic Party chairman, said he was delighted about McCain's showing because it means Bush will have to spend more money, which is good news for the Democratic nominee.

"McCain is a fly in George W.'s anointment," Reid said. "And the aura of his invincibility is gone."

Sig Rogich, the Nevada finance chairman for Bush, said Bradley is "dropping quickly; he's compounded it by talking of health problems."

Rogich said Bush's New Hampshire loss was bigger than the 8-10 percent expected, adding "it's a bit of a pause in the process, but I think we'll win in South Carolina. We lost because of crossover independent voters."

That can't happen in Southern Carolina because only registered Republicans can vote in the GOP primary.

Rogich said Bush may visit Nevada in April although nothing has been finalized.