Boggs McDonald gets jump on 2001

Erin Neff

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2000 | 11:43 a.m.

The year 2000 may have just dawned, but Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald is already treating the new year as if it really is the start of the 21st century.

In 2001, when the 21st century and new millennium begin for historians and purists, Boggs McDonald hopes to already have hundreds of thousands of dollars in her election campaign coffers.

She ended 1999 by sending her first official campaign mailer -- a holiday greeting marked with a stamp "Not paid for by taxpayers."

"Yes, in fact the campaign, or the road toward 2001, has begun," Boggs McDonald said Monday. "You can never start too early."

The mailer was sent to 26,000 of her Ward 2 constituents. It was printed free by a campaign contributor and cost $3,300 to mail.

Boggs McDonald is modeling her 2001 campaign on the same motto used to craft the acronym "Early Money is Like Yeast" for EMILY's List -- a network that contributes to pro-choice Democratic women.

If early money is like yeast to make dough rise, it will help fund what Boggs McDonald thinks will be a high-cost race to keep her seat.

"The reality is that a City Council race, conservatively, costs a half a million dollars to be competitive," she said. "You have to spend money in order to get your message out."

Hank Gordon, a planning commissioner and local developer, threw a fund-raiser for her last October.

Boggs McDonald said she doesn't know exactly how much her campaign raised in 1999. It is more than $10,000, however, and will require her to file a report by Jan. 15 because of a state law related to funds raised in a nonelection year.

"(Gov.) Kenny Guinn has inspired me to start early," Boggs McDonald said.

Guinn announced in 1996 he would run for governor in 1998, and amassed $6 million during the race.

Las Vegas Councilman Michael McDonald raised $615,124 in his re-election bid last year and Councilman Gary Reese raised $532,784.

"The reality is, it costs that much to get the message out," Boggs McDonald said.

Boggs McDonald said her losing bid for the Assembly has opened her eyes to fund-raising reality.

"Having gone through the process once before, you learn a lot of things," Boggs McDonald said.

The Democrat-turned-Republican was appointed to the Ward 2 seat last June to fill the unexpired term of Arnie Adamsen, who had to resign because he ran for mayor.

She said she doesn't believe her early jump on fund-raising will scare off any potential candidates for the nonpartisan 2001 race.