Guinn not up for election, but collects $250,000 in 1999

Brendan Riley

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2000 | 12:03 p.m.

CARSON CITY - Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn kept right on raising campaign funds last year - about $250,000 - even though he took office a year ago and has three years to go on his term.

But most of the money Guinn raised last year, detailed in a report filed with the secretary of state's office Tuesday, will go to pay off campaign debts and personal loans that he made to the 1998 campaign.

Pete Ernaut, Guinn's campaign chairman, said that when all debts and loans are cleared, the GOP governor will have no more than $50,000 in campaign funds left over - and possibly much less.

In addition to old campaign expenses, Ernaut said some of the money will be used to cover travel to events such as Republican governors' meetings that aren't covered by the governor's office budget.

Most of the 1999 money was collected at a mid-November fund-raiser in Las Vegas. And the main money sources mirrored a lot of the principal contributors in Guinn's record $6.2 million bid for governor: casinos, utilities, mines, developers, insurance companies and wealthy individuals.

Gambling-related corporations that kicked in $5,000 apiece during 1999 included: Flamingo Hilton-Reno; Flamingo Hilton-Las Vegas; Coast Resorts in Las Vegas; Reno-based IGT; Las Vegas Hilton; Riviera hotel-casino in Las Vegas; Station Casinos in Las Vegas; and Virgin River in Mesquite.

Longtime Republican activist and former UNLV assistant athletic director Wayne Pearson of Las Vegas gave $10,000, as did New York-based Showtime Network Inc.

Utilities in for $5,000 apiece included Sprint and Sierra Pacific. Mines included Newmont Gold for $5,000 and Barrick Goldstrike for $2,500.

Builders and developers included Hi-Pac of Southern Nevada, the Hughes Corp. and Del Webb Communities for $5,000 apiece, and Associated Builders and Contractors for $2,000.

Other contributors for $5,000 apiece include the Jones Vargas law firm; Coca-Cola Enterprises; E.A. Collins of Las Vegas; Nevada Holding Services; Mission Industries; Sierra Health Services Inc.; Republic Silver State Disposal; Las Vegas Limousines; and VTN Nevada, a Las Vegas engineering firm.

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