Berkley’s war chest passes $1 million mark

Monday, July 17, 2000 | 11:02 a.m.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., broke the $1 million mark in cash on hand after raising $301,717 for the second quarter of the year in her bid to win re-election this fall.

In campaign finance statements filed with the Federal Election Commission for the three-month period ending June 30, Berkley reported that she now has $1.04 million cash on hand after spending $202,698 in the second quarter of the year.

Her chief rival, Republican state Sen. Jon Porter, raised $270,750 over the same period and spent $187,796. But his cash on hand, $385,797, is only slightly more than one-third that of Berkley's war chest.

Berkley, whose 1st Congressional District encompasses portions of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Henderson, received $167,430 in individual contributions. She raised $53,612 with the help of Emily's List. The Washington, D.C., organization helps elect women to Congress.

The congresswoman also raised $1,000 each from Bellagio hotel-casino executives Robert Baldwin and Alan Fuerstman, gaming attorney Frank Schreck, Golden Nugget President Robert Sheldon, MGM Grand Inc. Chairman J. Terrance Lanni, Clark County School Board trustee Lois Tarkanian, and Boyd Gaming Corp. executives William Boyd and Donald Snyder.

Berkley's $142,786 in political action committee donations over the past three months included $44,500 from business, $39,600 from labor and $25,500 from gaming. Her largest PAC donations included $5,000 each from the United Auto Workers Voluntary Community Action Program, Park Place Entertainment, United Steelworkers of America, Handgun Control Voter Education Fund and International Game Technology.

Porter's contributions included $2,000 each from Mandalay Resort Group attorney David Belding, Pat Clark Pontiac co-owner Dolores Clark, GOP Reps. Tom DeLay and Sam Johnson of Texas and Anchor Gaming executive Stan Fulton.

The state senator also received $1,000 each from Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, Rep. Joseph Knollenberg, R-Mich., Rep. Jerry Lewis, R-Calif., Rep. Jim Ramstad, R-Minn., Rep. Bob Riley, R-Ala., Nevada Public Research Institute director Judy Cresanta, North Las Vegas Mayor Michael Montandon and KVBC Channel 3 owner James Rogers.

Top PAC donations to Porter included $5,000 each from Park Place Entertainment, Republican Majority Fund, U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Western Coalition.

Porter's Republican primary foes, Jim Blockey of Las Vegas and Nancy Price of North Las Vegas, remain far back in fund-raising.

Blockey's report was not immediately available but his campaign manager, Tony Dane, said he raised about $25,000 over the past three months and has close to $45,000 cash on hand.

Price, wife of Democratic Assemblyman Bob Price, has raised only about $600, including $300 from personal accounts, according to her husband.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who is facing only nominal opposition in the 2nd Congressional District, raised $98,404 over the past three months and has $548,050 cash on hand. His only GOP opponent, Mitchell Tracy of Las Vegas, has raised only about $500. The report for Democrat Tierney Cahill of Reno was not immediately available.

Gibbons, whose district covers the entire state outside portions of the urban Las Vegas Valley, received $10,000 from the National Beer Wholesalers Association political action committee and $5,000 each from the Boyd Gaming, Park Place Entertainment, and Schering Plough PACs since April.

Supporters who gave the congressman $1,000 over the past three months included Mandalay Resort Group President Glenn Schaeffer and senior vice president Randy Black, and state Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno.

The congressman also spent $36,633 over the past three months, including separate $5,000 contributions to the American Prosperity PAC and WestPAC, both of which give money to GOP congressional candidates.