Congressional race could have national impact

Greg Tuttle

Thursday, Oct. 19, 2000 | 10:30 a.m.

Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., has held a lead against her Republican challenger, state Sen. Jon Porter, in both the polls and the pocketbook since the race for Nevada's 1st Congressional District seat started.

But Porter is counting on a late push of political advertisements in the final weeks of the campaign to make up ground in the polls that have consistently shown Berkley with a double-digit advantage.

Three other candidates will also appear on the Nov. 7 ballot representing the Independent American, Libertarian and Citizens First parties.

The choice between Berkley and Porter has been watched closely on the national level as a critical race between Republicans and Democrats vying for control of the House of Representatives. The high stakes has meant an expensive campaign in which both candidates are expected to spend at least $1 million.

Porter is a 45-year-old insurance agent who has served in the Nevada Senate since 1995. Prior to his election to state office, Porter served 10 years on the Boulder City Council, including four years as mayor between 1987 and 1991.

He now lives in Henderson and is married with two children.

Porter advanced to the general election by easily defeating two lesser known Republicans.

Berkley, 49, won the House seat vacated in 1998 by Republican John Ensign by beating former Clark County District Court Judge Don Chairez. Prior to holding the congressional seat, she served in the Nevada State Assembly between 1983 and 1985.

A graduate of the University of San Diego Law School, Berkley is a former state university regent who served in the Nevada Assembly between 1983 and 1985. She is married and has two children.

Berkley has held a financial advantage over Porter since early in the campaign. According to reports from the Federal Election Commission, the Berkley campaign had raised $1.6 million as of mid-August. Porter trailed during the same period with about $855,000 raised to fund his campaign.

On issues, Berkley and Porter are among the Nevada politicians opposed to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository. But Porter has criticized Berkley for a vote in Congress last year approving $325 million in federal funds for continued studies at the site.

Berkley maintains the vote for the funding was part of a package deal that included $40 million for other Nevada needs, including $29 million for flood control measures.

Berkley and Porter say new technologies on ways to safely store or dispose of nuclear waste where it is generated should be studied before Congress approves the Yucca Mountain project.

Both candidates also support a new prescription drug plan to help seniors afford medications, but they part on how to accomplish that goal.

Porter said he supports a recent plan adopted by Nevada that will provide subsidies to insurance companies who give seniors reduced drug costs. That plan could be supplemented by a national prescription drug program in the future, Porter said.

Berkley is opposed to insurance subsidies. She said lowering the cost of senior citizen prescription drugs should be done through the federal Medicare program as proposed by congressional Democrats.

Both candidates support increased funding for education from federal sources, pointing to the Las Vegas area as one of the fastest growing school districts in the nation. Porter said he has helped secure funds from the state to build 80 new schools in Southern Nevada, while Berkley said she has supported federal legislation promoting after-school programs.

Running on the Citizens First -- a splinter group of the Reform Party -- ticket is Las Vegan W.G. "Swannie" Swenson, a 56-year-old retired educator and Army officer. Swenson said he is spending $2,000 of his own money on the campaign, which he said is based on being a "voice of the people."

Charles Schneider is running for the House seat as the Libertarian Party candidate, and Christopher H. Hansen is the Independent American Party candidate.