Nevadans empty their purses for Bush

Monday, Oct. 30, 2000 | 11:33 a.m.

Nevadans are betting with their wallets that Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush will defeat Democratic opponent Al Gore in the Nov. 7 general election.

Texas Gov. Bush raised $475,445 in campaign money from individual Nevadans through Sept. 30, more than twice the $195,365 donated to Vice President Gore, according to the FECInfo Internet website. Bush also has raised $14,000 from political action committees in the state, whereas Gore was shut out.

Bush had 585 individual contributors, compared with 245 for Gore among those whose donations were reported to the Federal Election Commission. The governor also raised more money from every community in the state where donors live than had Gore with one exception: Henderson. Gore collected $27,715 from residents of that city, compared to $25,000 for Bush.

But Bush out-raised Gore $197,790 to $153,310 in Las Vegas and overwhelmed the Democrat in Northern Nevada. Bush collected $124,475 from Reno, $31,350 from Incline Village and $17,700 from Carson City. Gore received only $7,670 from Reno, $2,420 from Carson City and $1,000 from Incline Village.

Most of Bush's Northern Nevada money was collected at a June 1 fund-raiser he attended in Glenbrook near Lake Tahoe on property owned by Nevada liquor distributor Larry Ruvo. Many of the guests were casino owners and lobbyists. Bush took in $210,425 from Nevada in June, making this state his third biggest contributor that month, trailing only California ($477,720) and Texas ($363,311).

Adding insult to injury is the fact that Bush, who has been painted by local Democrats as anti-gaming, raised at least $52,750 from Nevada gaming executives and their spouses and $12,000 from the industry's local PACs without coming to Las Vegas.

Gore raised only $9,250 from gaming executives and their spouses, and that was despite having a fund-raiser at Harrah's hotel-casino on Oct. 11, 1999, attended by about 100 supporters. That event accounted for more than half of Gore's total take from Nevada this election, but most of those guests were from outside the gaming industry.

Nevada, now considered a toss-up state, has only four electoral votes in the presidential election. But the contest between Bush and Gore is considered so close nationally that the state's vote may carry far more weight than in prior elections.