Boggs McDonald tests waters for House run

Erin Neff

Monday, Aug. 6, 2001 | 10:36 a.m.

Lynette Boggs McDonald will conclude her fact-finding mission into a potential congressional run Tuesday when she meets with House Speaker Dennis Hastert.

But the Las Vegas city councilwoman won't be ready to announce her intentions for several more weeks after she has a chance to confer with her family.

Short of receiving some horrendous news from Hastert, R-Ill., Boggs McDonald heard enough encouraging words during a three-day trip to Washington, D.C., that she appears headed toward a run against Democratic incumbent Shelley Berkley.

"I'm trying to think of what barriers there could be," Boggs McDonald said upon her return to Las Vegas. "Right now I don't see any."

On Friday, Boggs McDonald made the rounds, meeting first with Nevada's Republican Rep. Jim Gibbons and then with potential financial backers at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and National Federation of Independent Business.

Following those meetings she spoke with Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., and spent the bulk of the afternoon with National Republican Congressional Committee's political action committee staffers and field directors.

"Kind of the universal theme of all these meetings was, 'We hope that you will do this,' " Boggs McDonald said. "They said, 'You're the kind of person we want to see in this race.' "

The day wrapped with a session with Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., the head of the National Republican Congressional Committee and with Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas.

"Both of them had come from local government," Boggs McDonald said. "They felt those who serve in local government have the right experience and background to move up."

Granger is the former mayor of Fort Worth, Texas, and Davis was an administrator in Fairfax County, Va., before being elected to Congress in 1995.

Boggs McDonald will meet again with Davis when he comes to Las Vegas for Hastert's fund-raiser -- part of a 13-state tour to raise money for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

His trip Tuesday is highlighted by a luncheon at the MGM Grand where Hastert hopes to raise $250,000. Boggs McDonald will meet with Hastert and Davis prior to the luncheon, and will attend the event with them.

Boggs McDonald said she plans to announce her official decision by mid-September.

"If I am in, I need to get in aggressively," she said.

Berkley has already reported raising just under $630,000 for the 2002 election.