Herrera visits D.C with eye on Congress

Adrienne Packer

Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2001 | 10:21 a.m.

Taking the week off from county business, Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera headed to Washington, D.C., to raise money for his bid for the newly created congressional seat.

Herrera expects his five-day stay in the nation's capital to be peppered with meetings with Congress members and events sponsored by political action committees and other organizations.

"I have a meeting every 15 to 30 minutes today," Herrera said Monday, shortly after his arrival.

So far the balancing act of guiding the county through such obstacles as energy deregulation and the fight against nuclear waste and aiming for the next level of his career hasn't taken its toll on the 27-year-old.

"I schedule my trips during weeks with no commission meetings," Herrera said. "I'm pushing my schedule. When I'm at the county, I'm there every day all day."

County Commission posts are considered part-time jobs.

Herrera declined to say how much he hoped to raise during his trip this week, fearing his expectations might be too high. Campaign contribution forms are due to the county election department by March 31.

Herrera has hired one of the best political fund-raisers in the country in Dave Rosen, who raised money for Hillary Rodham Clinton in her bid for the U.S. Senate. Herrera said he might tack a trip to Chicago onto his itinerary this week, but plans to be back in town for Tuesday's commission meeting.