GOP getting more involved on local level

Jace Radke

Friday, Aug. 9, 2002 | 9:13 a.m.

The Republican National Committee is getting involved on a local level with statewide races, putting the congressional bids of Jon Porter and Lynette Boggs McDonald in the spotlight, RNC Chairman Marc Racicot said.

"We learned a profound lesson in 2000, when I think many people will tell you that we didn't do as good a job as the Democrats," said Racicot, the former governor of Montana, who was in town Thursday for two fund-raisers. "We weren't blocking and tackling well, and we learned a profound lesson. We're becoming more engaged with a victory plan for each state."

That plan includes aiding Boggs McDonald, a Las Vegas City councilwoman running against incumbent Shelley Berkley, and Porter, competing for the new 3rd Congressional seat against Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera.

Racicot flew into Las Vegas Thursday and helped to raise about $10,000 for the state Republican party. He then attended a fund-raiser for Boggs McDonald at the Suncoast with a suggested donation of $1,000 per couple.

Both races are considered key to Republican hopes of keeping their six-seat advantage in Congress, Racicot said.

"There are about 32 seats that are really, truly in play and these two are in that group," Racicot said. "I doubt we're ever going to see a swing of 30 or 40 seats again like we did in 1994, so it makes each seat that much more important.

"We're inspired to believe that we can hold on to our advantage and expand by a small number, so two seats become very important."

Former New York Mayor Rudolph Guiliani and Karen Hughes, who served as the director of communications for Bush's campaign and is now a counselor to the president, are among the dignitaries who have been contacted about visiting Las Vegas to help the campaigns of Boggs McDonald and Porter.

"I'm going to grab every member of the cabinet and the senior staff that I can get my hands on," Racicot said.

Racicot said that he thought President Bush would return to campaign in Nevada if he decides to run again in 2004. Some critics have questioned whether Bush would come back after his 2000 visit to Lake Tahoe, where he said the decision to place a nuclear waste storage site at Yucca Mountain would be based on sound science.

"Yucca has a very long way to go, and a preliminary decision to move forward was made so that the the science can continue to be addressed," Racicot said. "There are more MX missiles with nuclear warheads buried in Montana than anywhere else. We'd probably like them not to be there, so there would be no risk, but there is a strategic interest to the country.

"It's an extremely difficult decision and I honestly believe that everyone working on this issue is trying as hard as they can."

Racicot was scheduled to fly to Denver this morning and then on to Casper, Wyoming, this evening to continue campaigning and fund-raising.