House campaign expenses outlined

Erin Neff

Friday, Feb. 1, 2002 | 8:59 a.m.

Campaign reports filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission indicate how expensive Nevada's three congressional races will be this year.

Close to $4 million will probably be spent by candidates vying for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District seat if the first six months of fund-raising are any indication.

Democrat Dario Herrera raised $721,120 by the end of 2001 and had $479,140 cash on hand at the end of January.

His Republican opponent, Jon Porter, raised less, but has almost the same amount of cash on hand after expenses. Porter took in $578,411 and has $415,734 left.

"We think we'll need to raise just over $2 million," Herrera's campaign manager Achim Bergmann said.

Herrera received $247,250 from individual donors, who are allowed to give up to $2,000 for both the primary and general election. He received $107,395 from political action committees.

Porter brought in more from individuals at $363,474 and raised $125,691 from PACs.

Independent Party candidate Pete O'Neil reported $3,443 in contributions and $200 remaining cash on hand for the same period. Nevada's 1st Congressional District is also generating a lot of money -- with the incumbent already at a 4-to-1 edge in fund-raising.

Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley reported just more than $1 million in contributions for this election cycle, including $359,754 in the last six months of the year.

Berkley's Republican challenger, Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, reported raising $249,872 from July to December 2001.

Boggs McDonald trails significantly in the cash on hand department with just $160,306 to Berkley's $696,542.

But Boggs McDonald says she is pleased with the amount of money she was able to raise given that she brought in all of her contributions in the three months after she announced she would run.

"I met my goals," Boggs McDonald said.

Boggs McDonald received $212,291 from individuals and $35,841 from PACs, while Berkley took in $224,023 from individual donors and $137,730 from PACs.

Although Rep. Jim Gibbons does not yet have a major opponent in Nevada's 2nd Congressional District, the Republican did raise $121,264 in the last six months of 2001 to give him a $621,742 cash on hand for his re-election bid.

Gibbons raised $53,000 each from PACs and individual donors.