Boggs McDonald still trails Berkley in funds

Erin Neff

Monday, July 15, 2002 | 10:54 a.m.

Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald capped an impressive quarter of fund-raising with an event Saturday featuring the only black Republican serving in the House, J.C. Watts of Oklahoma.

But Boggs McDonald will have to pick up even more money in the coming months to come remotely close to incumbent Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., according to campaign contribution reports due today in Washington, D.C.

Boggs McDonald raised $281,423 in the period from April 1 to June 30 to bring her campaign total to $690,538, according to the candidate's Federal Election Commission report.

Berkley raised slightly less for the same period at $224,699, but has a significant $1.5 million total and more than $900,000 left in the bank.

"We're very proud of the recent quarter," said Berkley's campaign manager Peggy Egan.

But Boggs McDonald, who has consistently said she does not intend to match Berkley's war chest, did increase her cash-on-hand amount by some cutting campaign expenses.

Now Boggs McDonald is sharing the Victory 2002 headquarters of Gov. Kenny Guinn and fellow GOP congressional candidate Jon Porter. She has $327,830 on hand -- a little more than a third of Berkley's bank account.

"My campaign is fully energized," Boggs McDonald said.

In Nevada's new 3rd Congressional District, neither main candidate released details of the quarterly report as of this morning.

Democrat Dario Herrera's campaign cited revisions being made by the campaign's treasurer that made the report unavailable. Porter's campaign cited a software glitch that made it impossible to generate an accurate number this morning.