Herrera holds slight donations edge

Erin Neff

Tuesday, July 16, 2002 | 9:17 a.m.

The race for Nevada's 3rd Congressional District doesn't get much closer than the fund-raising totals for the two major candidates.

Although Republicans have the edge in voter registration and the party's main candidate, Jon Porter, is ahead of Democrat Dario Herrera in the polls, both candidates have about $800,000 on hand for the Nov. 5 election.

Herrera, a Democrat and chairman of the Clark County Commission, raised more than Porter did for the period from April 1 to June 30, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission on Monday.

Herrera's campaign reported receiving nearly $304,000 in that period for an election cycle total at $1.3 million. Porter's campaign reported raising $234,000 during the same period for a total of $1.2 million.

The slight edge Herrera has in the amount raised all but disappears after campaign expenses are considered, with Porter left with $803,000 on hand compared with Herrera's $822,000 in the bank.

Porter's campaign spent $130,000 during the quarter compared to the $160,000 spent by Herrera's campaign.

Independent candidate Pete O'Neil, who insists he has a shot at winning and not just playing spoiler in the race, has $57 in the bank.

O'Neil raised $920 during the latest quarter to put his total at $7,323.

In the 1st Congressional District race, Democratic incumbent Shelley Berkley has $1.5 million in the bank after raising $225,000 during the quarter. Las Vegas Councilwoman Lynette Boggs McDonald, the Republican challenger, raised $281,000 for a total of $690,000.

Berkley has three times as much left in the bank -- $900,000 to Boggs McDonald's $300,000.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., raised $99,866 during the last quarter in his bid to be re-elected to Nevada's 2nd Congressional District. Gibbons has raised $330,000 this cycle and has $637,878 on hand.

Gibbons faces a general election challenge from four candidates -- a Democrat, a Libertarian, an Independent American candidate and a Natural Law candidate. None is expected to give Gibbons a close race.