Gibbons suspends fund-raising events

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, March 19, 2003 | 9:50 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., a potential challenger to Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., in next year's election, suspended his fund-raising and campaign events pending the war with Iraq.

Gibbons won't make fund-raising calls or send out letters, and he canceled three events in the next month slated to raise roughly $100,000, including an event Friday at Jones Vargas law firm in Las Vegas, an aide said today.

"At this critical time in our nation's history, it is important that we place the safety and security of the American people and our military men and women above personal, political security," Gibbons said Tuesday in a statement announcing his decision.

Reid and Nevada's three other members of Congress have not made similar plans to put off campaign events.

Gibbons is among the first lawmakers in Congress to suspend politicking, although that is common in times of national crisis, said Steve Weiss of the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign money watchdog group. More lawmakers are likely to do the same once a U.S. attack is launched, he said.

"Anyone who takes on an incumbent has a lot of money he needs to raise," Weiss said. "The effect of this on Gibbons depends on how long it lasts. If it stretches to a few months when he can't fund-raise, that could set him back a bit."

Even the nation's top Republican and Democratic congressional fund-raising committees suspended fund-raising after Sept. 11. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has not decided whether it would temporarily halt activities after a conflict begins in Iraq, spokesman Dan Allen said. Allen declined to speculate on whether it could hurt or help Gibbons to delay fund-raising events.

It's unclear when Gibbons might reschedule his events, spokeswoman Amy Spanbauer said.

Gibbons has said he likely will wait until this summer to announce whether he would challenge Reid. Gibbons, an Air Force combat veteran, serves on the Intelligence and Armed Services Committees.