Krolicki considers run against Reid

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2003 | 1:04 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- State Treasurer Brian Krolicki is inching closer to challenging Sen.

Harry Reid in the 2004 election.

Krolicki, a Republican, has created an exploratory committee and says he is raising money for the campaign.

He has hired Ryan Irwin, former executive director of the state Republican Party, as part of his effort to test the waters.

Krolicki declines to reveal how much money he has raised. But according to political sources, he expects to be able to collect $200,000 in Douglas County where he lives.

He has also met with national GOP leaders soliciting their support.

Krolicki, asked about challenging the incumbent, said "I think given the political environment that every race is competitive." He said he will not get into the contest "unless I am convinced I can win."

The Republican said there is an "extraordinary amount of effort lining up the right people, the right staff" and getting support from the White House and the Republican Senatorial Committee.

He said he sent his notice of filing his exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission earlier this week.

Bob Seale, the treasurer of his exploratory committee, said today the fund raising is "just getting started." He said there has been "pretty good success" with family and friends.

But Seale said it will "be difficult with Harry's connections" to collect a lot of money in Nevada. "We will look out of the state for money," he said.

He said exploratory committee will start running polls to see what the chances are for the two-term state treasurer against Reid, a Democrat.

Krolicki succeeded Seale as treasurer.

Seale is former chairman of the Nevada Republican Party.

Richard Ziser, former chairman of the Coalition for the Protection of Marriage, is the only announced Republican candidate so far.

He led the successful effort to amend the Nevada Constitution to allow marriages only between a man and a woman.

Krolicki says there won't be any announcement of his plans until after the first of the year.

But his office has been pumping out more press releases about his activities than in the past, possibly an effort to raise Krolicki's public profile.

Other potential Republican candidates mentioned have been Secretary of State Dean Heller and Controller Kathy Augustine. Augustine said today she was "not real interested" in running for the Senate.

She said Krolicki will face "a real uphill battle" because Reid has a $3 million "war chest and is a long-time incumbent."

Heller said today he is going to wait until the first of the year before making any moves. He said the moves by Krolicki are not discouraging him. He said it's just not a good time for politics because of the indictments in Southern Nevada for public officials and the recall movement in California.

Heller said today Krolicki "would be as good a candidate as any Republican." But, he added, "His moves won't make a difference to me." Lt. Gov. Lorraine Hunt has already said she would not run against Reid.