Tax-splintered GOP holding competing fund-raisers

Erin Neff

Friday, Sept. 26, 2003 | 11:25 a.m.

Used to be that fund-raisers were pretty tidy events.

Republicans over here and Democrats over there. Donors would pick their party and pay up.

But that was before the tax debate splintered the Republican Party in Nevada, and before three state senators formed a political action committee.

Republicans now have a choice between supporting Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio's political action committee or supporting three anti-tax senators and their Legislative Building PAC.

Sens. Ann O'Connell, Barbara Cegavske and Sandra Tiffany will hold a fund-raiser next Friday at The Venetian.

Not to be outdone by the fancy venue, Raggio's crew is planning an alternative fund-raiser for "13 senators" sometime in early November at the exclusive MGM Mansion. There are 13 Republicans in the Senate.

But it will be the anti-tax trio's fund-raiser and the Assembly Republican Caucus fund-raiser next Tuesday -- and also at The Venetian -- that will help set the early mood for fiscal conservatives' chances next year.

Assemblyman Bob Beers, R-Las Vegas, has been considering running against Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, who is one of the 13. But Beers said if the Assembly Republicans can raise a lot of money next week, he may consider staying exactly where he is.

"Certainly it would be fun to be a four-term incumbent in the majority party," Beers said, deadpanning: "Maybe I could be chairman of Elections, Procedures and Ethics."

Democrats control the Assembly by a 23-19 margin and will hold a fund-raiser of their own, Oct. 7 at Harrah's.

No for John O.

Democrats lost their second would-be challenger to Jon Porter this week when Assemblyman John Oceguera, D-North Las Vegas, opted not to run for Congress.

"There are too many things to accomplish here in Nevada," Oceguera, the assistant Assembly majority leader, said, referring to the battle for control of the Legislature.

Oceguera and party leaders said they have no idea who will run against the first-term Republican in the 3rd Congressional District.

Never too soon

The state Republican Party will get an early start on the 2004 election next weekend.

The Nevada Republican Party will hold a convention Oct. 3 and 4 at Arizona Charlie's to elect a party chairman. In April, the Republicans will pick delegates to the National Convention.

The Democrats have scheduled precinct caucuses for Valentine's Day next year and plan to elect national delegates at their state convention in April prior to the Democratic National Convention next July.

An open field

Now that Assemblyman Josh Griffin, R-Henderson, has decided not to run for re-election, Assembly District 29 is being touted as anyone's to win.

Griffin, one of five Republican Assembly members who voted in favor of the tax plan this year, said his plans to return to a career in lobbying had nothing to do with his vote on taxes.

"I have really been spending the last several months trying to figure out how to make a living," said Griffin, the father of four young children.

Anthony Bandiero, a lobbyist who represented gas stations in their efforts to block a gross receipts tax, said he had planned to run for Assembly District 29 with or without the incumbent in the seat.

"I've been talking to business owners, and they're extremely upset that they got hit by these taxes," said Bandiero, 27, who worked as an assistant to lobbyist Peter Kreuger.

But Bandiero may not have the business community's support locked up, especially if Luis Valera, a Republican interested in another run for the Assembly, gets into the race.

Then there are the Democrats. Republicans have a 436-voter edge over Democrats in the district, making it, by percentage, the tightest district.

Democrats say they don't know who will emerge as a candidate but said with the pro-tax Griffin out, they will now run a candidate for the seat.

Tying the knot

State Controller Kathy Augustine has tied the knot for the third time.

Augustine married Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center nurse Chaz Higgs last week in Honolulu. It is also his third marriage.

Augustine said she met Higgs when he was caring for her second husband, Chuck, before Chuck Augustine's death.

The controller intends to keep Augustine as her name.