Collins quickly closes gap commission fund-raising

Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004 | 10:50 a.m.

Clark County Commission candidate Tom Collins, in a tough race for the District B seat that covers North Las Vegas, has nearly overcome a once-significant fund-raising deficit.

Collins, an assemblyman, has raised almost $580,000 in his spirited battle with North Las Vegas City Councilwoman Shari Buck, according to finance reports released Tuesday. Collins was hobbled in his early fund-raising by several strong opponents through the Democratic primary, including the incumbent in the race, Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey.

Buck, the Republican, had no significant opposition in the primary and still enjoys an overall advantage of $631,000. However, Collins has closed the gap. In the period from Aug. 27 through Oct. 21, Collins raised $394,000 to Buck's $252,000.

Collins' contributions included $15,000 from Wynn Resorts, $10,000 from Palms Casino Resort, $10,000 from Mandalay Bay and Mandalay Resort Group, and $15,000 from three casinos owned by Station Casinos.

Collins' expenses included $108,000 to campaign consultants Gray & Associates and another $132,000 to campaign consultants Southwest Strategies.

Buck's big contributions in the period included $10,000 from MGM Mirage, $10,000 from B3 Engineering, and $7,500 from Summerlin developers the Hughes Corp.

Buck's expenses for the period included $247,000 for consultant Dan Hart & Associates.

Both are involved in an increasingly bitter campaign in which legal problems for Kincaid-Chauncey overshadowed the early race.

Kincaid-Chauncey, who was indicted 11 months ago in an alleged votes-for-influence scandal involving a local strip club operator and also led to federal indictments of three of her former colleagues on the county commission, had one notable expense. Her campaign finance report included $20,000 paid to her attorney, Rick Wright.

Kincaind-Chauncey did not return phone calls seeking comment on the payment.

Wright declined to comment.

"It's privileged," Wright said. "I don't discuss what I do for my clients."

Although using campaign funds for personal expenses is a violation of state law, the issue has come up before. In 2002, former Las Vegas City Councilman Michael McDonald paid the lawyer representing him in a criminal probe and ethics-code defense $1,934 from campaign contributions.

McDonald's lawyer was also Rick Wright.

At the time, the Las Vegas city attorney and Clark County District Attorney said the use of campaign funds for attorney services related to the public office is allowed by law.