Boggs McDonald surpasses $1 million in funds raised

Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004 | 11:03 a.m.

Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald shattered the $1 million mark in campaign cash in support of her drive for election to the county board.

Boggs McDonald, appointed in March to replace resigning commissioner Mark James in the west side's District F, had collected more than $1.3 million as of Oct. 21. Boggs McDonald, the Republican, is facing a sharply contested race with Democratic Assemblyman David Goldwater.

Goldwater has raised just less than $600,000.

Boggs McDonald collected $20,000 from Sheldon and Miram Adelson and another $30,000 from the Venetian, the Sands Expo and Convention Center and Las Vegas Sands Inc., all owned by Adelson.

Adelson's representatives have been frequent visitors to Clark County Commission meetings in the last several months as the resort boss successfully sought approval for a complex juggle of parking lots. The lots were needed to carry through the long-planned, 3,000-room, $1.6 billion expansion of the Venetian.

Boggs McDonald said Wednesday that her decisions on the board would not be affected by the size of the contribution.

Representatives for Steve Wynn's neighboring property had vigorously opposed the parking approvals granted by the commission. Wynn did not contribute to Boggs McDonald's effort, but gave $10,000 to Goldwater's campaign.

While Goldwater had his share of support from the Strip casinos -- which are usually generous to the county candidates from both major parties, candidates whose decisions ultimately will govern the land-use and liquor-licensing rights for the Strip properties -- he also received significant support from companies in the financial sphere.

Land Capital Financial Inc. and Land Baron Investments, companies owned by Las Vegas financier Mike Chernine, contributed $10,000 each to Goldwater.

Goldwater also received $10,000 from Las Vegas native and professional baseball player Marty Cordova, now with the Baltimore Orioles. Goldwater said he and Cordova were childhood friends.

Goldwater's biggest expenses were paid to Paladin Advertising, the Las Vegas company specializing in campaign support. Paladin took in $140,000 from Goldwater in the last three months.

Southwest Strategies, a political consulting outfit, took in $43,000 and Gray and Associates, another political firm, took in close to $90,000 from the Goldwater campaign.

Boggs McDonald wrote similar -- if larger -- checks for her campaign organizers, advertisers and consultants. Autumn Productions and its company partner November Inc. is organizing the candidate's campaign, received about $770,000 -- more than Goldwater's total contributions thus far. Majority Strategies, the company handling Boggs McDonald's direct-mail campaign, took in more than $64,000 from the campaign, while Alexandria, Va.-based Wilson Grand Communications, in charge of producing Boggs McDonald's extensive television campaign, received almost $55,000.

He said information on some in-kind contributions has yet to come back to his campaign. Tao, a Clark County deputy district attorney, is the Democrat running for the seat.

State law says candidates who fail to file the information can be fined $25 a day for the first seven days, and $50 per day on each of the following seven days, $100 a day thereafter.

Maxfield has raised almost $806,000 for his campaign. Big contributors include car dealer Tobin Hummer Superstore, former casino owner Jack Binion, Wynn Las Vegas, developers South Valley Investors and Summerlin developer Howard Hughes Corp., which all donated $10,000 each. The Mirage and MGM Mirage, the corporate parent of the resort, donated $20,000.

Campaign consultant Dan Hart & Associates received $48,000 from the Maxfield campaign. Paladin Advertising received about $13,000. Direct-mail marketers Partners By Design took in about $38,000 from the campaign.