Porter, without a challenger, racks up $400,000 for campaign

Benjamin Grove

Wednesday, April 13, 2005 | 9:47 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Sophomore Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., has set a fast pace in fundraising, netting more than $400,000 in the first three months of the year -- with no viable Democratic challenger, according to his campaign manager.

Porter had help from party leaders -- he remains one of beneficiaries of the Retain Our Majority Program, or ROMP, a political action committee that funnels money to the 10 most vulnerable House Republican members.

Porter had about 15 fundraising events in the first quarter, campaign manager Mike Slanker said.

Slanker, in Washington on Tuesday, could not say yet exactly how much Porter has raised or how much of the cash was raised from other Republican lawmakers. Congressional candidates are required to file quarterly fundraising reports with the Federal Election Commission and reports for the first quarter are due Friday.

"He's a very compelling candidate," Slanker said. "People like him. And he has proven that he is a prolific fundraiser."

Candidates aim to get themselves off "most vulnerable" lists as soon as possible, but the extra attention from party leaders can help a candidate raise money early, Slanker said. Porter's district, with a nearly even split of registered Democrats and Republicans, makes his races seem competitive.

"It's a tough district, but he has proven he can win it -- twice -- handily," Slanker said.

Democratic strategists are "in the process of fielding candidates" for a number of races, including Porter's congressional district, Nevada Democratic Party spokesman Jon Summers said. There is still plenty of time for a candidate to jump into a race with Porter, he said.

Still, the longer Democrats wait the harder it can be to keep pace in fundraising, Summers said.

The fact that Porter raised so much so fast shows that Republican leaders see vulnerabilities in him, Summers said.

"It says something about their faith in Jon Porter's ability to stay in that seat, and it says something about the campaign we ran against him in 2004," Summers said.

Last year, Porter challenger Tom Gallagher was viewed as one of the Democrats' best chances to pick up a seat, but Porter ultimately beat him by 14 points.

Democrats squandered their best chance to beat Porter when Dario Herrera's candidacy failed in 2002, said Amy Walter, House editor of the Washington-based Cook Political Report, who tracks the Nevada district.

Now Porter is only "theoretically vulnerable" because of the district, Walter said. Porter stands a good chance of winning handily unless Republicans in general begin suffering political fall-out, perhaps over the economy, jobs or health care, she said.

Porter's first-quarter fundraising is not insignificant, she said.

"That's a pretty daunting figure for any challenger candidates," Walter said.

House leaders have helped Porter protect his seat in other ways. Party leaders assigned him to be chairman of the typically obscure House subcommittee on the federal workforce and agency organization. Porter has used the perch to launch a congressional probe of allegations of document falsifications in the Yucca Mountain program -- and has claimed a high-profile role on an important issue to the state.

The post has given Porter an opportunity to show leadership that many House members wait years for, Slanker said.

"Absolutely, that's a bonus," Slanker said.

About $250,000 of the $2.7 million raised by Porter in the last election cycle came from other House GOP lawmakers, compared to about $240,000 from the casino and gaming industry, the top industry donor to Porter's campaign. Among the donors to Porter's 2004 campaign was the Americans For a Republican Majority political action committee, run by embattled House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, which gave Porter $10,000, the maximum allowable. DeLay, who is under fire for alleged ethical infractions, founded ROMP in 1999 to encourage Republican lawmakers in safe districts to support vulnerable members.