Quinn takes money lead in council race

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2005 | 11:04 a.m.

Las Vegas City Council candidate Vicki Quinn raised more than $121,000 and spent about $69,000 on her campaign through Friday, more than 10 times as much as incumbent Councilwoman Janet Moncrief.

Quinn said her success in raising money was thanks to her living in the city for so long and having so many friends step forward with donations. Most of her spending has gone to pay her campaign-consulting firm that is also producing some campaign mail pieces and doing door-to-door work.

Moncrief said she thinks the flood of money to her challengers shows she is not beholden to special interests and could help her win voters who are "tired of the money-people winning the election."

Moncrief raised $12,000 and spent $6,148, according to her report.

"I have no money from developers or special interests so obviously I'm not in their pocket," Moncrief said.

Candidate Lois Tarkanian, a former Clark County School Board member, said she raised almost $87,000, including $50,000 she lent her campaign, and spent about $39,000 through last Friday. Tarkanian said she is confident she has enough money to get her message to the voters and is not worried about being behind Quinn.

Quinn's and Moncrief's campaign finance reports were available through the city clerk's office Tuesday. Tarkanian said she sent her report via certified mail on Tuesday.

David Damore, an assistant political science professor at UNLV, said the fundraising totals are certainly good news for Quinn and bad news for Moncrief.

"Obviously she (Moncrief) is going to say she's not being bought by special interests," he said. "But how is she going to get that message out?"

Damore said Tarkanian, whose husband is former UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, will be helped because her last name is so well known, and Quinn's spending is an effort to offset that.

However, Damore added, the biggest war chest doesn't always translate into an Election Day victory.

Moncrief also made that point. She beat former Councilman Michael McDonald in 2003 despite being far outspent by the incumbent.

However, Moncrief faces criminal charges for allegedly filing false campaign finance reports in that election.

Despite their funding differences, the three candidates appear to be spending their money similarly.

All the candidates are sending campaign mail pieces to voters and have volunteers, or campaign staff going door-to-door and/or making phone calls.

Moncrief, the only candidate without any campaign yard signs, said she is also considering producing a short campaign ad for television.

Moncrief's haul includes $5,000 contributions each from Show Media and The Garrett Group, both of Las Vegas.

Quinn's tally includes $5,000 contributions from Precision Construction, her husband's company, and Station Casinos, plus members of the Fertitta family. Quinn said the Fertitta family -- which includes Frank Fertitta, chief executive of Stations, and Lorenzo Fertitta, the company's president -- are personal friends. Other $5,000 contributors included Blake and Delise Sartini, Robert Black and Peter Christiansen.

"When you've lived here for 41 years you have a lot of friends," Quinn said. "It's just really nice to see so many good people behind me."