NLV mayor Montandon raised more than $720,000

Tuesday, July 26, 2005 | 9:44 a.m.

North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon raised more than $720,000 for his re-election to a third term and has about $200,000 left unspent from the campaign.

Montandon raised $520,500 in 2005 alone, and the rest of the funds came from fundraising in previous years. He spent a little more than $400,000 in 2005 and about $111,000 between 2002 and 2004, according to campaign finance reports released by the North Las Vegas city clerk.

That $200,000 in the bank gives Montandon a leg up if he runs for another political office. He won't be able to run for re-election again because of the term limits law.

North Las Vegas Councilwoman Stephanie Smith is also putting herself in good financial position if she runs for mayor, which she has been telling people she will do.

Smith raised more than $193,000 and spent more than $91,000 this year in easily defeating Jean Withers, who raised about $18,000.

Smith raised more than $47,000 and spent more than $27,000 in 2003 and 2004. That means she has raised about $120,000 more than she has spent since 2003.

The financial tally for North Las Vegas mayoral challenger Andres Ramirez hasn't been released. Ramirez, who captured 41 percent of the vote, said he's been unable to submit his report because a campaign staffer accidentally took the documents with her when she went on vacation to Europe.

Ramirez said he will end up spending and raising about $115,000 this year. That doesn't include independent expenditures by the Nevada Democratic Party, which doesn't have to file the report until earlier next year, party officials said.

Montandon said he hasn't decided what he will do with the $200,000. He said he doesn't have any plans at this point to run for another office and is focusing instead on his final four years as mayor.

Montandon said he will continue to use campaign funds as he has done in the past by supporting people and issues related to North Las Vegas. That includes campaigns, political action committees and charities, but nothing specific has been determined, he said.

Steve Wark, former state Republican Party chairman and Montandon's campaign manager, said he would like to see him run for statewide office once his term as mayor expires in 2009. He said Montandon would be well suited to run for secretary of state or lieutenant governor and ultimately governor.

Wark said that although Montandon has never expressed an interest in the Clark County Commission, it's possible that he could decide to run for the board. That seat is held by Yvonne Atkinson Gates. who is expected to seek another term in November 2008, said her administrative assistant, Donna Sawyer.

Wark said it's too soon to know what the mayor will do since his primary focus is raising his five children. He said Montandon may wait until the children are older to consider pursuing higher office.

"He is not ambitious by any means," Wark said. "When he says he doesn't know, he is telling the truth. He is not being coy."

Eric Herzik, a political science professor at UNR, said Montandon couldn't run for statewide office in 2006 or risk alienating his base of supporters right after a re-election. With six statewide seats up for grabs in 2006, Herzik said Montandon's timing may be bad if he wants to run in 2010. A Republican may occupy the seat he wants, he said.

Herzik said running for the Nevada Legislature and Clark County Commission are other options.

Montandon received more than $50,000 between May 27 and June 30. He received several large donations dating between June 7, election day, through June 30. The largest contributions in the amount of $5,000 each were given by FSDRH Trust of Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment, Coast Casinos and the Astoria Corporation of Las Vegas. Pennsylvania-based Tropicana Partners donated $3,000.

Montandon and Smith aren't the only members of the North Las Vegas City Council who are financially prepared for any future campaigns. Councilman Robert Eliason, who ran unopposed this year, raised more than $156,000 and spent nearly $18,000, netting his campaign about $138,000 this year.