Gillins, Ross both spend $300,000

Dan Kulin

Wednesday, June 1, 2005 | 9:34 a.m.

The two candidates for the Ward 6 seat on the Las Vegas City Council have both spent about $300,000 on their campaigns, according to campaign finance reports released Tuesday.

And the money is fueling an increasingly negative race between Steve Ross and Mary Gillins that ends with Election Day on Tuesday. Early voting runs through Friday.

Ross and Gillins are running in to replace Michael Mack, who is not running for re-election.

According to the reports filed with the city clerk's Office on Tuesday, Ross' campaign raised $388,370 and spent $312,822 between Jan. 1 and May 26.

During that same period Gillins raised $304,400 and spent $293,613.

Ross' financial advantage was made during the most recent reporting period, which lasted from March 25 to May 26. During that time, Ross raised $243,800 and spent $228,299, while Gillins raised $142,500 and spent $176,455.

The council position pays $42,596 a year.

The campaigns shared some of the same donors. For example, both candidates received $10,000 from Station Casinos; $5,000 from Republic Services; $5,000 from Coast Casinos; and $2,500 from Paradise Development.

Contributions to Ross also included $10,000 from Jack Binion; $5,000 from KB Homes; and $5,000 donations from both the Las Vegas city employees' and firefighters' unions.

Other contributions to Gillins' campaign include $2,500 from Southern Highlands; $2,500 from Pardee Homes; $1,000 from the Hard Rock; and $1,000 from David Chesnoff, who is the law partner of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.

Ross, 42, general manager of an electrical contracting company, came in first in the April primary election with 31.6 percent.

Gillins, 43, a legal assistant and operations manager for the Metro Police officers' union, ran second in the primary's 11-candidate field. She received 27.4 percent of the vote.

Through Monday, 1,204 voters had gone to the polls for early voting in the general election.