Councilmen tapped for fundraiser

Dan Kulin

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 | 12:34 p.m.

As promised, Clark County Commissioner Myrna Williams is holding a fundraiser that features some of the same people hosting a fundraiser for her primary challenger.

By mid-March, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and City Councilmen Larry Brown and Lawrence Weekly each will have been "hosts" of fundraisers for both Williams and her Democratic opponent, Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani.

Giunchigliani caused a stir earlier this month when she announced that the mayor and four of his fellow councilmen were hosting her Feb. 22 fundraiser.

Goodman later said he was asked just to attend, not host the event, but either way, the mayor and most councilmen said their involvement was not tantamount to an endorsement of the challenger. They also said at the time that if asked, they would probably do the same for Williams.

And now Williams is taking them up on it.

Goodman, Brown and Weekly head a list of hosts for Williams' March 2 fundraiser, which is also expected to be hosted by County Commissioners Rory Reid and Yvonne Atkinson Gates, former Gov. Bob Miller, former Sen. and Gov. Richard Bryan, and former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones, according to Williams' campaign.

Jim Ferrence, Williams' campaign manager, said City Councilmen Steve Wolfson, Steve Ross and Gary Reese were not invited to the fundraiser because "they are clients of our opponent's husband."

Ferrence, who also is Goodman's campaign manager, said the three councilmen have used Giunchigliani's husband, political consultant Gary Gray, when running for council.

Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian was the lone council member to decline Giunchigliani and Williams' invitations. Tarkanian, calling both women "very good people," said she did not want to appear to be endorsing one over the other.

Dan Kulin can be reached at 259-8826 or at dan@lasvegassun.com.