In politics, Nevadans give and give

Michael J. Mishak and Alex Richards

Friday, July 20, 2007 | 7:20 a.m.

Quick now: Which of the early voting states has more people per capita who give money to presidential candidates?

Iowa, where politics are as common as cornfields?

New Hampshire, where town hall meetings flow as freely as maple syrup?

Or how about Nevada, that reputedly apathetic intruder in next year's presidential primary season?

If you chose the Silver State, you probably love all things Nevadan. But you're right.

A review by the Sun of campaign contributions for the first half of 2007 shows Nevada residents are much more likely to give money than their counterparts in the two states that traditionally play leading roles in choosing presidential nominees.

Electorates in Iowa and New Hampshire are accustomed to presidential politics because, until this year, they were the first two states to hold presidential contests during primary season.

After Nevada snuck between them on the calendar for 2008, critics argued that the state has no similar tradition of citizen involvement in politics and thus was a poor choice for an early contest.

Yet , although the candidates have stopped in Nevada far less often than in Iowa or New Hampshire, their visits have drawn large crowds and intense media coverage. The Sun's findings about contributions also suggest that the state's residents are quickly getting involved.

According to the Sun's review of contributions: For every 100,000 citizens, 52 Nevadans contributed to a candidate. In Iowa, the number is 25, and in New Hampshire, 48.

At first blush, those numbers are surprising.

Nevadans twice as likely to contribute to presidential candidates as Iowans are ? Nevadans more invested in campaigns than residents of New Hampshire are ? Both of those states have long proclaimed themselves proud barometers of national sentiment.

But political observers in Iowa and New Hampshire are hardly amazed by the low level of giving in their states. Neither place, they say, is known as a political money center. Iowa's economy, for instance, is dominated by agriculture. And although the state now gets a significant portion of its revenue from gaming, Iowa's gaming operators don't have the ATM reach of the Las Vegas Strip.

Beyond that, Iowans mostly keep their minds open and their wallets closed when it comes to presidential candidates, observers there say .

"Iowans tend to be tight with their money altogether," said Peverill Squire, professor of political science at the University of Iowa and a caucus expert. "They are probably more likely to commit their time and efforts to campaigns than their wallets."

David Yepsen, political columnist for the Des Moines Register, said campaign contributions were an unfair marker of political involvement in Iowa.

"Giving money is one way to measure civic engagement," he said . "Showing up for the caucus on a cold January night is another."

Also, Iowa lacks the dense urban centers where big-money donors often live, Squire said. Des Moines, the state's largest city, has fewer than 200,000 people.

Yepsen noted wryly: "I would imagine that there is some wealth in a place like Las Vegas."

In New Hampshire, residents are accustomed to keeping their dollars close. The state has neither a sales tax nor an income tax, and despite having one of the highest median household incomes in the country, it has one of the lowest charitable-giving rates.

"New Hampshire is historically and notoriously cheap," said Andrew Smith, professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire and director of the school's survey center. "When it comes to politics, we usually say it's a great place to spend money , but you can raise it somewhere else."

Keith Schwer, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at UNLV, said money and politics have long been bedfellows in Nevada, citing the recent trial of Erin Kenny, a former Clark County commissioner who took bribes from a strip club owner.

"We're accustomed to spending money in the political arena to get things done," Schwer said, tongue mashed against cheek.

"In the small states, you don't spend money," he said. "There, you have to know somebody."

In Nevada, the gaming industry is king - and the source of much of the state's political contributions. Republican Sen. John McCain, for instance, seems to have benefited handsomely from his relationship with MGM Mirage Chief Executive Terry Lanni, who sits on McCain's national finance committee. MGM Mirage executives contributed a combined total of $48,500 to McCain's campaign in the last quarter.

"Our economy is not diversified," Schwer said. "We have a very large industry that has issues on the table , and they want access."

David Damore, professor of political science at UNLV, agreed.

"Iowa and New Hampshire don't need to buy their attention," Damore said. "Nevada on the other hand is heavily dependent on the federal government. Its whole life blood could be regulated out of business."