Romney looks to raise $2 million during stop in Las Vegas

By Karoun Demirjian

Tuesday, May 29, 2012 | 12:22 p.m.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is making his first trip to Las Vegas today since winning the state party caucuses in February to raise money and campaign to unseat President Barack Obama.

His first stop is a rally at the Somers Furniture warehouse on Polaris Avenue this afternoon. Romney’s evening schedule, however, is where things get interesting.

The presumptive Republican nominee — thanks to today’s Texas primary, he will likely nab enough delegates to become the nominee — is turning to the party’s deepest pockets in his fundraising efforts.

Romney will appear with Donald Trump at a fundraiser at the Trump International Hotel, where guests must donate anywhere from $2,500 to $50,000 to meet the Republican candidate. Newt Gingrich, according to various reports, is expected to be there with him.

While he won’t likely appear in the open, Gingrich’s biggest backer, Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson, is also expected to be there, according to a CBS News report this morning.

CBS reported that Romney is meeting with Adelson, who dedicated at least $20 million to PACs aiding Gingrich’s primary efforts earlier in the campaign cycle and has pledged to spend as much as $100 million on Republicans in 2012.

Even a piece of that would be a windfall for the Romney campaign or the PACs that support him and could well dwarf even the hefty pull expected from tonight’s soiree. The Romney campaign is hoping for $2 million from tonight’s donors.

Fundraising isn’t everything. To be successful, a candidate still has to move people to the polls. But money can help pay for that and for the messaging necessary to keep a national campaign running full speed ahead for the five months between now and election day — especially since Obama is such a formidable fund raiser.

But pundits have begun speculating that Romney might actually be able to out-raise Obama.

Las Vegas is the second stop on a two-city tour Romney will take through the West today. He started the day with a morning event in Craig, Colo.