Tuesday, July 19, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
CONGRESSIONAL SEAT: Hopeful gets outside aid
Out-of-state donors help assemblywoman raise money to run for Gibbons' seat
By TONY BATT
STEPHENS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON -- Fueled by donors who live outside Nevada, Assemblywoman Sharron Angle raised more money in June for a congressional bid than two other Republicans raised in the past three months, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Angle, who announced her candidacy June 8 to succeed Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., raised $158,888.83 from June 7 through June 30.
From April 7 through June 30, Gibbons' wife, Dawn, who is a former assemblywoman, raised $130,575.
From April 15, when he began raising money, through June 30, Secretary of State Dean Heller raised $128,625.
The Republican primary for Gibbons' seat is expected to be one of the most competitive races in next year's congressional elections. The 2nd Congressional District encompasses all of Nevada except for parts of Las Vegas and rural Clark County.
Jim Gibbons is expected to leave the House to run for governor, but he has not made the announcement.
Heller ended June with a bigger war chest than Angle or Dawn Gibbons, according to campaign finance reports.
Heller reported $246,760 in cash on hand compared with $157,404 for Angle and $149,224 for Dawn Gibbons.
Most of Angle's donations came from residents who live in 36 states outside Nevada. Such donations might have come because of the endorsement Angle received from Club for Growth, a conservative fundraising group based in Washington, D.C.
Of the 154 contributions Angle received, 11 came from Nevada for a total of $6,700.
Angle received 14 contributions each from California and Illinois. California residents gave her $7,900, and Illinois residents donated $6,000.
Former Rep. Barbara Vucanovich, R-Nev., who was succeeded by Jim Gibbons in 1996, contributed $300 to Angle on June 28.
Vucanovich gave Dawn Gibbons $100 on June 30 and has given her a total of $300 this year.
Dawn Gibbons also received a substantial sum from outside Nevada. Of her 107 contributions, 40 came from seven states and Washington, D.C., for a total of $48,850.
California led the way with 14 contributions for $24,850 to her.
Virginia and Washington, D.C., donors combined for 19 contributions to Dawn Gibbons for $16,000.
Notable donors to Dawn Gibbons included former U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt, R-Nev., and his wife, Carol, $500; state Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Nev., $500; former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., $2,000 for a yearly total of $4,000; Rep. Chip Pickering, R-Miss., $500; and former Rep. James Hansen, R-Utah, $500.
Dawn Gibbons drew support from lobbyists in Nevada and Washington, D.C., including Steve Barringer, who is the son-in-law of Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., $1,500 for a yearly total of $2,500; Barringer's wife, Lana, who is Reid's daughter, $500 for a yearly total of $1,500; Harvey Whittemore of Reno, $2,000; and Richard Alcalde of McLean, Va., $500.
All but six of Heller's 146 contributions came from Nevada.
Heller received $7,900 from residents and groups based in Arizona, California, Texas and Washington, D.C.
The Newmont Employees Political Action Committee of Washington, D.C., gave Heller $1,000 on June 30.
