Outside groups put nearly $6 million into GOP presidential race in Nevada

Anti-Donald Trump ads hit the Nevada radio airwaves this week, advising potential Republican voters that some of Donald Trump's businesses have filed for bankruptcy.

And an army of campaign workers knocked on about 1,000 doors to rally supporters of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, reminding them to caucus today.

Both last-minute campaign efforts were made possible by some big checks from Super PACs, outside groups unaffiliated with campaigns, that have spent $5.9 million in Nevada to support or oppose candidates in the runup to the presidential caucus, according to Federal Election Commission data available on Tuesday.

Of that figure, $5 million was spent in support of candidates; $903,106 went to efforts opposing candidates.

Out of all the GOP candidates still in the race, Cruz attracted the most supportive spending at $1.1 million.

The largest pro-Cruz donor, Keep The Promise 1, put $911,563 toward his Nevada effort. The Super PAC's money went for media and helped finance the ground game any candidate needs to do well in Nevada — $195,202 to date for voter contact services and voter canvassing.

Cruz canvassers knocked on 75,000 doors in Nevada in the last week alone, said Nathan Emens, president of Campaign Data Solutions, a company hired by the PAC.

"They gave me the resources to put together one heck of a ground game," Emens said, noting that it's vastly different from a simple advertising blitz.

Next down the list is U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. Outside PACs, Conservative Solutions PAC and Values are Vital, have also put $846,524 toward supporting him in Nevada.

Billionaire businessman Trump, who brags that his campaign is "self-funded," didn't attract independent PAC money.

Super PACs also put money in Nevada to support candidates who subsequently dropped out: $1.5 million for former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and $1.4 million for U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

In the runup to Nevada's GOP caucus, Marco Rubio and Donald Trump attracted the bulk of opposition spending from outside PACs — $365,799 for Rubio, including $101,894 from the Cruz-backing Keep the Promise I. FEC reports show the money went for direct mail and media.

Anti-Trump spending wasn't far behind at $335,000, with some of the PAC money coming in small bills.

The Super PAC Make America Awesome spent $5,090 on radio and television advertising that scrutinizes Trump's record, pointing out that his companies have filed for bankruptcy four times.

The group's name, a play on Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan, gets much of its support from grassroots activists, said strategist Liz Mair. They aren't relying on billionaires to take on billionaire Trump.

"We have a lot of people who donate 10 bucks," Mair said.

Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2904. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1