Gibbons’ coffer tally lags

The political future of Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons is in doubt after he reported raising just $165,250 in campaign contributions in 2009, the lowest total of any gubernatorial candidate.

Gibbons also reported spending $129,967, more than $75,000 of it to recently fired campaign finance director and adviser Robert Olmer.

That leaves Gibbons just $35,000 and no campaign manager to raise his favorability rating of just 18 percent among Nevada voters.

In contrast, Republican candidate Brian Sandoval has raised more than $900,000 since entering the race in September. He has a favorable rating of 36 percent and leads Gibbons by 16 points in the latest Republican primary poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research.

Republican Mike Montandon, the choice of just 7 percent of Republican primary voters in the Mason-Dixon poll, raised more than $300,000 in 2009. Democrat Rory Reid raised $2.6 million.

For his last campaign in 2006, Gibbons, with the help of political consultant Sig Rogich, raised about $6.3 million.

Rogich, who is not supporting Gibbons for re-election, says it could take as much as $6.5 million to be competitive.

Gibbons will continue his campaign.

"The Governor's fundraising is behind where he had hoped he would be at this point, but he is optimistic about the future and will continue to work to attract more money for his re-election," said a statement from Matt Williams, Southern Nevada director of operations for Gibbons' campaign.

Republican consultant Ryan Erwin says Gibbons doesn't have the resources or organization to run a competitive race. "I would advise him not to run."

Gibbons' fundraising total will only make it harder to raise money this year, Erwin said.

"In politics success breeds more success," he said. "Everybody wants to be with a winner and nobody wants to be with a loser."

Former state Sen. Bob Beers, a Republican who supports Gibbons, disagreed.

Beers said Gibbons' incumbent status gives him a powerful platform the challengers don't have, the bully pulpit. Gibbons also will likely preside over a special session of the Legislature in which he will remind voters of his pledge to oppose tax increases.

Holding the line on that simple promise will help the governor improve his standing, Beers said. "As time goes by people are going to find they like the governor more and more."

Contact Benjamin Spillman at bspillman@ reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3861.