Keeping his options open

Is Nevada on the Republican radar as an early presidential contest state? "Perhaps," says one national campaign.

Last week, John McCain's campaign held a conference call with reporters to discuss the Arizona senator's second-quarter fundraising. Campaign manager Terry Nelson presided over the call, whose tone can only be described as funereal.

Nelson announced McCain's dismal fundraising totals and the shockingly low cash-on-hand amount of $2 million, but said the campaign would still be able to compete because it was "focused on winning our primaries in the early states: first Iowa, then New Hampshire, then South Carolina, going on from there."

Nevada's presidential caucuses for both Democrats and Republicans are scheduled after Iowa and before New Hampshire, but while the Democratic campaigns have planted hefty staffs here, none of the Republican campaigns has made the state a focus.

Also speaking on the McCain call was campaign strategist John Weaver, who bolstered Nelson's message: "This campaign will go to the cities and towns in Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina," he said.

Answering a reporter's question, Weaver reiterated that the campaign had "the best organization" in those three states. To another question, he said, "You're going to see him (McCain) more in those three states."

When he was asked about next year's altered primary schedule, Weaver remembered the Silver State, sort of. "The rush up in the calendar ... has put more emphasis, not less, on the impact of what happens in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and perhaps Nevada and one other state."

Asked by the Review-Journal whether the campaign considered Nevada an early state, Weaver said, "I do ... and it is an important part of our strategy. And the senator, as you know, has been to Clark County, and he's been in other parts of the state several times, and we have staff in the state, and it will remain a key element of our strategy to win the nomination."

McCain has visited Nevada the most of any Republican candidate, three times. He has campaigned publicly in Reno and Elko and held fundraisers in Las Vegas. He has a staffer based in Las Vegas who is responsible for several Western states.

POKER PLAYERS FOR BERKLEY

Internet gambling advocates scheduled a Las Vegas fund-raiser tonight at the Rio for Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Robert Wexler, D-Fla.

The Poker Players Alliance, a nonprofit group opposed to an Internet gambling ban approved in the final days of last year's congressional session and signed into law by President Bush, sponsored the event, according to alliance spokesman John Pappas.

Berkley and Wexler each have introduced bills this year to repeal the ban.

The Poker Players Alliance is particularly fond of Wexler's bill, which would exempt poker and other "skill games" from the ban.

Berkley's bill calls for a one-year study of Internet gambling by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.

The main event of the World Series of Poker began at the Rio over the weekend and is expected to conclude next week.

FAR-OFF ELECTIONS

The candidates are lining up for the next North Las Vegas mayoral race, in 2009.

Mayor Michael Montandon can't run again due to term limits. City Councilwomen Shari Buck and Stephanie Smith say they are definitely gunning for the top job, while City Councilman William Robinson and state Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, are considering a run as well.

Buck, like Montandon, is a Republican, while Smith, Robinson and Lee are Democrats. No party affiliation is listed on municipal ballots, but political parties are increasingly playing a role in such races and can be expected to assert themselves in this one more than they have in the past, analysts say.

There are almost twice as many registered Democrats as registered Republicans in the city of North Las Vegas.

Smith, who will be term-limited out of her council seat, said she is running because "I am concerned about the future of North Las Vegas" and has the most experience "to make sure we continue to move in the right direction." She said the current council does a good job reaching consensus and improving the city.

Smith is a middle-school orchestra teacher who has served on the council since 1997 and previously did a term in the Assembly. She recently signed on to support Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Buck couldn't be reached late last week, but her campaign manager, Steve Wark, confirmed she plans to run. She was recently elected to her third term on the council.

Robinson, a retired school counselor also just re-elected to the council, said last week he hasn't decided whether to run. A lot of people have asked him to, he said, but "only time will tell. ... That's two years down the road. Only God can see that far down."

Lee said he has also been approached by people urging him to run and would make a decision by September. The owner of a plumbing company, he is up for re-election to his state Senate seat next year; he previously served three terms in the Assembly.

Lee said the city needs to be taken in a new direction from the status quo. "Right now we have a horrible relationship between the City Council and the state Legislature," he said. "The next leader has got to be able to mend that bridge, to work with legislators and also our members of Congress."

INTERNECINE SQUABBLES

Clark County Democrats and Republicans will both hold leadership elections this month, for the little-noticed party positions that could take on new importance with the state's place in the nominating calendar.

The chairmanship of the Clark County Democratic Party is up for grabs, as Chairwoman Liz Foley is stepping down. Running to replace her in the election to be held July 28 are John Hunt and Ken Lange. The nominations are closed.

Hunt, a lawyer and Army veteran, was the Democratic nominee for state attorney general in 2004. Lange, a consultant, was executive director of the state teachers union for nearly 12 years.

Hunt said his mission as chairman would be to "encourage the people who have always been here and welcome new people who want to get involved." He says he wants the party to be a big tent that is open to outsiders and is not rigidly dogmatic.

Lange said his focus would be on building the party structurally so that next year's presidential caucuses are "as robust and vigorous as possible," while also working to encourage candidates for state offices. He said his strength was his "experience managing competing interests."

Meanwhile, Clark County Republican Party Chairman John Hambrick wants to keep the position he has held for two years. One candidate nominated to challenge him says he is not in the running, but others may enter; nominations can be accepted the day of the election meeting, scheduled for July 17.

Danny Tarkanian, a lawyer who has run unsuccessfully for state Senate and secretary of state, had planned to run for chairman but now says he will not. "I was nominated at the last meeting and I considered it, but (state Chairwoman) Sue Lowden appointed me to a committee to train candidates in Assembly and Senate races instead," he said.

Lowden has endorsed Hambrick for re-election and Hambrick, a retired Secret Service agent, said he hopes to keep his post. "In the last election cycle, when the state party was not responsive, we were the people to come to," he said of the county party.

Hambrick was not a fan of the ousted previous state chairman, Paul Adams. He and Tarkanian clashed when Tarkanian saw Hambrick as siding with his primary opponent, Brian Scroggins, the previous county party chairman.

Sources say bitterness remains from such interparty conflicts and that, despite Tarkanian's pullout, Hambrick is unlikely to go unchallenged.

Stephens Washington Bureau writer Tony Batt contributed to this report. Contact political reporter Molly Ball at 387-2919 or MBall@reviewjournal.com.