Party endorsements boost candidates’ war chests

CARSON CITY - Party support clearly helped primary candidates for state legislative offices pick up thousands of dollars in contributions, reports filed Tuesday on the secretary of state's website show.

In the Democratic primary for state Senate District 1 in North Las Vegas, incumbent Sen. John Lee has raised more than 20 times the amount reported by his opponent, the Rev. Patricia Spearman.

Aaron Ford in the state Senate District 11 Democratic primary and Scott Hammond in the state Senate District 18 Republican primary have pulled in nearly 10 times the contributions garnered by their opponents.

What these candidates share are endorsements - and fundraising aid - from their party caucuses. In past years, the Senate Democratic and Senate Republican caucuses did not endorse candidates until after the primary election. But with Democrats holding an 11-10 edge in the state Senate, both parties have been vying to endorse candidates now that they believe can be winners in November.

The rule of thumb in all political races has been that the candidate who raises the most money will likely win. The nonpartisan Center for Responsible Politics, based in Washington, D.C., found in the 2002-10 period that more than 80 percent of legislative races were won by the candidates with the biggest war chests.

But Lee, a political moderate and gay marriage foe, on Tuesday talked as if Spearman, who supports gay marriage, could beat him in the June 12 primary. He noted that she has been sending mailers to voters and has the support of progressive groups.

However, Lee has the money - $168,249 - according to the campaign contribution and expenditure report he filed. Spearman reported just $7,255 in contributions, $5,000 of it from a union.

Because of a law changed by the Legislature last year, candidates for all nonfederal offices are now required to electronically post these reports on the secretary of state's website by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday. Office computers will record the exact time the reports are posted.

Those who miss that deadline will be fined $25 a day. Fines will be increased to $50 a day if the reports are not filed in the next week.

This also marks the first time candidates for offices in Nevada have had to file campaign finance reports before a primary election. Early voting begins Saturday.

Candidate finance reports can be viewed on the secretary of state's website,
http://nvsos.gov.

Hammond has surpassed his opponent's fundraising in the state Senate District 18 race in Clark County. He has secured $59,125 in contributions, compared with just $6,888 by Richard McArthur. Both men are GOP Assembly members seeking to move into the state Senate.

The big difference is that Hammond has been endorsed by the Senate Republican Caucus, a fact that has irritated McArthur, who has pointed out repeatedly that he did not support extending $620 million in taxes in the 2011 legislative session while his opponent voted for it.

Hammond even received $10,000 in contributions from Bill and Cynthia Brady, who long have bankrolled mainstream Republicans. McArthur got nothing from the Bradys.

In the state Senate District 11 race in Clark County, Ford received the Senate Democratic Caucus endorsement over former Assemblyman Harry Mortenson. He also has raised $95,348 compared with $10,866 by Mortenson.

The reports filed with the secretary of state show the candidate with the most money so far is state Sen. Greg Brower, R-Reno. He reported contributions of $201,629, including donations from many casinos, mining companies and law firms.

Brower does not have a primary. His general election race against Democrat and former Reno state Sen. Sheila Leslie is expected to be one of the most exciting in the fall campaign. Leslie quit as state senator in another district in Washoe County after moving into Brower's District 15. She reported $125,980 in contributions, most of it from donations of less than $200.

In other key races:

■ Republican state Senate District 9 candidate Mari Nakashima St. Martin raised $113,759, compared with $32,740 raised by her primary foe Brent Jones. St. Martin won the caucus endorsement.

■ Republican state Senate District 5 candidate Annette Teijeiro received $18,973 in contributions compared with $66,335 by former Henderson City Councilman Steve Kirk, the caucus favorite.

■ Assembly Majority Leader Marcus Conklin, D-Las Vegas, pulled in $181,828 in Assembly District 37. Conklin does not have a primary, but Republicans are trying to upset him with Republican candidate Wes Duncan, a lawyer and Iraq War veteran. Duncan has taken in $41,577, much of it from the party.

Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel
@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.