Reports show Heller leads in fundraising

CARSON CITY -- Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., has a big fundraising advantage over Democrat Jill Derby as they prepare again to face off in a race for the 2nd Congressional District seat.

Reports filed Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission show Heller has $808,385 in cash on hand, along with a $369,932 debt remaining from his win over Derby in the race in 2006.

Derby, who quit her job as state Democratic Party chairwoman in February to run again for the seat, has $133,763 in cash on hand, or less than one-third of Heller's total if his debts are subtracted from his cash.

That is a far cry from 2006, when Heller claimed Derby outspent him 2-to-1 in the general election race.

Heller had spent more than $1 million in a tough primary against former Assembly members Sharron Angle and Dawn Gibbons leaving little money for the general election race. In the end, he defeated Derby by 12,600 votes, or 5.4 percentage points, in a race political analysts considered far closer than expected.

Voters in the district have never elected a Democrat since the seat first was contested in 1982.

During the November 2006 election, Republicans outnumbered Democrats by about 48,000 registered voters in the district that covers the entire state except for urban areas of the Las Vegas Valley.

The Republican advantage, however, has dwindled to about 31,300 voters.

In announcing her candidacy, Derby said the Democratic presidential caucus in January had helped all Democrats and would energize her campaign.

"We have energy and momentum on our side," she said. "This is our year."

She has raised $143,879 in contributions since entering the race, not much less than the $186,578 Heller raised in the January through March reporting period.

But Heller already had more than $600,000 on hand from earlier contributions.

Contributors to Heller's campaign include a who's who within state Republican politics, according to the report to the FEC.

Former Rep. Barbara Vucanovich gave him $2,000, while former Gov. Kenny Guinn provided $1,000. Reno Mayor Bob Cashell contributed $2,300, as did banking industry lobbyist John Sande and Las Vegas political consultant Sig Rogich.

State Republican Chairwoman Sue Lowden donated $1,000, the same amount as Sen. Mark Amodei, R-Carson City, and former Nevada Press Association Executive Director Ande Engleman.

Derby received $4,600 from Reno lawyer Robert Maddox, $500 from Dan Klaich, the Higher Education System of Nevada vice chancellor, and $1,000 from lawyer Thomas "Spike" Wilson. Wilson ran for the 2nd Congressional District seat as a Democrat in 1996 and lost to Jim Gibbons, now the governor.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at 775-687-3901 or evogel@review journal.com.