Silver State offers McCain a silver lining

Despite a national campaign that is seen as struggling, Republican presidential candidate John McCain was the top recipient of Nevada donations in the second quarter of presidential fundraising, taking in more than $160,000 in April, May and June.

The second-biggest fundraiser in Nevada in the second quarter was Democrat Bill Richardson, followed by Republican Mitt Romney, according to their quarterly reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

The reports for the second quarter of presidential fundraising were due Sunday. Nationally, Democrats Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton topped the second-quarter "money race," and Democrats far outraised Republicans.

In Nevada, Democratic candidates slightly outraised the Republican field in the second quarter, taking in $375,000 to the Republicans' $362,000.

However, when it comes to overall contributions from Nevadans, including the first quarter, Republicans have taken in more money than Democrats by a margin of more than half a million dollars, and Republican Rudy Giuliani remains the top overall recipient.

University of Nevada, Reno political scientist Eric Herzik said the second-quarter numbers reflect a Democratic field that has spent more time in Nevada and is doing better nationally.

"The Republicans have been invisible in Nevada, and nationally they're not doing as well," said Herzik, a Republican. "I'm surprised they're still doing as well as they are here."

Especially surprising was McCain's No. 1 spot in the second quarter here, given that his campaign at the national level has recently undergone a spectacular implosion. Staffers from top to bottom have quit or been let go since it was revealed that the campaign was not meeting fundraising expectations and hemorrhaging cash.

"His campaign is a mess," Herzik said. "If I'm McCain's people, I'm looking for any silver lining, and Nevada is one."

McCain has spent the most time in Nevada among the Republican candidates, all of it in the current quarter. In May, he threw a high-dollar fundraiser at the MGM Grand.

McCain's big donors include MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni and Republican consultant Sig Rogich, who threw the fundraiser. They and their wives have "maxed out" their contributions to the Arizona senator, giving the maximum allowed by federal contribution limits: $2,300 toward the primary election and $2,300 toward the general election. Several other MGM executives also wrote big checks to McCain.

Clark County Commissioner Bruce Woodbury, chairman of McCain's campaign in Nevada, has given him $200, while state Sen. Joe Heck, R-Henderson, has given $2,300.

Like McCain, Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, is a Western candidate, Herzik noted.

"The best news here is for the two regional candidates," Herzik said. However, he noted, it remains to be seen whether the surge in contributions will translate to gains in poll numbers for McCain and Richardson.

Richardson has spent the most time in Nevada of any candidate. His four trips to the state during the second fundraising quarter alone included multiple fundraisers.

The result was a second-quarter haul of $118,000 for Richardson, a big jump from the $33,000 he raised in Nevada in the first quarter.

Richardson's new donors include businesspeople Phil and Maureen Peckman, former Howard Hughes aide Robert Maheu, Las Vegas Sun publisher Brian Greenspun, developer Irwin Molasky, University Chancellor Jim Rogers and wife Beverly, University Regent Steve Sisolak and Las Vegas City Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian.

Raising almost as much as Richardson was Romney, who hasn't been to the state since March but has been organizing at the grass-roots level. He took in $112,000 the past quarter, according to the FEC filings, down from nearly $400,000 last quarter but leaving him with about $510,000 raised so far in Nevada, the second-highest total.

Clinton was the top Nevada Democratic fundraiser in the first quarter but saw a sharp dropoff in the second quarter, raising $83,000 this time compared to $317,000 last time. Her second-quarter donors included $500 from former Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa, who has endorsed Clinton.

Also donating to Clinton in Nevada was Vinod Gupta, founder of the controversial marketing-database company infoUSA, and his wife, Laurel, who have a home in Las Vegas. A longtime friend of the Clinton family, Gupta has distanced himself from the campaign of late, and vice versa, amid questions about infoUSA's practices.

Like Clinton, the overall top Nevada Republican fundraiser, Giuliani, saw a falling-off of donations. He raised $68,000 in the second quarter after bringing in $526,000 in the first quarter.

Giuliani had two big fundraisers in Nevada, both of them in the first fundraising quarter, and hasn't been back to the state since March. In April, he was endorsed by state Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, who gave Giuliani $2,000 in June.

The biggest surge in fundraising in the second quarter belonged to Democrat Joe Biden. The Delaware senator's campaign is considered a long shot, but he raised nearly $70,000 in Nevada, more than Obama or fellow Democrat John Edwards.

That was a big increase from the $2,500 Biden raised in Nevada in the first quarter. Biden has made two appearances in Las Vegas in the past three months. Among his donors were casino mogul Steve Wynn, wife Elaine and daughter Kevyn.

More recently, Elaine Wynn has gotten on board with Obama's campaign, but the fundraising quarter ended before the announcement of Obama's Nevada committee of supporters. In addition to Elaine Wynn, they include consultant Billy Vassiliadis and Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno.

Obama raised $41,000 in Nevada in the last quarter. His donors included developer and failed Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Bob Unger.

Edwards, whose national fundraising was a distant third among Democrats last quarter, took in $51,000 in Nevada.

Democratic activist Tony Sanchez, who recently left his post as a top lawyer-lobbyist to become president of Nevada Power, gave $500 each to Clinton and Richardson.

Also donating to Democrats Clinton and Richardson was Republican lobbyist and former Assemblyman Josh Griffin. He said he's only given to Democrats so far because they're the ones who have come to town.

Griffin's thinking might illustrate why Republicans are lagging in Nevada money of late.

He said he gave $1,000 to Richardson because he planned to attend a Richardson fundraiser, although he didn't end up going. And he and his wife each gave $2,300 to Clinton because their 6-year-old daughter wants to see what she terms "the first girl president."

"I wouldn't be surprised if we supported a Republican or two as well," Griffin said in an e-mail. "I am sure they will start spending more and more time in Nevada and having events here. We'll see."