Huntsman not a fan of a Nevada caucus; big fan of Nevada money

Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 | 2:43 p.m.

Mitt Romney and Herman Cain may be the Republican frontrunners in Nevada, but guess who claimed the most Silver State coin in the third quarter?

Jon Huntsman.

Yes, the very same Huntsman who is is leading the charge to boycott the Nevada caucuses raked in way more Nevada money over the past three months than any of his competitors in the GOP field.

Huntsman listed $156,750 in itemized donations on forms filed with the Federal Election Commission yesterday and released this morning online.

That’s far more than Romney’s take for the third quarter, which led the rest of the pack with $95,537 in itemized donations. (All told, Romney has received $272,527 from Nevada during the 2012 cycle.)

But the significance of Huntsman’s number is even more pronounced when held up against how he’s done in New Hampshire, the state whose right to an uncrowded primary he’s been defending so strongly that he's even shunning a nationally-televised CNN debate next week — because it’s being held in Las Vegas.

Huntsman raised $1,000 in New Hampshire during the third quarter in itemized donations.

$156,750 in Nevada. $1,000 in New Hampshire.

Itemized donations don’t speak to the full complement of a candidate’s cash. The FEC only requires that candidates list contributions in excess of $200, though many choose to list more. Ron Paul's campaign, for example, seems to have thrown in everything over $5; $20.12 was an especially popular contribution.

Nor do they include the money candidates are allowed to take in from bundlers and political action committees.

But they can offer an interesting comparison of how candidates are stacking up state-by-state.

Cain, who’s polling second to Romney in Nevada and first in some national comparisons, brought in $28,930 in the third quarter, while Ron Paul, who came in second to Romney in the 2008 caucuses, brought in $74,994.20 in itemized donations from Nevadans in the third quarter.

Rick Perry, who’s recently slipped in poll numbers, didn’t appear able to cash in on Nevada governor Brian Sandoval’s endorsement in the third quarter. His itemized contributions from Nevadans only added up to $29,750, brought in from 26 contributors.

Of course, money in Nevada doesn’t necessarily match up with standing in the polls. For all the money he’s pulling in, Huntsman’s Nevada numbers have not risen past the low single digits, which pretty much describes how he’s been doing nationally as well.

That’s why thus far, Nevadans have mostly been laughing off Huntsman’s chosen vendetta against the state for not complying with New Hampshire’s demands to respect its rules about a seven-day cushion between primary season contest dates, even though Nevada’s not subject to New Hampshire state law.

Still, some in the Silver State might bristle at how Huntsman — to turn a phrase in his own vernacular — appears as willing as the subject of Trent Reznor’s most chart-topping song of all time to bite the hand that feeds him.