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April 24, 2024

Politics:

Campaign finance: Mark Hutchison, Lucy Flores and more

Updated Wednesday, May 21, 2014 | 11:46 a.m.

Campaign finance reports for Nevada politicians are due today. The filings cover the first quarter of 2014, Jan. 1 to March 31. We'll break down the reports by position as they are filed.

Margins Tax/Education Initiative

Candidate name: The Education Initiative PAC

Total raised: $235,000

Total spent: $385,102.31

Analysis: Don’t let the big numbers fool you. The National Education Association and the Nevada State Education Association were the only two contributors. The NEA gave $100,000 and the NSEA gave $135,000.

Candidate name: Coalition to Defeat the Margin Tax Initiative

Total raised: $850,393.71

Total spent: $473,088.81

Analysis: Unlike its opponent, the coalition collected cash from a garden variety of business interests in the state. The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce pumped $100,000 into the coalition’s war chest. Numerous automotive, real estate and mining interests comprised the bulk of the contributions.

Governor

Candidate name: Gov. Brian Sandoval

Total raised: $320,050.54

Total spent: $795,703.17

Analysis: If he wants more money he can get it. But he doesn’t need it. In the last quarter of 2013 he raised just over $3 million and spent less than a third of it. So by all accounts he still has more than $1 million in his coffers. With a clear path to victory in sight, he won’t have to spend to win.

Lieutenant Governor

Name: Mark Hutchison, Republican

Total raised: $403,417.61

Total spent: $920,553.75

Analysis: Hutchison had a lot of money in his war chest after the fourth quarter of 2013. Even though he spent far more than he raised in the last three months, he had money in the bank.

Candidate name: Lucy Flores

Total raised: $312,000

Total spent: $83,641

Analysis: For a Democratic candidate who hasn’t had to go on the attack in a primary, Flores’ numbers are an impressive show. If Hutchison wins the primary, though, she will need as much cash as she can get to win in the general.

Candidate name: Sue Lowden

Total raised: $151,603.88

Total spent: $249,018.09

Analysis: With baited breath, politicos were waiting to see how much she would raise and whether her or not she would infuse her campaign with some of her family’s wealth. In the end, she didn’t pad her war chest with family money and collected half of what her Republican primary opponent, Hutchison, did.

Attorney General

Candidate name: Ross Miller

Total raised: $259,396.70

Total spent: $237,330.21

Analysis: Miller, the current Secretary of State, doesn’t have a Democratic primary challenger but has already faced attack ads from a group supporting his Republican opponent, Adam Laxalt. With the primary coming to an end, expect to see Miller’s campaign looking for more cash to spend on what will be a competitive race.

Candidate name: Adam Laxalt

Total raised: $543,503.53

Total spent: $104,387.39

Analysis: He is the grandson of former Nevada Governor Paul Laxalt. And despite having been out of the political scene for a few decades, the latest member of the Laxalt family is certainly raising eyebrows after out earning his Democratic opponent, Ross Miller.

Secretary of State

Candidate name: Kate Marshall

Position: Secretary of State

Total raised: $216,301.49

Total spent: $102,662.46

Analysis: Marshall is unopposed in the primary and her opponent for the general election, Republican Barbara Cegavske, is behind in contributions. Cegavske collected 101,716.29 and spent $49,594.92 of it.

Legislature

Candidate name: Justin C. Jones

Position: Senate District Nine

Total raised: $232,675.30

Total spent: $64,185.94

Analysis: The incumbent lawmaker is in for a fight after the primary. Many are expecting Republican money from across the country to flood the race. Four Republicans are squaring off in the primary. Becky Harris, raised the most, $101,890, of the Republican challengers.

Candidate name: Michael Roberson

Position: Senate District 20

Total raised: $153,005.00

Total spent: $191,352.59

Analysis: He raised more than $300,000 in the last quarter, so he had room to spend more than he took in during the first four months of 2014. Democrats would love to take Roberson out (He’s the Senate minority leader). His opponent, Teresa Lowry, posted strong numbers. She raked in $111,036.24 and only spent $16,929.48.

Clark County sheriff

Candidate name: Larry Burns

Total raised: $344,830

Total spent: $185,684

Analysis: Burns got his due from the Strip casinos that previously gave big to his competitor Joe Lombardo. Burns received $10,000 each from MGM Grand Hotel LLC, MGM Resorts and Mandalay Bay.

Candidate name: Robert “Bobby G.” Gronauer

Total raised: $84,680

Total spent:$41,858

Analysis: Clark County Commissioner Tom Collins contributed $5,000, matching Gronauer's largest individual contribution.

Candidate name: Joe Lombardo

Total raised: $431,371

Total spent: $720,999

Analysis: Lombardo has now raised more than $900,000, $504,000 before January and $431,371 in early 2014. His $10,000 contributors include Peter Eliades, whose family owns Olympic Garden topless cabaret.

​Candidate name: Ted Moody

Total raised: $100,384

Total spent: $87,936

Analysis: Moody talked of having a strong grassroots campaign and backed that up with a broad base of 166 donations, the smallest being $5. He also got some casino money: $5,000 from Caesars Entertainment Operating Company.

The remaining five candidates -- Angel Barboza, Timothy Deam, Gordon Martines, Kenneth Page and William Roman -- raised less than $5,000 combined.

Clark County Commission: District E

Candidate name: Chris Giunchigliani

Total raised: $451,531

Total spent: $102,790

Analysis: The casino industry contributed $68,500 and organized labor provided $20,000.

Clark County Commission: District F

Candidate name: Susan Brager

Total raised:$298,775

Total spent: $364,453

Analysis: Includes $80,000 in contributions from the casino industry and $16,000 from taxi cab interests. At least $6,000 came from companies tied to the medical marijuana industry.

Clark County Commission: District G

Candidate name: Mary Beth Scow

Total raised: $284,530

Total spent: $299,744

Analysis: Includes $75,000 in contributions from the casino industry.

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