Tarkanian breaks from campaign trail at GOP convention

By Megan Messerly

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 | 4:21 p.m.

CLEVELAND — While other Republican congressional candidates chose to stay in Nevada and campaign this week, Danny Tarkanian brought his campaign today to the Republican National Convention.

Tarkanian, who is running for Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, made a last-minute decision Tuesday to attend the convention. He arrived here late Tuesday night and has been attending networking events since then.

“Normally, you don’t gain a lot to strengthen your campaign coming to these events,” Tarkanian said in an interview inside the Quicken Loans Arena. “But for me, it was different and unique. I got a couple of calls from some very influential people.”

Tarkanian plans to spend the remaining two days of the convention connecting with supporters and donors. He said he “worked (his) tail off” in his primary campaign against state Sen. Michael Roberson, and he’s working on replenishing his financial reserves.

He also said it would be nice to spend some time with his wife, Amy, who is a delegate to the convention and the former state party chairwoman.

“I’m mostly here networking and trying to make my campaign as strong as we can be,” said Tarkanian, who is running against Democrat Jacky Rosen.

Tarkanian said he didn’t fault fellow Republicans Rep. Joe Heck, who is running for U.S. Senate, and Rep. Cresent Hardy, who is running for re-election, for not being in Cleveland. He said candidates have to maximize their time and, for them, that meant staying home and campaigning.

Of the Republican congressional candidates, Tarkanian has been the most open to talking about GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump — whether that’s what he likes or dislikes about him. He said, however, that coming to the convention didn’t make him any more or less of a Trump supporter.

Tarkanian is also the only congressional candidate in Nevada to have spoken at a Trump rally. The Trump campaign invited him, and “there was no hesitation on my part to show up,” Tarkanian said. “It was absolutely appropriate.”

Since winning the primary, Tarkanian said, he has gotten much more support from people nationwide, even compared to the support he received in his 2012 congressional campaign.

He said Steve Wynn gave him a much more generous donation than four years ago. The Keystone Corp., a conservative political action organization, has also contributed to his campaign, he said.

Financial reports also show Heck’s and Sen. Dean Heller’s leadership PACs both have contributed to Tarkanian’s campaign, as first reported by PolitiFact Nevada.

Tarkanian said Heck and Heller called him after his primary night victory and pledged their financial support. He also said Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison called to congratulate him that night, though Gov. Brian Sandoval has not.

“I’m probably the one who needs to reach out to him, and I will,” Tarkanian said, noting that he’s been booked solid since the primary.

Looking toward the next two days of the convention, Tarkanian said he planned to at least listen to Trump’s and vice presidential candidate Mike Pence’s speeches.

On Pence, Tarkanian said he hadn’t really had time to delve into his policy positions too much, but he liked that Pence was a “very conservative guy” who would balance well against Trump.

Tarkanian said he thought Trump’s speech on Thursday would be “entertaining” and that he was impressed by what he had heard from Trump’s wife, Melania, and some of Trump’s children so far.