Gibbons eyes Senate bid despite GOP's fondness for Ensign

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., isn't backing away from a possible Senate bid in 2000 amid a push by national Republicans to rally behind former Rep. John Ensign in the race.

"Congressman Gibbons is not intimidated by the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee's commitment to John Ensign," top Gibbons Washington aide Mike Dayton said today.

Dayton said Gibbons was baffled by the Washington-based senatorial committee's early endorsement of Ensign, who jumped into the race on Friday, one day after Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., announced he would not seek re-election.

"To be an incumbent congressman and not receive at least a call from the senatorial committee was quite surprising to us," Dayton said. "Jim Gibbons is getting no pressure from any Nevadans to stay out of this race. In fact, he has received encouragement from rank-and-file Republicans."

Dayton said Gibbons expects to decide whether to run by summer. "He's not going to rush into a decision," Dayton said. "This has a very serious impact on his life."

Even before Ensign declared his candidacy Friday, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, chairman of the Senatorial Campaign Committee, went on national television to endorse Ensign.

At his news conference Friday, Ensign indicated he had the full backing of McConnell's panel, which poured $2 million into his race against Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., last year. Ensign lost that race by 428 votes.

Dayton said Gibbons wouldn't be afraid to battle Ensign in a Republican primary.

"Congressman Gibbons has never ducked a good fight," he said. "He does very well in Republican primaries."

Dayton pointed to the 1994 GOP primary for governor in which Gibbons bested then-Secretary of State Cheryl Lau, the party's favorite, by a 2-1 margin.

Gibbons went on to lose to Gov. Bob Miller, who's also considering a 2000 Senate bid, in the general election. But two years later, Gibbons battled his way through another crowded GOP primary on his way to getting elected to the House.

Dayton said he telephoned the Republican campaign committee Friday to let it know that there were other strong Republicans, including his boss, interested in running for Bryan's seat. Secretary of State Dean Heller and state Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas, also are mulling bids.

Some GOP strategists have suggested that the move by Republicans in Washington to get behind Ensign early could backfire in a heated primary here.

"This is a classic example of the Republican Party dictating to Nevadans who should run," one Capitol Hill source said.

Miller, meanwhile, was in Washington today, expecting to receive more encouragement to run in 2000 from top Democrats, including President Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota.

Miller, who retired in January after 10 years at the state's helm, is attending the National Governors Association winter meeting. The governors are dining tonight with Clinton, a good friend of Miller.

Both Bryan and Reid, the Senate's minority whip, have told Miller they would like to see him run in 2000. So have Vice President Al Gore and first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is being asked to run for a Senate seat in New York.

Reid has suggested that Miller, who left office with a favorable job performance rating of more than 70 percent, would be "unbeatable" if he chose to run.

One other possible Democratic candidate, Las Vegas Mayor Jan Laverty Jones, already has said she won't run if Miller gets into the race.

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