Commission winners enjoy big campaign gifts from casinos

A common theme emerged in the recent Clark County Commission races: the candidates who received the most money also won.

The November election was a banner year for area Democrats, who won all three contested County Commission races. The winners are: They defeated Republicans Mark Smith, Milt Doyle and Steve Harney.

The winners -- Erin Kenny, Myrna Williams and Dario Herrera -- were sworn into office earlier this month, but they did not have to mail their final campaign contribution disclosure reports until Friday. The reports trickled into the Clark County Election Department with the mail throughout this week.

Not surprisingly, gaming interests contributed heavily to the three winners.

"I think it is pretty clear why gaming gave so heavily to them. They wanted to support who they thought was going to win," said Michael Bowers, a UNLV political science professor. "Myrna Williams and Erin Kenny were incumbents. Dario Herrera was all but an incumbent. He was clearly the favorite.

"Gaming has an interest in the county commission because they decide on things like zoning, which greatly affects them. What they gain by giving is access to the candidates. Lets face it, if someone has contributed to your campaign you're much more likely to take the time to hear what they have to say," Bowers said.

Herrera said he spent a great deal of his time raising funds for his campaign.

"You would meet with these people and go out to lunch with them, and hopefully at the end of the meeting they would open up a checkbook," he said.

Kenny said some of people may have given to the three Democrats as a reaction to Las Vegas Sands Inc. Chairman Sheldon Adelson's support of the Republicans in the race. He spent more than $2 million to influence the race.

In District E, Williams outspent Republican Mark Smith more than 2 to 1. According to campaign disclosure reports, Williams received $728,000, Smith, $291,000.

During the final two months of 1998, Williams received $155,425 compared to Smith's $15,350. Smith's largest contributor was Donrey Outdoor Advertising, which is affiliated with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The billboard company made an in-kind contribution of $5,000.

Some notable contributions that Williams received during the final reporting period were political gifts of $10,000 each from Coast Hotels and Casinos, MGM Grand and Destron Inc. of Las Vegas.

Other notable contributions of $5,000 each were from: Community Cable TV of Las Vegas, Boyd Gaming Corp. in Las Vegas, Edgewater hotel-casino in Laughlin, Colorado Belle in Laughlin, the Reno Hilton, Hilton World Headquarters in Beverly Hills, Calif., Flamingo Hilton-Reno, Flamingo Hilton-Laughlin, Bally's in Las Vegas, Rosewood Grille in Las Vegas and Hilton Gaming Corp. in Las Vegas.

In District F Kenny raised $1.24 million during her campaign, compared to her Republican opponent, Steve Harney's $373,000. During the final reporting period, he raised $48,000, and Kenny raised $246,000.

Harney received $5,000 contributions from: Circus Circus, Luxor and the Excalibur Las Vegas Color Graphic.

Kenny's top contributors during the final reporting period -- Coast Resorts and Eastern Beltway LTD in Las Vegas -- gave in $10,000 increments.

Other significant contributors who gave $5,000 to her campaign during the last reporting period were: American West Homes of Last Vegas, Randy and Katherine Black of Las Vegas, Circus Circus, Colorado Belle, Durango Springs Properties in Las Vegas, Edgewater in Laughlin, Excalibur, Mashood Firooz of Las Vegas, Flamingo Hilton-Las Vegas, Flamingo Hilton-Laughlin, Flamingo Hilton-Reno, Gold Strike in Jean, Hilton Hotels of Beverly Hills, Icon Development Partners of Las Vegas, Luxor, Nevada Landing in Jean, Reno Hilton and Southwest Opportunities of Las Vegas. She also received an in-kind contribution from Yesco of Las Vegas, a billboard company.

In District G Dario Herrera raised $794,000 during his campaign. His GOP opponent Milt Doyle collected $351,000. During the final reporting period, Herrera out-collected Doyle $138,000 to $72,000.

During the final reporting period Doyle received contributions of $10,000 each from: Interface Group Holding of Las Vegas, Interface Guaranty Corp. of Las Vegas, Grand Canal Shops Mall of Las Vegas, SGA Development Inc. of Las Vegas, Yona Aviation Corp. of Las Vegas and Interface G.P. of Las Vegas.

Herrera received $10,000 contributions from: Treasure Island of Las Vegas, Coast Hotels and Los Pueblos of Albuquerque, N.M.

These contributors gave Herrera's campaign $5,000 each during the final reporting period: Southern California-Nevada Regional Council of Carpenters, Edgewater in Laughlin, Jack Sommer of Las Vegas, ETE Co. of Las Vegas, American West Homes of Las Vegas, E.A. Collins-Special of Las Vegas and Robert Black and Barry Moore of Las Vegas.

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