Sheriff candidates spend the most money in Carson City campaigns

Sheriff candidate Ken Furlong outspent his opponent Bob Guimont by nearly $20,000 in what turned to be the costliest race in Carson City this election season.

The latest campaign financial reports, filed this week by candidates, shows Furlong spent $48,455, mostly for campaign advertising.

Furlong, an investigator with the state Department of Public Safety, reported collecting $49,450 in cash, but $21,238 was out of his own pocket. He also recorded $7,667 in in-kind contributions that mostly paid for a campaign event.

The money paid mainly for print and video advertising, as did most of the funds his opponent collected.

Guimont, a deputy for the Carson City Sheriff's Department, took in $33,279 in cash contributions and spent $28,807. He also noted another $4,017 in in-kind contributions.

Concerned Citizens for Fuji Park and Fairgrounds also submitted a financial report for its campaign against the ballot question asking votes to allow the city to sell some fairgrounds property for commercial development.

The group collected $5,456 in cash and $17,380 in in-kind contributions, and spent $5,336 during the campaign.

Incumbent Carson City Supervisor candidate for Ward 3, Pete Livermore appears to have a big financial edge against his opponent, Neil Weaver.

While Livermore collected $12,600 in cash and $550 in in-kind contributions, Weaver collected a mere $100.

Weaver turned in his first report two days late to the wrong office, causing a mix-up that resulted in two warning letters from the Secretary of State's office.

In Weaver's financial reports, he neglected to state who contributed the $100. The candidate, owner of Weaver Aircraft Co., actually spent more than he collected, according to the report, which showed $125 in expenditures.

Livermore reported spending $5,958 on his campaign.

Candidates for the city assessor's race, David Dawley and Taunya Milligan, both collected and spent nearly equal amounts of money.

Dawley, currently the city chief deputy assessor, collected $9,591 in cash and spent $9,443 while Milligan took in $10,180 in cash and $735 in in-kind contributions. Milligan, a Realtor, spent $8,196 on campaign expenses.

The state Republican Party contributed to both candidates for assessor. Milligan received $3,045, nearly one-third of her total collection, and Dawley drew $1,220 from the party.

In the Clerk-Recorder's Office race, incumbent Alan Glover collected $6,375 in cash and $915 in in-kind contributions and spent $4,585.

Glover's opponent, Mary-Ann Dickens, reported receiving no contributions of any kind, but said she spent $2,100. Dickens owns Nevada Business Services.

Among major contributors to many local campaigns were Landmark Homes, the Nevada Republican Party and the Committee to Elect Mark Amodei.

Neal raises fraction of Guinn's campaign war chest

by Geoff Dornan, Appeal Capitol Bureau

Sen. Joe Neal, D-North Las Vegas, has raised less than 1 percent of the campaign money collected from Nevada's major resorts and other businesses by incumbent Gov. Kenny Guinn.

While Guinn reported collections of about $3.25 million, Neal reported total contributions of just $24,396 in his report filed Tuesday.

But he did finally get some money from the Democratic Party, which has largely ignored his candidacy. He received $1,000 from the state Senate Democratic Party fund and $2,000 from Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev.

The lieutenant governor's race, however, has turned into the most expensive for that office in Nevada history. Incumbent Republican Lorraine Hunt raised $270,515 to add to the $53,699 she had left after the first reporting period. Democrat Erin Kenny raised $376,578 to add to the $400,000 she had from earlier fund-raising efforts.

Most of the candidates across the state have now turned in their October campaign reports. One who has not is Carson City's Ron Knecht.

The Republican running for Assembly District 40 filed a cover sheet on the Tuesday deadline with no financial data on it.

"I have not yet finished compiling contributions and expense details. I will finish promptly and file an amended complete report," he advised the Secretary of State's office.

As of the close of business Oct. 31, Knecht had not filed the report.

He said he expects to file today, reporting about $40,000 in contributions including $5,000 from Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev.

"With all the small expenses, trying to get that all together and get it in readable form, I haven't gotten it done. I do feel bad about it," he said.

Most of his spending, he said, has been on six different direct mail pieces to voters in District 40.

His opponent, Democrat Stacie Wilkie, filed her report on time Tuesday, reporting $24,650 in new contributions to raise her total to just under $30,000.

The two are vying for the seat vacated by Bonnie Parnell. Assembly District 40 includes most of Carson City as well as part of Washoe County.

The penalty for filing late is $25 each of the first seven days, $50 each of the next seven days and $100 each day after that to a possible maximum of $5,000.

George Dini, the Yerington Democrat running to fill his father's District 38 Assembly seat, raised more than double that of his opponent, former Yerington Mayor Tom Grady, a Republican. Dini raised $62,850 compared to $27,649 for Grady. He spent $48,512 compared to $26,645 for Grady.

The race between the two is considered close.

Democrat Joe Carter, who is running to unseat Republican Sen. Maurice Washington in Senate District 2 (Washoe, Lyon and Storey counties), raised only $60,084 to add to the $33,275 he had left from the first reporting period. Washington, who northern Republicans see as a key to holding control of the Nevada Senate, has raised a total of more than $200,000 and spent nearly all of it.

Democrat John Hunt, in a tough battle against Republican Brian Sandoval to replace Frankie Sue Del Papa as attorney general, raised $332,183 this reporting period for a total of $913,798 in contributions.

That is well below the $1.3 million raised by Sandoval.

Hunt has spent $881,446 of that total.