Hutchison outraises Flores in lieutenant governor’s race

Republican Mark Hutchison raised more than $1 million for his campaign for lieutenant governor during the latest fundraising period, putting the total donated to him so far in the race at a record eye-popping $2.4 million, or nearly four times more than his Democratic foe.

State Sen. Hutchison, R-Las Vegas, spent about $746,000 during the same four-month period, from June 6 to Oct. 10, according to the report he filed Tuesday with the Nevada secretary of state’s office. He has $400,000 cash on hand.

In comparison, Hutchison’s opponent, Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, D-Las Vegas, raised $305,000 since June, according to her campaign, for a total of $654,000 since she began running for the office. No other details were immediately available, including how much she spent and how much cash on hand she has.

Top donors to Hutchison’s campaign came from major Nevada industries, including hotel-casinos such as the Las Vegas Sands Corp., and its convention center that gave $5,000 each, and the MGM Grand, which donated the maximum $10,000 as well.

Campaign finance reports were due Tuesday for candidates running in the Nov. 4 general election.

The current Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, a Republican, spent a mere $472,500 for his 2010 bid for re-election.

The lieutenant governor’s race is getting lots of attention this year for several reasons. GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval, who has endorsed Hutchison, faces weak competition and is expected to easily win re-election. There’s speculation Sandoval might not serve out his second four-year term if he’s offered a judgeship, a Cabinet post or decides to run for higher office, including against U.S. Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., in 2016, or as a potential vice presidential candidate. If he vacates office, the lieutenant governor would take over Sandoval’s job, which he would want to leave in Republican hands.

■ In another hot race, Democratic attorney general candidate Ross Miller reported raising $840,000 since June and a total of $2.2 million since launching his bid. Nearly nine out of 10 contributors were from Nevada, his campaign said. No other details were immediately available.

“Nevadans know experience counts and that’s why they’re supporting Ross Miller,” who’s currently secretary of state, his campaign manager Jocelyn Steinberg said.

In comparison, GOP attorney general candidate Adam Laxalt raised $658,000 since June for a total of $1.25 million since the former Navy judge advocate general began running for the post. He has $370,000 cash on hand, plenty to get him through the final three weeks of the highly competitive campaign, said a senior adviser, Robert Uithoven.

Miller got a big jump-start on his opponent and had raised $1 million before Laxalt entered the race, Uithoven noted.

“We are thrilled about these numbers,” Uithoven said. “We have kept pace and made this a very competitive race.”

Among Laxalt’s donors were Sandoval, Hutchison and Rep. Mark Amodei, R-Nev., who have all endorsed Laxalt.

Recent polls show the race between Miller and Laxalt is close. A poll by SurveyUSA commissioned by the Review-Journal in early October showed Miller leading Laxalt 44-39, or just outside the margin of error of plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.

An internal poll the Laxalt campaign released over the weekend, including to the Review-Journal, showed a dead heat with Miller edging Laxalt 40-38, within the margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

■ In the secretary of state’s race, Nevada Treasurer Kate Marshall, a Democrat, reported raising $379,000 since June and spending $544,000. Marshall has raised a total of $798,000 for her campaign, a new record for the post.

The report of Marshall’s opponent, state Sen. Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas, wasn’t immediately available.

■ Sandoval raised only $290,000 since June and spent a whopping $1.7 million, although he faces weak competition and is expected to easily win re-election. He’s raised a total of $3.4 million for his campaign.

Most of the money the governor spent went to pay for his growing political machine, including staff and consultants, as well as TV ads that promote his education agenda.

He also donated to key GOP races in recent months, mostly the maximum $10,000 allowed, to Laxalt and Cegavske, for example, as well as to three Republicans running for the state Senate in races that will determine whether the GOP retakes control of the upper house from Democrats. The three candidates are Senate Minority Leader Michael Roberson, R-Las Vegas, Becky Harris and Patricia Farley.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Find her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj