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Follow the Money: Crear leads money race in special election for open Vegas City Council seat

Riley Snyder
Riley Snyder
Local Government
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It’s a crowded race for the March special election to fill the Las Vegas City Council seat vacated by Councilman Ricki Barlow, but so far a majority of campaign contributions raised have gone to just one of the candidates.

In all, the 11 candidates for the city council seat reported raising $181,715 between Feb. 13 and March 17, the period of time covered in the first round of campaign finance reports, which were required to be submitted on Monday.

But the vast majority of funds raised went to Cedric Crear, a two-term member of the Board of Regents and owner of two namesake advertising and marketing firms — Crear Creative Group and Crear Outdoor Advertising.

Crear reported raising $120,810 over the 33-day fundraising period, with large donations coming from gaming groups and executives — including $10,000 from the son of gaming pioneer Jack Binion and $9,000 from Boyd Gaming Properties.

Crear also received several donations from his colleagues on the Board of Regents, including $100 from Regent Carol Del Carlo and $360 from Regent Sam Lieberman. Republican Lt. Gov. Mark Hutchison donated $500 to Crear’s campaign, and Zach Conine — a Democrat running for state treasurer — also donated $500 to the former regent.

Former Democratic Assemblyman Harvey Munford reported raising $26,750 in his bid for the seat and former Barlow aide Joe Mitchell brought in $18,425 — including a $10,000 donation from conservative businessman Don Ahern.

The only other candidate to raise more than $10,000 was landscaping company owner Walter Jones, who loaned his campaign $10,430.65. Sheila Collins raised $3,700, Shonda Summers-Armstrong raised $1,250 and Timothy Hicks reported bringing in $600.

Candidates Curtis Coleman, Shannon Hopkins, Patricia Messinger and Randy Voyard did not report raising any funds for the special election.

Barlow resigned his seat in January, pleading guilty in a scheme to steal tens of thousands of dollars from his re-election campaign in 2015.

Early voting for the special election will take place on March 22 and 23, and election day will be held on March 27. The winner, who will serve out the remaining two years of Barlow’s term, will be seated on April 18.

Cedric Crear - $120,810

  • $10,000 from T.J. Fechser Trust. Fechser is a member of the legendary Binion clan.
  • $9,000 from Boyd Gaming, including The Orleans Hotel & Casino
  • $5,000 from Alisa Nave, a lobbyist and former director of the Nevada Senate Democratic Caucus
  • $5,000 from Joseph and Paula Quagliana. Joseph Quagliana is a hematologist in Las Vegas
  • $5,000 from Terrible Herbst
  • $5,000 from Western Elite, the Las Vegas dumpster and recycling business
  • $4,000 from Frank Schreck, a gaming attorney and name partner with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
  • $3,000 from Nicola Spirtos, a gynecologic oncologist and medical director of the Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada
  • $2,500 from Clyde Turner, a former casino executive and CEO of Turner Investments, Ltd.
  • $2,500 from Dale & Elaine Rosener. Dale Rosener is listed as president of the Southern Nevada Capital Corporation
  • $2,500 from Derek Stevens Trust. Derek Stevens is the owner of the D Las Vegas casino
  • $2,500 from the El Cortez Hotel & Casino
  • $2,500 from Golden Gaming
  • $2,500 from Greg Lee, chairman and CEO of the Eureka Casino & Hotel in Mesquite
  • $2,500 from the law firm of Kaempfer Crowell
  • $2,500 from Paradise Development LTD, associated with the Molasky Group of Companies
  • $2,500 from Robert Eglet, a prominent trial lawyer with the firm of Eglet Prince
  • $2,500 from Scott Sibley, a former state Assemblyman and partner at marijuana dispensary MMJ America
  • $2,000 from Becker Enterprises, LLC, a real estate and development company doing business in Southern Nevada and Southern California
  • $2,000 from David Mason, a real estate broker in Las Vegas
  • $2,000 from Duncan Lee, president of RDL Investments, a real estate investment company
  • $2,000 from Judith Siegel, an executive at The Siegel Group, a real estate holding company
  • $2,000 from Lee’s Discount Liquor
  • $2,000 from Three BS, Inc., which is associated with the development firm of Peccole Nevada Corp
  • $2,000 from Vincent T. Schettler, LLC. Schettler is an executive with Colliers International in Las Vegas
  • $2,000 from TCH Trust and Terry Holden
  • $1,500 from ABC Stores
  • $1,500 from Joseph Bonifatto, an executive with Colliers International
  • $1,500 from Michael and Carly Viellion. Michael Viellion is a real estate agent in Las Vegas
  • $1,500 from Parkway Center LLC, a development company near downtown Las Vegas
  • $1,500 from Theodore Snodgrass, a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police officer
  • $1,250 from Steve Caria, a salesman with Gaudin Porsche Las Vegas
  • $1,000 from Aubrey Branch, partner at Branch-Hernandez Consulting and Insurance Services
  • $1,000 from David Goldwater, a former state Assemblyman and owner of Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary
  • $1,000 from Dielco Crane Services, a crane rigging and transportation service company in Las Vegas
  • $1,000 from DR Horton America’s Builders, a large homebuilder
  • $1,000 from GC Garcia Consulting, a land planning and development firm in Las Vegas
  • $1,000 from James Trevino, chairman of the Dot Vegas domain name company
  • $1,000 from Linda Silvestri, head of Professional Nursing Seminars Inc. and Nursing Reviews Inc.
  • $1,000 from MLF Consulting, associated with real estate developer Mark Fine
  • $1,000 from Peter Palivos, a Las Vegas attorney and developer
  • $1,000 from Platinum Realty LLC, a Las Vegas real estate brokerage firm
  • $1,000 from PRE Rancho Craig LLC, a real estate development firm
  • $1,000 from Rebecca Peccole Shuirman, an executive with Nevada South Property Management
  • $1,000 from the Southern Nevada Homebuilders Association
  • $1,000 from Southwest Gas Corp.
  • $1,000 from Thrive Cannabis, a marijuana dispensary
  • $500 from Brian Ayala, head of airport concession business Ayala’s
  • $500 from Frank and Alice Cobb. Alice Cobb is aformer senior vice president at NV Energy
  • $500 from Joan Crear
  • $500 from Joe DeSimone, founder of real estate company First Federal Realty DeSimone
  • $500 from home construction company Lewis Investment Company of Nevada, Inc.
  • $500 from Lewis Shaw, CEO of real estate development company Jackson-Shaw Company
  • $500 from Mark Hutchison, the Lieutenant Governor of Nevada
  • $500 from Max Pawn, LLC
  • $500 from Michele Quinn, head of MCQ Fine Art Advisory LLC
  • $500 from Robert Silvestri, an insurance agent with Farmers Insurance in Las Vegas
  • $500 from Robert Wagner, a tax preparation firm
  • $500 from Tom Breitling, CEO of Breitling Ventures, a private investment management business and former owner of the Golden Nugget
  • $500 from Zachary Conine, a Democrat running for state treasurer
  • $360 from Samuel Lieberman, a member of the state’s Board of Regents
  • $300 from LaMa Owens
  • $250 from Chris Ferrari, head of Ferrari Public Affairs
  • $250 from Chris Thompson
  • $250 from Ellen Schulhofer, a shareholder in the Las Vegas office of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
  • $250 from Ellen Whittemore, a gaming attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
  • $250 from Kenneth and Monique Westfield. Kenneth Westfield is an eye surgeon in Las Vegas.
  • $250 from Peter Kovacs, owner of Kovacs Advisory Group, LLC
  • $250 from Steve Shaw, a doctor at Rainbow Injury Rehabilitation
  • $250 from Travis Roundy, a police officer in Las Vegas
  • $200 from Michael Brown

Harvey Munford - $26,750

Joe Mitchell - $18,425

Walter Jones - $10,430.65

  • $10,430.65 from Walter Jones, the candidate.

Sheila Collins - $3,700

  • $2,000 from Gene Collins, owner of Southern Nevada Flaggers and Barricade Cleaning Services
  • $500 from Sheila D Collins, the candidate
  • $300 from Channel Wells

Shonda Summers-Armstrong - $1,250

Timothy Hicks - $600

  • $600 from Hicks Unique Building Company

Disclosure: Several Indy donors are mentioned in this story. You can see a full list of donors here.

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