Reno mayor hopefuls post apparent record quarterly hauls as Northern Nevada campaign finance reports come in

What happened

Donors gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to candidates in Northern Nevada local government races from July through September, according to an analysis by The Nevada Independent. The Reno mayoral contest drew what the outlet called apparent record-breaking quarterly totals, pushing the candidates' combined fundraising this cycle above $1.6 million.

The Indy also found that candidates seen as favorites in Sparks and Washoe County contests held significant money advantages. One thread reaches Southern Nevada: Las Vegas donors, including current and former local officials, gave to a Reno mayoral candidate. More races are tracked on our elections page.

The Reno mayor's race

A wide fundraising gap

Reno City Council Member Kathleen Taylor raised $502,000 in the quarter, while former Nevada treasurer and Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall raised about $265,000, the Indy reported. Taylor spent more than $400,000, five times as much as Marshall, but has much less cash on hand.

About 4.2 percent of Marshall's haul came from people who gave $100 or less, compared with about 0.32 percent of Taylor's. In a statement, Marshall said she is focused on "fighting for the issues that matter to residents, not the interests of big money." Taylor said each contribution "represents someone who believes Reno deserves responsible leadership."

The Las Vegas connection

Counting only donors who gave more than $100, both candidates drew about 73 percent of their money from Reno residents, the Indy found. Across all of Northern Nevada, the figures split: about 92 percent for Taylor and about 78 percent for Marshall. About 7 percent of Marshall's money came from people in Las Vegas, and she also drew from 12 other states and Washington, D.C., while Taylor had donors in four other states.

Marshall's donors included Rory Reid, son of former Sen. Harry Reid, along with Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft and former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones Blackhurst. Taylor, who received money from many construction and development companies, has criticized Marshall for seeking support in Southern Nevada. Both candidates received money from Peppermill Casino and local branches of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the laborers union.

Reno City Council and Sparks

Reno Wards 2 and 4

In the open Ward 2 race in southwest Reno, construction company co-founder Summer Pellett raised more than $74,000, more than double the roughly $34,000 raised by Matt Johnson, a former brewery owner who works at UNR. About 19 percent of Johnson's haul, more than $6,500, came from donors giving $100 or less, while Pellett raised $101 from such donors, or 0.14 percent of her total.

In Ward 4, which covers the North Valleys, incumbent Meghan Ebert raised about $12,000 and taqueria owner Eddie Gomez, 25, raised about $10,000. Gomez has more cash on hand because of a $30,000 loan he made to himself. Both candidates told the Indy they paused their campaigns after this summer's North Valleys fires.

Sparks mayor and council

Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson raised more than $82,000, with top donations from casinos and building and development groups, and has about $60,000 on hand. Winery owner Wendi Rawson raised about $6,500 and has about $2,600. In the Sparks council race, incumbent Dian VanderWell had not filed her report as of Monday afternoon, four days after the deadline, and challenger Jamie O'Connell reported raising no money.

Washoe County Commission

Candidates for three commission seats raised a combined $181,000 in the quarter, the Indy reported. In District 3, Democratic Commissioner Mariluz Garcia raised about $56,700 and ended September with about $139,000 on hand, while Republican Troy Regas raised about $1,700. About a third of Garcia's money from donors giving more than $100 came from outside Nevada.

In District 5, Republican Rob Pierce raised about $59,100, the most of any commission candidate, and had about $48,700 on hand. Democrat Brian Wadsworth raised about $12,400 but spent about $14,700, finishing with about $3,800. In District 2, Republican Jon Killoran, who beat Commissioner Mike Clark in the June primary, raised about $38,000, while Democrat Marie Rodriguez raised about $12,200.

Several donors gave across races and party lines, including law firm Clark Hill, Vidler Water Company and NV Energy's utility subsidiaries. The Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council's political committee gave to all three Democrats and to Pierce.

What to watch next

• Whether Sparks council incumbent Dian VanderWell files her campaign finance report, which had not been filed as of Monday afternoon, four days after the deadline.
• Libertarian Lisa Lee withdrew from the Washoe County Commission District 5 race in August, but her name will remain on the ballot.
• Campaign donations, including Southern Nevada support for Marshall, remain a major theme in the Reno mayoral race, according to The Nevada Independent.