Who showed Sisolak, Laxalt the money?

Candidates drew big bucks from Nevada and beyond

“Are we going to turn into California?” GOP gubernatorial candidate Adam Laxalt likes to ask on the campaign trail, railing against the Golden State in stump speeches that wind up his base.

But when it comes to financing his campaign, Laxalt has turned readily to Nevada’s western neighbor, taking more than $500,000 in campaign contributions from interests in the state. That’s 10 percent of his total contributions and nearly $180,000 more than what his Democratic opponent, Steve Sisolak, has mined from “them thar hills.”

Outside Nevada, both candidates netted their biggest contributions from California. Sisolak has more individual contributions from there — just fewer than 500 for a total of $337,384, or about $677 on average. Compare that to Laxalt’s Cali-haul: 187 contributions for $515,075, or $2,754 on average.

Those figures are among the findings in a line-by-line analysis of each candidates’ 2018 campaign contributions covering three filing periods from Jan. 1 through Oct. 12. The candidates raised a combined $11 mil

MONEY

People came together at the Summerlin synagogue to honor the 11 people shot and killed at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The service, organized by Jewish Nevada, the Anti-defamation League and the Southern Nevada Board of Rabbis, included rabbis and Jewish congregations across the Las Vegas Valley, as well as leaders and members of other religions.

Jolie Brislin, Nevada regional director of the Anti-defamation League, said she had expected that many people would attend the service.

“I knew that if we had a vigil, the entire community would come together, and we did,” said Brislin, who estimated the crowd at 1,700 people. “It was one community standing up against hate.”

Religious and community leaders read the names of the those killed in Pittsburgh, as well as short descriptions of each life. A candle was lit for each person, from the grandmother everyone expected to reach 100 years old to the couple married at the Tree of Life more than 60 years ago.

During the ending song and prayer, everyone linked arms and swayed as they sang together. Brislin said the sight filled her with hope.

“We had Jews and Muslims and Catholics and Sikhs holding hands with one another, and it was just absolutely beautiful,” she said.

Todd Polikoff, the president and CEO of Jewish Nevada, urged the crowd to stand against anti-semitism and all forms of hate after the Pittsburgh shooting.

“Let us not forget that the rising tide of division and hatred in this country includes the constant attacks on African-americans, Latinos, immigrants, Muslims, LGBTQ and others,” he said. “There is no path forward except together.”

Polikoff said the attack at the Tree of Life was an attack on America’s right to worship freely.

“The events of last Saturday was the largest slaughter of Jews in American history,” he said. “These were Americans, congregating in a house of worship participating in their First Amendment right to exercise their religious beliefs.”

Bishop George Thomas of the Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas said the ceremony, meant to celebrate the lives of those who died, was beautiful, and noted that many members of his clergy attended.

“The wounds inflicted on the Jewish community are our wounds,” Thomas said.

Akselrad also said he wasn’t surprised that so many people from all religions attended the service.

“Everyone realizes that an attack on one religion is an attack on all,” he said. “They were just simple people going there to pray to God.”