ELECTIONS / COUNTY SUPERVISORS : Race Becoming One of the Area’s Most Expensive

Ventura County supervisorial candidates Frank Schillo and Trudi Loh have raised more than $150,000 to finance their campaigns, fast becoming one of the most expensive supervisorial races in county history.

Loh, a Thousand Oaks attorney who is mounting a pro-environment campaign, raised a total of $79,739 by Aug. 30, according to reports filed Wednesday with the county election’s office.

Schillo, a Thousand Oaks councilman who is running on his record of 10 years, raised $74,406 through the end of August.

Both candidates said they expect to raise more than $100,000 each before the Nov. 8 election to make their case to voters in the 2nd Supervisorial District, which includes most of the Conjeo Valley and Port Hueneme.

“That’s what it’s going to take to get enough mail out,” Loh said of her planned political mailers. “People can’t decide if they don’t have enough information.”

In the county’s other supervisorial race, Simi Valley City Councilwoman Judy Mikels and her opponent, Moorpark City Councilman Scott Montgomery, had raised similar sums to finance their campaigns in the 4th Supervisorial District. The district includes Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Mikels has raised a total of $37,000, while Montgomery has raised about $30,000. But Montgomery said a recent fund-raiser would add $10,000 to his political war chest.

In the race for county auditor-controller, appointed incumbent Thomas O. Mahon held a large fund-raising lead over opponent Richard Morrisset. Mahon so far has raised $40,250, contrasted with Morrisset’s $1,300.

But Morrisset, who owns a Camarillo accounting firm, said he plans to dip into his savings to finance his campaign, but declined to say how much he would personally contribute.

“It doesn’t take money to win a campaign, just effort,” he said.

Labor unions and real estate developers were prominent among contributors in all three countywide races.

The county employees’ union gave $2,400 to Mahon, $600 to Loh and $600 to Montgomery. The county firefighters’ union gave $250 to Loh and $1,800 to Montgomery. And the county deputy sheriff’s association gave $600 to Schillo.

Loh, who opposes a proposed landfill for Weldon Canyon near Ojai, so far has received more than $3,500 from businesses and residents of Ojai. A group of Ojai business owners also are planning a fund-raiser for Loh’s campaign later this month.

Among Schillo’s largest contributors were Amgen Inc., which donated $500, and the California Real Estate PAC, which gave $750. Schillo has also received contributions of about $1,200 from Pruner Health Services and company officials.

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Both Schillo and Loh have contributed more than $27,000 of their own money to their campaigns and pledged to dip into their pockets again if necessary.

“We’re going to match whatever she does,” Schillo said.

The supervisorial race would rank among the most expensive if the total amount raised by both candidates exceeds $200,000. In 1990, Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis and then Councilwoman Vicky Howard together spent $212,000 in a race that Howard won.

In 1986, challenger Madge L. Schaefer spent $56,184 to unseat Supervisor Ed Jones, who spent $156,180.

In sharp contrast, hefty donations have yet to play a large role in the race for three open seats on the Ventura County Community College District’s board of trustees.

Appointed incumbent Karen M. Boone, who faces challengers Jim Hibbs and John Tallman, has raised $2,745 for her campaign through the end of August. Tallman leads Boone with reported contributions of $3,248 as of June 30. Tallman’s latest report had not been filed by Wednesday’s deadline. And Hibbs had not raised or spent $1,000, the threshold amount that requires the filing of a campaign finance report.

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In a separate district, four candidates are seeking the seat being vacated by Trustee Greg Cole, who is running for the Thousand Oaks City Council in November.

Candidates Annette Broersman Burrows and Donald E. Stevens also said they would spend less than $1,000 apiece on their campaigns. Candidate Norman Nagel leads all others in amassed political cash, by contributing $4,000 of the $4,570 in his campaign fund. Candidate Donald W. Kingdon is close behind, with contributions of $4,555.

Trustee Pete Tafoya faces no opposition in November.

In local races for the state Legislature, Republican Brooks Firestone has raised about $413,600, while Democrat Mindy Lorenz raised more than $218,000 in the 35th Assembly District seat. The district includes Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula and most of Santa Barbara County.

Lorenz, an art history professor, has loaned her campaign $10,000. Firestone, a Santa Barbara County winery owner and grandson of the Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. founder, has received more than $90,000 in loans and contributions from himself and family members.

In the state’s 18th Senate District, Republican Steve MacElvaine raised more than $420,000, including a $100,000 personal loan. MacElvaine, who is running against Assemblyman Jack O’Connell (D-Carpinteria), also received more than $100,000 in contributions from the Republican Party and GOP officials.

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The district includes the same areas as the 35th Assembly District, but stretches into San Luis Obispo County.

O’Connell, whose finance statement was not available Wednesday, reported raising more than $400,000 as of June 30.

Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills) reported total contributions of $82,777. Her Democratic challenger, Josh Arce, 19, of Chatsworth raised $12,400 to challenge Boland in the the 38th Assembly District.

Financial reports were also not available for Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard). His Democratic opponent Dorothy Maron, a former Oxnard councilwoman, has raised more than $8,000, which includes a $6,000 personal loan.