7TH DISTRICT COUNCIL RACE PARED TO SIX CANDIDATES.

Byline: Yvette Cabrera Daily News Staff Writer

The pool of candidates seeking to fill the City Council's vacant 7th District seat in the northeast San Fernando Valley was whittled from 10 to six candidates Wednesday when four people failed to qualify for the race.

Two candidates, teacher-outreach worker Connie Acebo Rodriguez and pastor-educator Dudley Chatman did not have the 500 signatures needed to qualify for the race, said Hortencia Rios of the city clerk's election division.

Two others, carpenter-child advocate David G. Silva and student Alfredo Urrutia Jr. declared themselves as candidates, but did not file their signature petitions, said Rios.

Those who did qualify to run are: government relations director Ollie McCaulley, community college executive Barbara Perkins, community health director Corinne Sanchez, youth services director Tony Lopez, registered professional engineer Raul Godinez II, and Assembly Deputy Alejandro Padilla. The deadline for filing the signature petitions was Feb. 8, but candidates had until today to qualify.

In other news, Sanchez was the first candidate to file for city matching funds under a 1990 city ordinance that offers council candidates matching funds once they've raised at least $25,000 in contributions of $250 or less.

``I am thrilled to be the first candidate to qualify and file for these public matching funds,'' Sanchez said in a prepared statement. ``It is an indication that I have been able to put together the strongest and most effective grass-roots campaign.''

In order to receive the matching funds, Sanchez must be opposed by a candidate who has either qualified for matching funds or has raised $50,000 or more. Sanchez is also the first candidate to raise $50,000 in campaign funds, according to the city's ethics commission.

In another Northeast Valley political race, the Mexican American Political Association's Valley chapter this week endorsed three of the five candidates vying to fill three open seats on the San Fernando City Council.

The association endorsed teacher Richard Ramos, receptionist-community activist Beverly Di Tomaso, and Cindy Montanez, who runs a family-owned contracting business.

The other candidates in the March 2 election are John Becker, a service representative for the Auto Club of Southern California, and incumbent Doude Wysbeek, owner of H.C. Stroud Electric Motor Service in San Fernando.

``The three (candidates) afford the city an unprecedented opportunity to bring quality, experience and age, gender and ethnic balance to the San Fernando council,'' said Xavier Flores, the association's president.