CANDIDATES PURSUE T.O. VOTE; CAMPAIGNS PICK UP SPEED AS ELECTION NEARS.

Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer

Dave Anderson calls his race for a spot on the Thousand Oaks City Council ``The Great Front Porch Campaign.'' He's already lost a few pounds walking door to door introducing himself.

Chris Buckett counts on friends and family to help her campaign. They have pulled together everything from snappy fliers printed on her home computer to homemade key chains and badges bearing her name.

For Marshall Dixon, the challenge is to reach the greatest number of residents in the least expensive way. So most nights he pulls on a white T-shirt that reads Marshall Dixon for City Council in red block letters and heads out to a different street corner where he waves to passing motorists.

``I'm sort of a mobile billboard for commuters,'' Dixon said. ``Not everyone looks at you, but it's probably about as effective as you can expect anything to be.''

Less than a month before Election Day, the 13 candidates are pressing hard for votes in a crowded race for three seats on the council.

But with a new local campaign finance law limiting personal contributions to $250, council hopefuls who are counting on fewer funds are going back to the basics.

``With this fund-raising cap, all the candidates have to be very careful about how those resources are spent,'' said Dennis Gillette, who like most of the candidates has agreed to abide by a voluntary $25,000 spending cap.

Gillette's biggest investment, he said, was in signs - more than 200 that can cost as much as $60 each - that have been posted at intersections and in shopping centers where he has permission.

And like most of his competitors, Gillette said he also depends on supporters to organize backyard get-togethers and fund-raisers to strike up conversation and earn more votes.

``I'm doing what I've always done - walking precincts, attending coffees, talking with the residents,'' said incumbent Councilwoman Judy Lazar, who is seeking her third term.

Lazar said the hardest part of any campaign has always been the footwork. With her supporters, she spends weekends knocking on doors and handing out fliers.

``The only thing money does allow you to do is mailings,'' she said. ``We will do mailings if we have the money.''

That alone could cost thousands of dollars and likely is the largest expense other than television spots for most campaigns.

Yet mailings might be the most effective way to reach the more than 40,000 households in Thousand Oaks.

``It's an interesting challenge trying to reach all these homes. Being the new guy at this, I hadn't realized how expensive it all can be, even in a smaller town like Thousand Oaks,'' said candidate Wayne Possehl, who is running as a member of the ``Clean Sweep Team'' with Dan Del Campo and Laura Lee Custodio.

Although the three candidates will file separate campaign finance disclosure reports on Monday, the first deadline, they are essentially pooling their resources. Their campaign signs, for instance, feature all three of the candidates' names.

And together the three candidates have passed out hundreds of house brooms as part of their slogan to ``Clean up the City Council'' and elect three new faces.

But the team is not the only one running on a catchy slogan. Candidate Nick Quidwai promotes himself as someone ``Already working for you - outside.''

Incumbent Andy Fox calls himself the person with the ``experience and responsible leadership'' needed on the council. And like few in the candidate pool, he has already raised thousands of dollars - enough to mail out the first batch of campaign mailers to get the message out to area residents.

For candidate Nigel Greaves, that won't even be an option.

``My budget is zero. I'm the underdog. I don't have money to throw away, and I don't have the time or expertise to raise funds,'' he said. ``The only way for me to reach people is through televised forums and the media.''

The same goes for candidate Richard Messina, who is investing much of his time and energy in reaching out to large group audiences - from organized candidate forums to visits to area homeowners associations.

Candidate David Seagal said the object of his campaign is to spend as little money as possible.

``I'm showing my contempt for the process by trying to speak up and be heard. Maybe I can at least raise the level of public awareness,'' said Seagal, who has only one sign that he keeps in the back seat of a friend's pickup truck.

Even with the new campaign finance law, he said, the elections are far from a level playing field.

``The things that help, No. 1, is money. No. 2 is having the connections and networking, like if you belong to every group - the chamber of commerce, the rotaries, the optimist clubs, churches,'' Seagal said.

``Then there is building the political machine, but that's just as opportunistic,'' he said.