2 Candidates Will Honor $1,000 Cap on Donations : Campaign: Supervisorial rivals say they won’t go against the spirit of Proposition 73, despite its invalidation by a judge.

Despite a federal court ruling opening the door to unlimited cash contributions in local political races, both candidates for a Ventura County supervisor’s seat said Thursday that they will not accept contributions of more than $1,000.

“I’m going to honor the $1,000 limit,” said Simi Valley Councilwoman Vicki Howard, referring to a Proposition 73 restriction approved by voters in 1988 but invalidated by a federal judge last week. “I think the voters spoke very clearly.”

Her opponent for the 4th District seat, Simi Valley Councilman Bill Davis, agreed.

“We’re adhering to the same limit. I think it’s the only thing to do,” Davis said. “I voted for Proposition 73. I’d be going against my own vote.”

Davis said that since the original trial court’s ruling, which was upheld by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday, he has received about five calls from contributors seeking to take advantage of the decision and give him more than $1,000.

“I told them, ‘Please don’t. We’ll just send it back,’ ” Davis said.

Davis said he has raised $79,000 since declaring his candidacy in March. Howard said her treasurer was out of town, and she did not know how much her campaign has raised. Fund-raising reports from all state and local candidates must be filed by today.

Several municipal candidates say they do not expect the ruling to affect their races.

“Money is not generally the driver” in Thousand Oaks elections, said Judy Lazar, a Planning Commission member who is one of nine candidates for three City Council seats.

Both Lazar and incumbent Councilman Lawrence Horner said they would never accept a gift of more than $1,000.

“That’s way too much for the kind of election we are waging here,” said Horner, who expects to spend $9,500 to $10,000 on his campaign. He said he thinks $500 is the maximum contribution he would accept.

But Oxnard Councilman Manuel Lopez, one of 12 candidates for two seats on the Oxnard council, said he would welcome a big contributor or two.

“If you see any of them running around, I’ll be only too happy to relieve them of any funds they have,” Lopez said with a laugh.

He said he does not expect the ruling to affect his campaign or any others in Oxnard. “Maybe in big cities,” Lopez said, “but in smaller communities I don’t think this will have any bearing.”

Oxnard Mayor Nao Takasugi, who spent more than $150,000 to defeat Lopez in the mayor’s race two years ago and is a candidate for reelection in November, could not be reached for comment.

Kevin Sweeney, spokesman for the politically active Patagonia clothing company, said local candidates run a risk in accepting large donations.

“In a local race, any donation of more than $1,000 would come with a lot of baggage,” Sweeney said. “A $2,000 gift would generate enough bad press to make it not worth it.”

What’s more, he said, “I don’t think there have been that many individuals willing to spend that much on a local race.”

Sweeney said Patagonia will take stands on some races before the election but would not make any contributions that exceed the old spending limits.

“Money has less impact in smaller races anyway,” Sweeney said.

He said County Supervisor-elect Maria VanderKolk ousted incumbent Madge L. Schaefer last June even though VanderKolk was heavily outspent.

Oxnard Councilwoman Ann Johs said the ruling will not affect her reelection campaign. “I can’t think of anyone offhand who would want to give that kind of money,” Johs said. “Times aren’t that easy.”