LOCAL ELECTIONS / SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT : Dean War Chest Is Five Times Size of Incumbent Peterson’s

John F. Dean, the college professor who is mounting the first serious challenge to Robert Peterson in Peterson’s 24 years as county schools superintendent, has a campaign war chest more than five times greater than the incumbent’s with just a month to go before the election, according to financial disclosure reports.

Dean, who filed his disclosure form with the county registrar of voters Thursday, said he has more than $9,100 in his campaign account, while Peterson, who filed earlier this week, said his campaign fund amounts to about $1,700.

While neither candidate received any significant contributions in the reporting period that ended Sept. 30, Dean said he has picked up a number of small contributions from “teachers, classified personnel (and) church friends . . . who want to see a new superintendent.”

“We are picking up a lot of support, a lot of $25 contributions,” Dean said. “But hey, $25 buys 100 stamps. I’m happy to have that money.”

Peterson said his campaign spent $8,400 during the last reporting period and received $6,900 in contributions. Some leftover funds from the previous reporting period were used to close the gap between income and expenditures and leave a surplus of $1,700, he said.

Dean said his campaign received about $6,000 in contributions during the same time.

According to financial disclosure forms submitted July 15, Peterson spent $41,600 between Jan. 1 and the June primary, but received just $33,000 in contributions. During the same period, Dean’s campaign received more than $56,000 in contributions and spent slightly more than $45,000. Dean edged Peterson in the June primary by a margin of 0.3%.

The scant margin of victory forced a runoff between Dean and Peterson in next month’s election for the nonpartisan position, which carries an annual salary of $98,663.

Although Dean’s campaign account is five times that of Peterson’s, both candidates agreed that contributions have been hard to come by.

“Money is very tough to get now,” Peterson said. “World affairs and stock market gyrations are causing people to hedge on things.”

Peterson, who loaned his campaign more than $13,000 before the June election, said he may go back into his own pocket again to keep the campaign going as the Nov. 6 election nears. He added that several fund-raisers have been planned for this month.

The issue of campaign loans raised controversy before the June election when Dean’s financial disclosure report indicated that his father had provided a $20,000 campaign loan, which was $19,000 over the legal limit as spelled out in Proposition 73. Dean returned the money, but after the election Peterson said that “if (Dean) did not misuse the law, I doubt that he would have gotten as many votes as he did.”

Campaign contribution limits under Proposition 73 have since been declared unconstitutional by a federal district judge. The ruling could provide a significant boost for Peterson, who in the past has counted a host of wealthy and influential backers from around the county among his supporters.

Dean, who received two $2,500 contributions before the June election from the California Teachers Assn., which has endorsed him for the superintendent’s post, said he expects another contribution from the CTA next week.