Wieder, Neugebauer Set Different Pace in Race : Style: The incumbent supervisor is running a voter-targeted, high-profile campaign. Her opponent, known for a low-key manner, relies more on volunteers.

Orange County Supervisor Harriett M. Wieder was standing outside Ralphs Market, vying with the prison ministry outreach worker for the attention of an elderly couple who had just finished their shopping.

“Fight crime and drug abuse! Dollar donation! God bless you!” the former drug addict-turned evangelical said in rapid-fire fashion. The couple, Sid and Leah Katz, walked by looking a little befuddled.

Wieder had more success with them. They graciously accepted her offer of a scratch pad and campaign brochure.

“I know who you are--you helped us once,” Leah Katz said. “I can’t remember exactly what it was, but whatever it was, you got us the information we needed.”

So it went for Wieder on Friday, as she campaigned at the same supermarket where she handed out packages of flower seeds 16 years ago when she ran for Huntington Beach City Council. Some shoppers sped by without a pause, perhaps confused by the one-two punch of the evangelist and the politician.

Others stopped to chat with an old friend, and promised Wieder that she had their vote.

With just one frenetic weekend of campaigning left before voters decide the fate of the embattled supervisor, most political observers in the county think that Wieder has made enough friends and built up enough political capital in her district to carry her to victory over Westminster Councilwoman Joy L. Neugebauer.

Wieder was forced into a runoff when she finished with 47% of the vote in June, far ahead of Neugebauer, who had 20%, and three other candidates. Those candidates have thrown their support behind Neugebauer, but so far Wieder has come through the campaign with no major gaffes and still appears to be in command.

Neugebauer, who has served on the council for 18 years, has run a low-profile campaign, relying on volunteers, a single districtwide mailer and the same homespun style that wins her blue ribbons in the jam contests at the Orange County Fair.

Wieder has pumped out issue-oriented mail pieces targeted at different voting groups within the district. She has tried to focus on her accomplishments during her 12 years on the Board of Supervisors, and, by Tuesday, she will have outspent Neugebauer by more than 12 to 1, including $33,000 just for polling data--more than Neugebauer’s entire campaign budget.

To guide her to a fourth term on the board, Wieder hired Los Angeles political consultant Allan Hoffenblum, who two years ago ran the successful campaign of her opponent for a congressional seat, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Long Beach). Rohrabacher severely damaged Wieder’s political career that year when he revealed that the supervisor had claimed a college degree from Wayne State University that she had never earned. Wieder’s campaign never recovered and Rohrabacher won the seat.

Political consultant Harvey Englander, who has worked for Wieder in past campaigns, said his former client is in good hands.

“She’s got a first-class consultant, and I know he’s doing everything possible to get her record and message out to the voters,” Englander said.

“I don’t see how Harriett can lose,” said former supervisor Bruce Nestande, a Wieder supporter. “She’s served the people there well, and she doesn’t really leave the opposition with an issue of any substance they can use. There are some issues of embarrassment, but there’s nothing that goes to the issue of office or job performance.”

Huntington Beach City Councilman John Erskine, a strong Wieder supporter, said he didn’t think Neugebauer would be able to capitalize on some of the criticism leveled against the supervisor.

“I think her own style issues have attracted some of the (negative) press,” said Erskine, “and that’s the only reason why Neugebauer is remotely viable. She (Neugebauer) hasn’t made a dent among her colleagues in the League of Cities or the surrounding cities.”

But there are also those who think the race will be closer than it looks on paper.

“Up until a couple of weeks ago I thought Harriett would win easily,” said Westminster Councilwoman Lyn Gillespie, who endorsed Wieder before Neugebauer entered the race but now is trying to stay neutral. “Maybe it’s just intuition--I can’t put my finger on it--but Joy’s going to be a much stronger contender than people think. I think she has a good chance of pulling it off.”

Wieder’s enormous advantage in fund raising, Gillespie said, is deceptive. “People talk about the money Joy’s raised, but that is Joy’s traditional strategy,” Gillespie said. “She’s pulled off a lot of races in Westminster with very little money.”

Both of the candidates are confident of winning.

“I think it will be a comfortable victory,” said Wieder, adding that her campaign has gone swimmingly “exclusive of the media.” Wieder has complained repeatedly that coverage of the race has been slanted in favor of Neugebauer. She was particularly upset about a Times Orange County Edition story noting that she has missed more meetings and abstained from more votes than any of her board colleagues.

Neugebauer reprinted part of an article about her opponent’s attendance record in a campaign piece sent to district voters.

“You’ve given her copy that cost me money,” Wieder said. “It’s easy to attack, but I’ve got a good track record. . . . I’ve been a hard-working supervisor, and people have been responsive to the campaign.”

Neugebauer said she too has received good responses to her mailer, her phone calls and neighborly approach to the campaign.

“The people who support me are the people who live next door, who go to church, who I know from organizations in the community,” Neugebauer said. “I think there are enough of them to win.”