ELECTIONS / 23RD CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT : Perez Ferguson, Gallegly in Close Race, Polls Show

According to both Democratic and Republican polls, Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) and Anita Perez Ferguson of Oxnard are in a close race that could be decided by only a few percentage points in November.

A Democratic poll of 500 registered voters, completed on Aug. 25, shows that incumbent Gallegly is leading Perez Ferguson by only two points, 47% to 45%, with 8% undecided.

Although a Republican pollster did not provide precise figures, he said his survey of 400 voters, completed Aug. 28, also shows Gallegly in the range of 47%, but with a wider lead over Perez Ferguson, who he said was in the 30%-40% range.

Gallegly, 48, and Perez Ferguson, 43, are battling for a seat in the House of Representatives in the 23rd Congressional District, which covers Carpinteria and all of Ventura County except most of Thousand Oaks.

Polling sources for both parties said the figures added up to a tight race with two months to go before the election.

“It’s a very competitive race at this time,” said Kevin O’Donnell, director of survey research for the National Republican Congressional Committee in Washington. But in O’Donnell’s opinion, Gallegly “has much more room to grow” in voter strength than his challenger, Perez Ferguson.

Still, analyzing the figures, a Republican Party strategist, who requested anonymity, said the figures tell an incumbent that there’s much work to be done to nail down a victory.

“Gallegly is unknown in a huge part of this district,” the strategist said. “He will have to use every weapon available to him, including his resources and (the power of his) incumbency” to win.

This was a reference to the fact that the new district includes Oxnard, the county’s most populated city where Gallegly has not campaigned before.

Perez Ferguson said she was buoyed by the figures.

“For us to be that close before we’ve had a chance to go with our communications is tremendous,” she said. “Both of those polls are good news.”

For his part, Gallegly said, “it’s a horse race until the fat lady sings. But that doesn’t mean it’s a close horse race. I have a very solid base of support that I’ve taken years to establish.”

The poll, paid for by the California Democratic Party with organizational help from the Clinton-Gore campaign, had an error range of three points. A source familiar with it said that at the beginning of the primary season, Gallegly was in the 58%-59% range; while Perez Ferguson’s voter support was about 35%.

“So she’s made some gains and Gallegly’s lost some ground,” the source said.

The Republican poll had an error margin of five points, O’Donnell said.