2 Announce Candidacy for Torrance Mayor’s Race : Politics: Council members Bill Applegate and Dee Hardison prepare for a March 8 election in what could become one of the city’s toughest contests.

Torrance Councilman Bill Applegate and Councilwoman Dee Hardison officially declared their candidacies for mayor Friday in a race that could become one of the city’s most competitive in years.

The winner will succeed Mayor Katy Geissert, who ran unopposed in 1986 and 1990. She is barred by law from seeking another term in the largely ceremonial post, which has the same vote as a council member.

Both candidates, who each indicated about a year ago they would run for mayor, already have sizable war chests. Applegate’s campaign had $51,000 at the end of June, and Hardison had $23,000, according to campaign disclosure statements.

The March 8 election will also determine who will fill three open seats on the City Council. No incumbents are running: Applegate and Hardison gave up their spots to run for mayor, and Councilman Mark Wirth plans to run for city clerk.

The filing deadline for the council race is Wednesday. Marcia Cribbs, Mike Mauno, Joe Quinones, Gerry Rische, Steve Whitehead and Hope Witkowsky have entered the race. The top three vote-getters will fill the three seats.

“I can’t think of a time when there was so much change,” said Geissert, who also served as a council member for 12 years before she became the city’s first female mayor. She said she does not plan to seek higher office.

The race for city clerk is also open after incumbent John A. Bramhall announced that he would not run for reelection. Sue Herbers and Gary Spero had filed papers as of Friday, and Wirth said he intends to file by the deadline Wednesday.

Incumbent Linda Barnett was the only candidate to file for city treasurer and will run unopposed.

The mayor’s race is expected to attract the most attention because it will pit two veteran council members against each other for the $1,200-a-year job.

Applegate, 50, who owns a local real estate firm, is completing his fourth four-year term on the council.

Hardison, 55, who works with developmentally disabled students in Torrance schools, was first elected to the council in 1986. She decided to enter the mayor’s race after Councilman George Nakano, who was widely expected to run, said he would probably seek a state Senate seat in 1994.

The candidates have yet to begin serious campaigning, but have already disputed the ground rules. Hardison invited Applegate to sign a “clean campaign pledge,” in which they would agree not to attack each other’s “record, character or stands.” It also calls on both candidates not to mention the other’s name in campaign advertising.

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But Applegate, who backed a Code of Fair Campaign Practices endorsed by the state Legislature, said that he would not sign the pledge.

“How will you have a fruitful discussion of the issues if you can’t talk about the other candidate’s record, character or stands?” he asked.

Hardison replied that the state code “doesn’t detail what we are NOT going to do.”

The Torrance Police Officers Assn. has already endorsed Applegate. Geissert, who has won the support of business and homeowners’ groups alike during her eight years in office, backs Hardison. Hardison also has the support of Councilmen Nakano, Wirth and Don Lee.

Neither candidate has fully outlined a position on several major issues, including crime, city finances and the loss of jobs from aerospace and defense cuts. They agree that the city will need to lure new businesses and retain the ones it already has.

“When the economy was great and the money was there, it was fine, but people have now realized how dependent we are on business,” Applegate said. “ . . . We’re in competition not only from other states, but other cities.”

Said Hardison: “There was a period when if one business didn’t come to town, six more would be waiting. Now we need to continue to keep the business we have in town. We need to make sure that we aggressively work at it.”

The candidates stress their different styles and approaches to the job.

“I’ve been an extremely careful person in how we spend the citizens’ money,” said Applegate of his City Council experience, “and I try to look at the big picture, from the long-term perspective rather than something that is politically enhancing.”

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Hardison said that she has developed a reputation as a “consensus builder.”

“I tend to assume a leadership role very quickly--that’s my strength,” she said.

A big difference so far has been in campaign finances. Although she has about half the money that Applegate has, Hardison said that she can still win.

“When I ran for council in 1986, I spent less than everyone but got the most votes,” she said. “It’s a grass-roots effort. I use a lot of people power.”