LOCAL ELECTIONS / SHERIFF : Rival Launches Ad Blitz at Block : Robert Irmas spends $200,000 on TV and radio messages in the primary contest’s final days. Political consultants say it may be too little, too late.

One week before the election, the race for Los Angeles County sheriff suddenly heated up Tuesday, with one of incumbent Sherman Block’s five opponents, sheriff’s reserve captain and businessman Robert Irmas, launching a $200,000 television and radio ad campaign against him.

Block said he has purchased $30,000 in radio time. But it appears that the sheriff, bidding for a fourth term, will be outspent in a big way in the campaign’s final days. He is seeking to avoid a November runoff by getting a majority of the votes cast Tuesday.

Irmas’ strategy for a final campaign week blitz is highly unusual, and several political consultants expressed doubt Tuesday that he was giving himself enough time to make an impression on voters.

Block has not reserved any television time, but he has paid to be placed on many slate mailings. Irmas said he expects to have 4 million pieces of mail in the voters’ hands in the campaign’s final week and has bought 10 slate positions.

Irmas, 42, the wealthy political unknown, and Block, 69, the veteran officeholder, are displaying sharp contrasts in their campaigns. Irmas argues that “it’s time for a change.” Block maintains that his experience is needed at a time of high crime and budgetary cutbacks for the Sheriff’s Department.

Block’s other opponents--sheriff’s Deputies Gil Carrillo, 44, and Tab Rhodes, 26; sheriff’s Sgt. John R. Stites II, 40, and Metropolitan Transit Authority police Sgt. Robert H. Lewis Jr., 37--have very little campaign money.

The Irmas TV and radio spots tell a little about him and focus on the call for change. The 30-second television ad ends: “We’ve started to change law enforcement in Los Angeles, and it’s time to finish the job.” A picture of Block is shown next to those of retired Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl F. Gates and defeated Dist. Atty. Ira Reiner.

An Irmas mailing takes a sharper tone, saying: “Sherman Block, aged 70, has been sheriff of Los Angeles County for over a decade. Since that time, Los Angeles County has become a war zone. Murder, rapes, carjackings, molestations and drive-by shootings are the order of the day.”

After Irmas declared Tuesday that he was “not going to deal in a negative campaign,” Block responded sarcastically: “That’s not a negative campaign? I’m responsible for all the rapes and the murders that have occurred in the last 10 years? That’s not negative?”

The sheriff has three radio ads. One features himself, another features Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina endorsing him, and the third has the Rev. Cecil Murray of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church supporting him.

In his spot, Block says: “No one ever said this job would be easy. And no one ever predicted that L.A. would change so dramatically over the years. As your sheriff, I offer you my strength of experience, as well as a real commitment to address today’s problems. It’s a tough job. You can count on me to be a tough sheriff.”

Irmas portrays himself as a former sheriff’s deputy with eight years experience and a successful lawyer and businessman.

Irmas called his $150,000 television buy, including $95,000 for regular channels and $55,000 for cable, “a good buy for one week,” and he called his $50,000 radio buy “spectacular” because it will give him substantial exposure in a less expensive medium.

Nonetheless, political consultants without ties to any of the candidates were skeptical about Irmas’ strategy.

“He’ll come in second, but it’s too little and too late” for Irmas to force a runoff with Block, said veteran Democratic campaign strategist Joe Cerrell. He also questioned whether the Irmas ads are negative enough.

“People vote more often than not for negative reasons, and you’ve got to communicate that,” he said.

Republican consultant Alan Hoffenblum said that in a countywide race, $200,000 is not that much, even if spent in one week. “I think he’s under-advertising,” he said of Irmas. “You’re not going to defeat somebody like Sherm Block in one week of advertising.”

Another GOP consultant, Sal Russo, said he is skeptical of Irmas’ chances. “Just saying it’s time for a change, I don’t think it’s strong enough,” he said. “Sherm Block’s an institution more than he is a sheriff. It’s hard to imagine anybody could get close.”