4 Finalists Spent $165,000 to Reach Runoffs : County: Finance reports show two candidates for board of supervisors contributed nearly $28,000 to their own campaigns.

Four finalists for two seats on the Ventura County Board of Supervisors together spent more than $165,000 to qualify for a November runoff, with two of the candidates each contributing nearly $28,000 to their own campaigns.

In another key primary race, Assistant Dist. Atty. Colleen Toy White spent more than any other local candidate--$72,922--to defeat defense attorney James M. Farley for a seat on the Superior Court, according to campaign finance reports filed Monday.

The reports cover the period through June 30.

In the 2nd Supervisorial District, Thousand Oaks City Councilman Frank Schillo raised $56,456, and spent $48,548, to secure a runoff position against attorney Trudi K. Loh of Thousand Oaks. She spent even more--nearly $65,000 after raising about $61,000.

Both are competing for the seat of retiring Supervisor Maria E. VanderKolk.

Both Schillo and Loh relied heavily on their own money to beat out three other candidates in the June 7 primary. Schillo loaned his campaign $27,281, and Loh underwrote hers with $27,500.

Loh, who opposes building a garbage dump in Weldon Canyon near Ojai, received nearly $2,500 in contributions from Ojai-area residents, including $500 from actor Larry Hagman and $750 each from William and Louise Paxton.

Among Schillo’s largest contributors were Amgen, Inc., which gave $500, and the California Real Estate PAC and Pruner Health Services, which each gave $750.

Both Loh and Schillo blamed the economy and the Jan. 17 earthquake for making it especially difficult to raise money.

“It’s hard to ask people for money when they’re out of work,” Schillo said.

The two candidates said they expect it to be even more difficult to raise money for the November general election, because individual contributions will be limited to $250, rather than the $750 allowed in the primary. County laws allow individuals to contribute only $1,000 in each four-year election cycle.

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While she hopes she will not have to loan her campaign any more money, Loh said she is prepared to do just that. “If that’s what my opponent continues to do, then that’s what I’ll continue to do.”

In the 4th Supervisorial District, Simi Valley Councilwoman Judy Mikels raised $26,118 and spent $27,345 to qualify for a runoff. Her opponent, Moorpark City Councilman Scott Montgomery, raised $16,000 and spent $26,000. Both are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Supervisor Vicky Howard.

Both candidates received numerous contributions from developers. The H.F. Ahmanson Co., whose controversial 3,050-home Simi Hills project was approved in 1992 but has not been built, contributed $300 to Mikels and $500 to Montgomery. Each also received a $500 contribution from the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California.

Mikels and Montgomery were attending meetings Monday and could not be reached for comment.

In the judge’s race, White, who received the endorsement and financial backing of Dist. Atty. Michael D. Bradbury, raised a total of $77,866 and spent $72,992 to gain a nearly 2-to-1 win over her opponent Farley.

He raised $56,783 and spent $53,783. Of that, $20,600 was in loans to himself.

Several of Farley’s largest contributions came from labor unions, which gave a total of $1,750. White got nearly as much from firefighter and peace officer groups.

White also received a $2,500 loan from Bradbury’s campaign fund, a $2,000 loan from her sister, Phyllis J. Miller, and a $1,000 contribution from Ojai rancher Donald S. Colvin.

In other races, appointed Auditor-Controller Thomas O. Mahon raised $30,375 and spent $31,139 to qualify for a November runoff against Oxnard accountant Richard Morrisset, who raised less than $1,000. The two emerged from a field of five candidates, with Morrisset edging out Ventura accountant Scott Weiss by one vote.

Morrisset said he is confident he can raise $15,000 to $20,000 for the general election. “That’s how much I think we’ll need to run a credible campaign,” he said.

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Incumbent County Clerk Richard Dean raised $20,407 and spent $17,994 to beat out challenger Daniel J. Schmidt. Dean spent $12,443 of his own money, while Schmidt loaned his campaign more than $10,000.

“I don’t have any regrets,” Schmidt said. “I was running against a three-term incumbent.”

And in the race for county tax assessor, acting Assessor Glenn E. Gray raised $15,819 and spent $15,689 to defeat Ventura Councilman Jack Tingstrom, whose campaign finance report was not available.