A Dogged Run for Mayor : Farley Pledges a ‘Tree in Every Yard’ While Opponents Say He’s Barking Up Wrong Tree

Farley the dog recently bounded into the race for honorary mayor of Sunland-Tujunga, bolstering his campaign with a manager, a press agent, posters and the usual promises.

But the other candidates for the post, two men, accuse Farley, 12, and owner Michael Lucas of barking up the wrong tree. His candidacy, they assert, suggests a lack of respect for the office, which holds no formal powers and consists mostly of presiding over Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cuttings in the east San Fernando Valley community.

“The rules clearly do not allow a dog to be honorary mayor,” said James P. Saurer, campaign manager for Wolfgang Schweinberger, owner of Chef Wolfgang’s Country Kitchen in Tujunga.

The other human candidate, AT&T; executive Dick Starr, could not be reached Thursday for comment. But he was quoted in a local newspaper as saying he believed the dog should be no more than Lucas’ running mate.

Lucas, however, says that the dog-eat-dog world of politics already has brought residents together and will help raise money for good causes. Residents vote for the honorary mayor by purchasing $1 tickets from the Chamber of Commerce. Half the proceeds go to the Chamber and the other half go to candidates’ favorite local charities.

Farley has pledged to donate his share to Actors and Others For Animals.

Lucas and others believe that complaints about Farley’s candidacy stem from the possible embarrassment of losing to the mutt, a black Labrador-German shepherd mix, who, so far, has run a well-organized and clever campaign.

Farley’s camp has published newsletters--one featured a Farley crossword puzzle while another had a “Cooking With Farley” linguine recipe.

He stamped the campaign application in ink with his paws.

His platform: “A tree in every yard.”

And a brief poll of residents shows that Farley has a committed core constituency.

“That dog is conducting the most innovative campaign we’ve seen in years,” said Judi Spencer, a hairstylist. “Kids love him. He’s a good Samaritan.”

Rene Barnett, managing editor of a UFO publication based in the area, said Farley has her vote: “We’ve been waiting for a candidate like him for a long time. They are letting him run, aren’t they?”

Yes, they are. “It’s not a farce or anything,” said Harry Hughes, a chamber official. “It’s a little wacky, but it’s legitimate.”

Although the chamber’s executive director maintains that Farley’s owner, Lucas, is considered the real candidate, Farley’s team says it isn’t so.

“Basically, we’re running Farley for mayor,” said Dan Skywalker, who identified himself as Farley’s press agent. “If he wins, then Michael will probably be there to help him make decisions.”

Lucas, owner of a one-hour photo shop in Sunland, acknowledges the complaints of Farley’s competitors, but refuses to capitulate.

“Look, this really started as a lark, on a rainy day when we were bored,” Lucas said. “But people started coming in to meet Farley and laughing and having a good time, and we started to get serious about it. We have so many bad things going on in the world, we all need a laugh.”