Gallegly Significantly Outspent Rival to Win Seat, Reports Show : Politics: The Simi Valley congressman spent more than $700,000. Anita Perez Ferguson’s total exceeded $400,000.

WASHINGTON — Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Simi Valley) enjoyed a significant spending advantage over Democratic challenger Anita Perez Ferguson in his successful reelection campaign--much of which he channeled into waves of voter persuasion mail and radio and television ads.

In a bitterly contested race, Gallegly spent more than $700,000 in the two-year election cycle; Perez Ferguson, more than $400,000. Both also faced a June primary challenge in the 23rd District, which encompasses Carpinteria and all of Ventura County except most of Thousand Oaks.

As of Oct. 14, the last date for which campaign spending reports are available, Gallegly had spent $580,971; Perez Ferguson, $396,869. He still had $206,313 available; she had $43,707.

Gallegly said he spent a substantial amount of the $206,000 balance. A spokesman for Perez Ferguson said she also expended her cash reserves. In addition, each received new contributions in the last 2 1/2 weeks of the campaign.

Gallegly, a former Simi Valley mayor, won a fourth term with 54% of the vote. Perez Ferguson, an Oxnard educational consultant making her second bid for Congress, received 42%.

“We were playing catch-up all election long,” said Sam Rodriguez, Perez Ferguson’s campaign manager. He called Gallegly’s late mailings “a bombardment.”

Gallegly, however, disputed the notion that he had outspent Perez Ferguson in the general election campaign. Indeed, he said, “she spent more money on this campaign than I did.”

The lawmaker strongly objected to any comparison that includes money spent before the June 3 primary, particularly money he devoted to office overhead, fund-raising and other costs in 1991. This accounted for $123,185.

Between July 1 and Oct. 14, the general-election period for which figures are available, Gallegly outspent Perez Ferguson, $296,463 to $270,117, reports show. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee also paid for $10,466 in postage and other costs to her campaign.

Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission also showed a $37,000 loan that Perez Ferguson repaid to herself.

The two candidates employed different spending strategies. Gallegly relied more heavily on mailings to voters, pouring $193,072, or a third of his total, into this effort as of mid-October. He had spent another $44,265 on radio and cable television ads.

In contrast, Perez Ferguson had spent $111,971, or 28% of her total, on radio and television advertising as of Oct. 14. She had spent another $90,134 on direct mail to voters.

Rodriguez called radio and cable television an effective way “to bring up Anita’s name (identification) very quickly.”

Buoyed by women’s groups and organized labor, Perez Ferguson had raised $200,000 from special-interest political action committees, considerably more than Gallegly’s $136,856. She is vice president of the National Women’s Political Caucus.

But Gallegly more than compensated through a broader base of big individual givers throughout the district and a pre-campaign war chest of $231,271.

Gallegly was also one of the delegation’s top spenders for campaign overhead. He spent $204,246, or 35% of his total as of Oct. 14, on rent, office equipment and furniture and supplies. He ranked among the top 10 in the California delegation in each category.

Gallegly said that was because “we’ve kept a full-time office going always so nobody can say you’re using your official office for campaign purposes.” Many members do not follow this practice, but Reps. Norman Y. Mineta (D-San Jose), Vic Fazio (D-West Sacramento), Duncan Hunter (R-San Diego) and Ronald V. Dellums (D-Berkeley) are among others who do so.

Finally, Gallegly shelled out $1,260 for plastic fire hats bearing his name. They were given to children at the Ventura County Fair and other events and on parade routes as the lawmaker drove past in his antique fire engine.

“There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing a bunch of little kids smiling and wearing something that identifies with your campaign,” Gallegly said.

Times staff researcher Murielle Gamache contributed to this story.