Lynch plans to use a strategy similar to Nemo's but is trying to bill himself as a conservative rather than a Republican.
He contends that Nemo is making a "serious mistake" by promoting herself as a Republican, contending that it will turn off the conservative Democratic votes necessary to win the race.
Nevertheless, Lynch has been actively courting Republican endorsements. In an appearance before a Valley chapter of the California Republican Assembly last week, he cited his long record of involvement in the GOP dating to his work as a paid staff member in U.S. Sen. Barry Goldwater's unsuccessful 1964 presidential campaign.
Most recently, Lynch headed the Valley effort to win approval of Proposition 39, the Republican-sponsored reapportionment initiative on last November's ballot.
Endorsements for Lynch
Lynch also is backed by a number of prominent Republicans, including Harvey Goldstein, finance chairman for Rep. Bobbi Fiedler (R-Chatsworth); Steve Frank, a former president of the conservative California Republican Assembly; Shirley Whitney, a local Republican activist, and Bill Hawkins, the losing Republican opponent to Democrat Tom Hayden in a 1982 Westside Assembly race.
Still, the tradition of not taking sides in nonpartisan races is hard to break in some corners, and two of the Valley's most prominent Republicans are staying out of it this time around.
"I have a number of friends in the race," said auto dealer H. F. (Bert) Boeckmann, a big financial contributor to Republican candidates throughout the state.
"I will not be involved in any campaign against a colleague," said Councilman Hal Bernson, a conservative Republican whose northwest Valley district adjoins Picus'. "It just isn't done. I have to work with these people every day."
And one man who showed up on Nemo's endorsement list, state GOP chairman Ed Reinecke, said Nemo had made a mistake.
"I like Jeanne very much, but I never endorse anybody in a nonpartisan race," Reinecke said.
The campaign staffs for Nemo and Lynch also have a Republican look. Nemo's campaign consultant is Joe Shumate, who helped direct Republican Deane Dana's successful 1980 campaign for county supervisor. Lynch's campaign manager is Nancy Allen, a former director of candidate research and development for the county Republican Central Committee.
Picus has said that voters do not view street repairs and garbage collection as partisan issues. However, there is the notable exception of the rent control issue, which Democrats, including Picus, generally favor and Republicans, including Lynch and Nemo, generally oppose.
The other three candidates in the 3rd District race--Jon Robert Lorenzen, a Republican, and Gil Eisner and Gary Klein, both Democrats--do not plan to make a point of their party affiliations.
