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Anita Yu Westly (center) wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Steve Westly, visited UCLA on

No speeches or large rallies accompanied Anita Yu Westly’s stop at UCLA Wednesday.

Instead, Yu Westly, wife of Democratic gubernatorial candidate and State Controller Steve Westly, opted for a small, informal luncheon with students and faculty, discussing the campaign issues as they arose in conversation.

The event was sponsored by the Undergraduate Students Association Council President’s Office, and is part of the Westly Bus Tour across California, which aims to garner support for Westly’s candidacy in the June 6 primary elections.

She stopped by all the tables at a lunch in the Kerckhoff Grand Salon to introduce herself in a friendly manner and thanked the couple dozen people who came for showing interest in the campaign.

Westly is running against State Treasurer Phil Angelides in the primary election. The winner of that race will go on to compete with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for the governor’s office in November.

“I think Steve brings a sense of ... innovation, (an) understanding that you need to think outside the box,” Yu Westly said.

A Los Angeles Times survey released Sunday found that Westly and Angelides were neck-and-neck – Democratic primary voters slightly favor Angelides over Westly, 37 percent to 34 percent, with an error margin of 5 percent.

Twenty-eight percent of voters are still undecided.

The Times’ survey also found that registered voters thought Westly was more likely than Angelides to beat Schwarzenegger in the November elections, 50 percent to 40 percent.

“The support has been overwhelming. ... I’m just very grateful,” Yu Westly said of the response she received during the tour.

The bus tour allows Westly to connect with the community, said Richard Grundy, a tour volunteer.

“It gives them a chance to talk to real people and real people get a chance to talk to them and that’s what we’re all about,” said Grundy, a former senior staff member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Despite the negative television ad campaigns launched by both Westly and Angelides, Yu Westly spoke little of the rivalry besides mentioning that the race was “very tight.”

“It is very stressful these last (few) days leading up to election day,” Yu Westly said.

With reports from Easter Khaw, Bruin contributor.

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