Democratic committee members must soon choose between the guy who sent recipes and the one who gave them blankets.

Those from Lawrenceville and environs can opt for the candidate who bought them breakfast or the one who delivered a broom.

And Pittsburgh will know, once and for all, whether a transparent coin bank is the right symbol for a would-be city controller.

It's endorsement time in the city, and gifts are flowing to the 800-plus party regulars who will bestow the Democratic Committee's nod on Sunday.

"I'm reluctant to offer anybody anything for a vote," said Pittsburgh school board member Patrick Dowd, seeking to oust City Councilman Len Bodack. But, he added, candidates "are supposed to give the party a little tribute."

Ergo, his Monday purchase of 100 brooms, which his team is distributing door to door to committee members. "A new broom makes a clean sweep," he said, and the city needs a fresh approach to fiscal management and neighborhood renovation.

"A broom that's been around doesn't necessarily serve the function of cleaning effectively," he said, though he "wouldn't say that Bodack's an old broom."

"Typically, we have social gatherings for the committee members," said Mr. Bodack. For instance, he'll buy breakfast for committee members from the 10th Ward, which he chairs, on Sunday.

Tom Fallon, pursuing the same council seat, isn't playing the gimme game, saying it would violate his sense of integrity.

"I refuse to buy any meals for the committee members. I refuse to give out anything," he said. Perhaps as a result, he said he has "an outside chance" of winning the party nod.

Committee members say gifts don't determine their decisions.

"What's important to me is the direction the city goes in," said James Layne, chairman of the 21st Ward committee, which covers Manchester. Taxes and public safety are his big issues, he said.

Still, most candidates aren't taking chances.

Councilman William Peduto, running for mayor, is sending committee members packets of local recipes, so they can cook up culinary treats from 16 neighborhoods.

"Because our campaign is cooking," he explained. "The final recipe, though, is on Sunday, and that's up to them."

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl is countering with blankets. They're "not necessarily symbolic," he said. "Nothing to the blankets, just, 'Keep warm.'"

Michael Lamb, the Allegheny County prothonotary who's running for city controller, is giving out house-shaped, green coin banks, with five pennies in each.

"What it basically represents is, the job of city controller is to make sure Pittsburghers are getting a fair return on their tax dollars," said Lamb campaign manager Doug Anderson.

Forget-me-nots can backfire if distribution isn't perfect.

"That kind of surprises me that Michael [Lamb] is passing something out," said Mr. Layne, "and hasn't offered anything to me or my committee members."