Letter Angers Candidates in 31st District : Politics: Three who seek the Senate seat vacated by William Campbell say a mailing by Assemblyman Frank Hill implies an endorsement. Hill says it’s all a misunderstanding.

The rain clouds may have cleared over Southern California, but the mud is still piling up in the mad dash for a special election to replace William Campbell as state senator.

Three Republican candidates charged Wednesday that Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) mailed a campaign letter this week that erroneously implied he had been endorsed by Campbell.

Late in the day, Campbell sought to clarify the letter, saying that it “should in no way be construed as an endorsement of his (Hill’s) or anyone’s candidacy.”

Campbell said he wrote a get-out-the-vote letter that was to be mailed throughout his former district. But apparently without Campbell’s knowledge, Hill added a picture of himself to the package.

“I was frustrated to discover that one of the candidates was featured prominently in the same mailing,” Campbell said in a statement. His spokesman declined to elaborate.

Hill said his campaign paid for the mailer and that “if I choose to put my picture on it, it’s certainly my right.”

He said Campbell approved the letter, which talked about the need for voter participation but did not mention Hill. However, the package also included an absentee ballot application that pictured Hill.

Hill said he was not endorsed by Campbell and that the package does not imply that. He added, “I don’t think it advocates voting for me.”

‘Wasn’t by Accident’

But Assemblyman Gil Ferguson (R-Newport Beach), another candidate in the race, said: “The piece was a political piece. It wasn’t by accident, it was by design to link Campbell and Hill together.”

Campbell resigned from the state Senate last month to become president of the California Manufacturers Assn. In his new assignment, Campbell said, he is prohibited from endorsing any candidates.

The incident was among a flurry of jabs the candidates have already taken this week in a short campaign that promises to be dominated by attacks. The primary is scheduled for Feb. 6.

The heavily Republican 31st State Senate District straddles the boundary between Los Angeles and Orange counties, stretching from Whittier to Laguna Beach.

Hill was attacked Wednesday in regard to the letter, mailed Jan. 1, by Ferguson and two Republican city councilmen running for the seat, Ron Isles of Brea and Gary Miller of Diamond Bar.

Miller and Isles have promised that ethics will be a major part of their campaigns, and claim that Hill’s letter is an example of improper behavior.

“It is this kind of business as usual which I know the public wants to end in Sacramento,” Isles charged.

Miller said: “Frank Hill has no ethics. Frank Hill is trying to deceive the voters. That is typical Frank Hill . . . that is arrogance personified.”

Hill responded by attacking Miller for portraying himself as a political leader when Miller has not voted in several recent elections.

Referring to the Campbell letter’s get-out-the-vote message, Hill facetiously charged: “Since he (Miller) hasn’t voted in a Republican primary in seven years, we’re trying to encourage those sort of lackadaisical voters to come and join the process.”

Miller said he was uncertain whether he had voted in the elections Hill listed, but added, “I can’t imagine that I didn’t. I think that’s a cute way of trying to change the subject.”

Both Miller and Isles noted in their complaints Wednesday that Hill is being investigated by the FBI in its sting operation involving influence-peddling in the Legislature.

“You would think the man has enough problems with his office being raided by the FBI,” Miller said.

Times staff writer Ralph Frammolino contributed to this story.