CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS 72ND ASSEMBLY DISTRICT : Democrat’s Attack on ‘Party Bosses’ Draws Counter-Fire

Democratic Assembly candidate Jerry Yudelson is exploiting a rift within the Orange County Democratic Party in a campaign brochure in which he charges that his opponent in the June 5 primary is being supported by South County “party bosses and developers.”

The brochure, mailed to Democratic voters last weekend in the 72nd Assembly District, prompted one of the so-called “party bosses” to say Tuesday: “After hearing this, I’ve lost all respect for Yudelson. That’s despicable.

“When you start attacking people who have done so much for the party you really ought to think through the consequences,” said an angry Howard Adler, a developer and former county Democratic chairman from Laguna Hills.

Yudelson has tried to portray his campaign against fellow Democrat Tom Umberg as one of a grass-roots activist against an opponent who moved into the district recently at the direction of powerful state and local Democratic leaders.

In the brochure, Yudelson has highlighted an acknowledged rift between two factions within the county Democratic party, one led by the current chairman, Michael Balmages, and a second that includes several current and former party leaders. Balmages is supporting Yudelson, while Umberg is backed by almost every other county chairman dating back to 1968.

Balmages said Tuesday that he does not believe Yudelson’s brochure will aggravate the party’s internal split, although he said a negative primary could hurt the chances of unseating incumbent Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove).

“We already know there are two camps (within the party) and that’s unfortunate,” Balmages said. “This doesn’t cause me any greater concern than anything that has already occurred.”

The “party bosses” in the brochure are not named, but Yudelson’s campaign said they include Adler and Richard O’Neill, also a developer and former chairman of the state and county Democratic Party.

Since the brochure does not name Adler, Balmages said he does not believe it is a personal attack. But, he added, “I probably would not do the letter myself.

“I don’t like an attack on Howard Adler,” Balmages said. “I think Howard is a good person and a good man and a good Democrat.”

On an inside page of the brochure, a headline reads, “While Jerry Yudelson of Garden Grove was fighting for our community, the south county party bosses and developers were getting ready to steal our Assembly seat.”

Umberg, a former federal prosecutor, also responded angrily to the brochure. “I am outraged,” he said. “This guy is a compulsive liar. I’m just sick and tired of his lies. He is as compulsive of a liar as any defendant I have ever cross-examined.”

Adler said he contributed to Yudelson’s unsuccessful campaign against Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) in 1988. “Jerry . . . had no trouble accepting my checks or my support (then),” he said. “I guess if I contribute to him it’s OK, but if I give to somebody else, I’m a party boss.”

Yudelson’s campaign manager, Larry Remer, said the brochure was fair and added: “Howard Adler is just trying to anoint himself as important. He’s not important in this race.”

Yudelson had pledged at the beginning of his campaign to avoid attacking Umberg. But he said Tuesday that things have changed.

“I think what has happened, which we couldn’t have foreseen, is that the Assembly power brokers have started a major push” for Umberg, Yudelson said.

He added, “This is not anything strong compared to what Curt Pringle will be likely to put out.”

The brochure also attacked Umberg for recently moving into the Garden Grove district. It reads: “Why did a yuppie lawyer from Irvine move into our district to run?”

Inside, under a photograph of a Spanish-style suburban home with a car in the driveway, the brochure adds: “Tom Umberg still owns his home in Irvine. So, when Tom Umberg loses, he can pack up his Mitsubishi and move back.”

Yudelson said, “We’re raising the issue of where did he come from. I think that is a legitimate issue.”

Former county Democratic Chairman John Hanna said, however, that Yudelson moved into Garden Grove in 1988 so he could run against Dornan.