Pringle Has Cash Edge on Umberg

Democratic Assembly candidate Tom Umberg has raised more than twice as much money this year as his Republican opponent, Assemblyman Curt Pringle, but he spent almost all of it during a tough primary fight.

In financial disclosure statements filed by both campaigns Tuesday, Umberg reported $24,000 in the bank compared to about $103,000 for Pringle, the freshman incumbent from Garden Grove. Umberg also had debts of more than $20,000 while Pringle had none.

Umberg’s campaign has raised $176,431 this year compared to $88,044 for Pringle.

“I expected to have a little more, but basically I’m right where I need to be,” Pringle said Tuesday.

George Urch, Umberg’s campaign manager, said he was not concerned that his candidate was so cash-poor at present.

“We’ve had a full-blown campaign already, and we look at that money spent so far as an investment,” Urch said.

Umberg defeated Jerry Yudelson in the June Democratic primary.

The race for the 72nd Assembly District is already one of the most closely watched legislative contests in California this year. Some experts believe it is the only Assembly seat statewide in which Democrats have a chance to unseat an incumbent Republican.

The 72nd District, which includes parts of Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Anaheim and Westminster, is Orange County’s only Assembly district that is predominantly Democratic.

The state Democratic Party has already contributed the maximum $10,000 that it is allowed to give to any one candidate. And national abortion rights groups and conservative organizations are also choosing sides between the two candidates.

In 1988, when Pringle defeated Democrat Christian F. (Rick) Thierbach by fewer than 1,000 votes, the two campaigns combined to spend nearly $2 million.