County Democrats Vow Victory : Politics: They closed their weekend convention by repudiating the party chairman’s earlier call to pursue only modest election goals.

Orange County Democrats ended their weekend convention on an optimistic note Sunday, pledging party unity and surprising results at the polls in November.

“We’re not conceding any seat in any race to any Republican,” said James Toledano, the Democratic candidate trying to unseat Assemblyman Nolan Frizzelle (R-Huntington Beach). “We have a minimum goal of winning every single race.”

Toledano’s closing comments came in response to Orange County Democratic Party Chairman Michael Balmages’ statement Saturday that the party should focus its efforts on the modest goal of winning one of 13 state and federal legislative races in the county this November--Thomas Umberg’s bid to unseat freshman Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove).

That statement upset several candidates. While they conceded that they are heavy underdogs, they bristle at the suggestion that they have no chance whatsoever, and they think that party leaders should refrain from conceding their races six weeks before the election.

Toledano and five other candidates confronted Balmages in a meeting Saturday evening that both sides described as frank and productive.

Balmages opened Sunday’s breakfast meeting by introducing state legislative candidates Toledano, Fred Smoller, Peter Mathews, Luanne Pryor and Evelyn Colon Becktell, all of whom had been at the Saturday meeting, as “the best group of candidates” the county party has ever had.

“Last night, I found out just how aggressive they are,” Balmages said. “They indicated to me that they do not have modest goals in this election. . . . They will be part of Orange County’s new delegation to Sacramento.”

On Saturday, Toledano drafted a resolution calling on the party to abandon any “minimum goals” and drop the “negative and self-defeating attitude” displayed by some members.

After clearing the air with Balmages and finding strong support from other candidates for his resolution, however, Toledano withdrew it, saying it was not necessary to put it to a convention vote.

“We are united, and Mike is with us,” Toledano said. “We’re going to surprise everyone in November.”

Balmages criticized the media for exaggerating candidates’ displeasure with his statement Saturday but said that whatever misunderstanding there was had been cleared up. “We have not written off anything,” he said, adding that, “realistically, we won’t win them all.”

Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy addressed the convention Sunday, telling delegates that this year’s election is crucial to the future of the Democratic Party.

“I don’t believe we’ll be a serious factor in California in the 1990s unless Dianne Feinstein is elected governor this year,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy himself is being challenged by state Sen. Marian Bergeson (R-Newport Beach). On Sunday, he acknowledged that she will be “a tough opponent,” but criticized her for her opposition to abortion rights.

“I don’t think any candidate for statewide office can be so stridently in favor of government intrusion instead of a woman’s conscience on the issue of abortion,” he said.