COUNTY ELECTIONS : Negative Campaign Advertising to Cut Into Voter Turnout

Those hearty souls who reach the polls on Tuesday should consider that ballot receipt a combat medal because they certainly will have survived a campaign battle.

Thousands of would-be voters won’t make it to the Election Day roll call, experts say, because they are confused and turned off by a barrage of nasty mail, television commercials and telephone calls inflicted by campaigns.

Secretary of State March Fong Eu predicted a 62% turnout for Tuesday’s election statewide. In Orange County, Registrar of Voters Donald F. Tanney expects a 55% to 60% turnout, slightly lower than the county’s last two gubernatorial elections.

Political experts complain that negative campaign advertising deters voters from reaching the polls, and several of Orange County’s toughest races have been characterized more by accusations and insults than a debate of issues.

Consider these recent examples:

* Democrat Tom Umberg, running against Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), complained that some of his supporters were awakened Saturday and early Sunday by a late-night telephone caller who claimed to be him and demanded contributions.

* Pringle recently complained that callers from Umberg’s campaign were identifying themselves as Stanton police officers and asking residents to erect a lawn sign supporting the Democrat. Pringle complained to authorities about the incident, then mailed a letter with the bold red headline: “Politician Tom Umberg Under Investigation.”

* In Mission Viejo, Councilman Robert A. Curtis said he will send a mailer to voters with another candidate’s home telephone phone number so they can call and seek an explanation about a controversial financial contribution.

* In Huntington Beach, furor erupted this weekend over a cartoon-style mailer that pictured forlorn children unable to play baseball and senior citizens who couldn’t get their meals if the city’s Measure C was passed. The letter indicates that it was from the Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn., but the group said Sunday that it was “appalled” by the cartoons and that it was not responsible for the mailing although it does oppose Measure C.

* In Santa Ana, council candidate Coween Dickerson released a mailer over the weekend trying to link Miguel A. Pulido Jr. to people involved in illegal drug activity. Earlier, she issued a campaign letter with the headline that reads: “You Broke the Law.” Pulido said Sunday that he plans to file a libel suit against Dickerson for making false accusations.

The county’s most expensive race is the Pringle-Umberg contest in the 72nd Assembly District, which includes Stanton as well as parts of Garden Grove, Anaheim, Santa Ana and Westminster. It has also been one of the county’s closest and most acrimonious matches.

Umberg’s Democratic campaign manager George Urch said they have received complaints from at least six of their supporters who claim to have received rude late-night phone calls over the weekend. One complaint was from Sarah Collins, who said she is a registered Democrat in Anaheim but has no connection with Umberg’s campaign.

“When the phone rings at that time of night you think, ‘Who died?’ ” Collins said. “I’m sound asleep and I get this phone call from a guy . . . (who) was very belligerent.”

Pringle said he was not responsible for the telephone calls.

“I have a hard time believing anything like that even happened,” he said. “I was in the campaign office until 1 (a.m.) and nobody here was doing that.”

In another recent incident, Pringle’s campaign gave the district attorney’s office signed affidavits from two voters who said they were called by Umberg supporters who claimed to be Stanton police officers even though the city of Stanton has no police department. The city contracts with the Sheriff’s Department for its public safety services.

Urch denied that his campaign was responsible for those calls. And he charged: “I think (Pringle) made the calls . . . and then made the complaint.”

There’s more.

Sunday, voters in the district received a flyer from Umberg’s campaign with the headline: “At last! An independent analysis of candidates for Assembly not paid for by any candidate.” The letter attacks Pringle, then, in small print, it says: “Paid for by Tom Umberg for Assembly.”

On the other hand, Umberg’s campaign complained about another weekend letter that appears to be a slate mailer for Democratic voters but it includes several Republicans on the list, including Pringle. In fine print, the letter says it is paid for by a group called Republican Communications in Wilmington.

Several municipal races were marked by similar disputes.

In Mission Viejo, Councilman Curtis complained that Norman P. Murray, also a councilman, had traded his vote for a large campaign contribution from Dewey’s, the city’s waste hauler. In response, Curtis said he was sending 2,000 letters with Murray’s home telephone number.

Murray said that the check was not even from Dewey’s and that it was only conveyed to his campaign by the law firm that represents the trash company.

The cartoon-style letter in Huntington Beach implied that Measure C would shut down city parks to children and cancel “Meals on Wheels” programs for senior citizens. But neither is true, according to the city attorney’s office.

Measure C is an initiative that would forbid the sale or lease of park or beach land without a vote of the people. The city attorney’s office has said Measure C does not affect existing leases, including parkland being used for senior citizens.

The Huntington Beach Police Officers’ Assn., which is prominently identified in the letter, said Sunday that it remains opposed to Measure C and instead favors an alternative, Measure D. In a prepared statement, the association said it “did not authorize the use of our endorsement letter in conjunction with this mailer.”

In Santa Ana, one of council candidate Coween Dickerson’s flyers includes a potpourri of accusations directed against incumbent Pulido.

The flyers hammer Pulido for allegedly not living in Santa Ana during the past four years as well as question whether he had properly filed campaign statements.

Pulido’s attorney Charles E. McClung Jr., wrote a letter on Nov. 2 stating: “It is clear that you have no information upon which to make the statement that Miguel violated any law and that you make these charges with reckless disregard for their truth. I demand an immediate retraction or you will be held responsible for libel in civil damages.”

Pulido said he plans to file a libel suit today and will pursue it win or lose on Tuesday. “People cannot be allowed to do this kind of dirty campaigning,” Pulido said.

Times staff writers Bill Billiter, Lily Eng and Dan Weikel contributed to this story.