ELECTIONS / STATE ASSEMBLY : Wall Lambastes Conroy in New 71st District

Promising not to pull his punches as he campaigns to unseat Assemblyman Mickey R. Conroy, Republican challenger Charles R. Wall on Friday accused Conroy of being a “cigar-chewing, back-stabbing, heel-clicking” official who does not represent most of the people who live in his newly created district.

But Conroy (R-Santa Ana) responded with a laugh, saying, “First of all, I don’t smoke.”

During a press conference on the steps of Orange City Hall, Wall, 44, said Republicans “expect their representatives to have fresh ideas and to approach the challenge of the ‘90s with new ideas.”

Wall is a Trabuco Canyon resident and chairman of the Santiago Aqueduct Commission.

Wall supporters who also attended the press conference included: Barry P. Resnick, president of the Orange Unified School District Board of Education; Carole Walters, who heads the Orange Political Action Committee, and Sam Rodriguez, a founder of the Hispanic Republican Committee of Orange, who called Conroy “anti-Hispanic” with a “1920s mentality.”

Conroy won his seat during a fall special election. But the Central County district changed dramatically during redistricting and now includes Mission Viejo and much of South County.

Wall, a sign manufacturing representative, said he hopes that Conroy’s unfamiliarity with the new 71st Assembly District will boost his own campaign.

Wall did not cite specific issues he will address before the June 2 primary because, he said, his positions are still being developed. But he vowed to wage a full-scale assault against Conroy because “that’s the way to get the people’s attention . . . and I can’t do the voters any good unless I win.”

Conroy summarily dismissed the allegations by Wall and his supporters. He said his longstanding political foes in Orange have “propped up” his opponent.

He also brushed off the suggestion that he is ethnically biased and vowed to run a positive campaign.

“I am not going to sling mud at anyone,” Conroy said.