SANTA ANA : GOP Candidate Exits 69th District Race

Convinced that he could not raise enough money to win the Republican nomination in the 69th Assembly District next week, candidate Martin Ageson dropped out of the race Tuesday and endorsed apparent front-runner Jim Morrissey.

“I think it became clear that we were not going to win, and that I could do more good by trying to make sure that the best Republican remaining in the race would win, and that is Jim Morrissey,” Ageson said.

Ageson’s withdrawal from the race was first announced by the Morrissey campaign. Ageson made the decision after the Morrissey campaign briefed him on a poll that was conducted last week, a Morrissey spokesman said. The poll showed that if Ageson did not pull out, he could take enough votes away from Morrissey to possibly cause the victory of a third Republican candidate in the race, Virgel L. Nickell, the spokesman said.

According to the Morrissey campaign poll, which was not publicly released but was characterized in general terms, Morrissey was in first place and Nickell in second, with Ageson and Judy Buffin-Edge trailing in third and fourth places.

“I don’t know if I agree with the poll numbers, but it was clear we did not have the (financial) resources to win . . . and the only thing we could have done potentially was hurt Jim,” Ageson said.

According to campaign finance statement filed last week, Morrissey had raised $104,918 for his campaign--$60,000 coming from personal loans he made to his campaign. Ageson had raised $35,792.

Nickell ran for the Assembly seat two years ago, losing in the Republican primary after a bitter battle with local GOP leader Jo Ellen Allen. The Democratic incumbent, Assemblyman Tom Umberg of Garden Grove, beat Allen in the general election.

Umberg is leaving the office to make a bid for state attorney general, and the local GOP sees the seat as a good opportunity to take away from Orange County Democrats the only state legislative or congressional seat they now hold.

The possibility of Nickell winning in a four-way race “was of great concern to me when I saw the numbers,” Morrissey said Tuesday. “The party cannot afford to have Nickell win. Nickell cannot win in November. . . . We think he’s rather weak in a whole bunch of areas. Nickell has not the endorsement of any Republican leaders.”

Morrissey praised Ageson’s decision to drop out, saying: “It shows the character of the gentleman, not just to bow out, but to endorse me and offer to help in any way that would be helpful.”

Nickell, who jump-started his campaign with a $50,000 personal loan, asked: “What’s the big deal?”

He added: “The Sacramento interests had endorsed both of these candidates (Morrissey and Ageson) and so the politicians are endorsing one candidate now and the people of this district are going to be electing me.”

Buffin-Edge said she was surprised by Ageson’s move. However, she vowed to stay in the race to the end.

“It looks like the business-as-usual bunch has sacrificed one of their own to try to keep me from winning, and nothing changes,” she said. “Ageson’s name is still on the ballot.”