Elections ’94 : LEGISLATURE : Republicans Sail in All Races Except for Umberg’s Seat

As expected, the Republican Party coasted to easy victories Tuesday in all but one of Orange County’s state legislative races--the bitterly contested 69th Assembly District.

The county’s GOP incumbents--state Sen. Rob Hurtt, Assemblyman Ross Johnson, Assemblyman Curt Pringle, Assemblyman Mickey Conroy and Assemblywoman Doris Allen--led by wide margins.

In South County, which shares districts with north San Diego County, state Sen. William A. Craven appeared to be headed for another victory, his fifth in the Senate, and Assemblyman Bill Morrow was far ahead in his race for a second term.

Easily the hottest legislative race in the county, and one of the most closely watched in the state, took place in the 69th Assembly District, a seat being vacated by Democrat Tom Umberg, who ran for attorney general. Early returns made this race too close to call.

Two relatively unknown political newcomers, Democrat Mike Metzler, a longtime president of the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce, and Republican Jim Morrissey, a tool and die maker, slugged it out right up to the final hours.

“We’ll see if we can straighten out some of the mess professional politicians have created,” said Morrissey, who clung to a slim lead. “We’re told we have the best Assembly campaign in California. . . . When you come across and tell them the truth and are honest and above board, they’ll back you.”

Metzler said: “We are very encouraged by the early results. All indications are that there has been a higher number of Democrats turning out this year than four years ago.”

The stakes were high for both parties in this largely Latino, blue-collar 69th District, encompassing parts of Santa Ana, Anaheim and Garden Grove.

Democrats wanted desperately to hold on to this, their only legislative seat in the county. In the 34th Senate District race, Buena Park Councilwoman Donna L. Chessen was heading to defeat by Hurtt, a wealthy manufacturer and chairman of the Senate Elections Committee. Chessen hammered away at Hurtt throughout the campaign for his strong stand against abortion rights and his support of last year’s school-voucher initiative. The working-class district includes parts of Garden Grove, Buena Park, Santa Ana and Anaheim.

In the 68th Assembly District, which spreads out among parts of Garden Grove, Westminster, Anaheim and Buena Park, popular Anaheim City Councilman Irv Pickler was losing to Pringle (R-Garden Grove), a very tough campaigner who has quickly risen to the Assembly’s No. 2 GOP post.

Elsewhere in the county, Democrats were given little, if any, chance to win long-held Republican seats.

In the 70th Assembly District, a heavily Republican area including Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine and parts of Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, Laguna Hills and Leisure World, Marilyn C. Brewer handily defeated Democrat Jim Toledano.

In South County’s 38th state Senate District, which includes much of north San Diego County, Craven (R-Oceanside) was expected to be easily reelected to his fifth and final term over Democrat Thomas Berry of Laguna Hills, an educational consultant.

In the 71st Assembly District, Conroy (R-Orange), despite a reprimand by a state committee on sexual harassment charges, enjoys the most Republican district in the state. Conroy, who won notoriety for sponsoring a bill that would have required the paddling of juvenile graffiti violators, easily defeated Democrat Jeanne Costales in a district that includes Tustin, Villa Park and Lake Forest.

In the 72nd Assembly District, Johnson (R-Placentia) shrugged off charges that he doesn’t live in the district and will soon move to Newport Beach to run for the state Senate. He won handily over Democrat Allan L. Dollison in a district that includes Fullerton, Yorba Linda and Placentia.

Allen (R-Cypress) won her sixth term in the 67th District, which covers Huntington Beach and the surrounding cities. Her opponent was Jonathan Woolfe-Willis, an attorney and treasurer of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County.

A rematch of the 1992 race was held in the South County’s 73rd Assembly District, where Morrow (R-Oceanside) again defeated Democrat Lee Walker, a Saddleback College English and journalism professor.

Contributing to Orange County election coverage were Times Staff Writers Leslie Berkman, Doreen Carvajal, Anna Cekola, Alicia Di Rado, Ken Ellingwood, Greg Hernandez, Kevin Johnson, Julie Marquis, Susan Marquez Owen, Martin Miller, David Reyes, Lee Romney and Tracy Weber, and Correspondents Jeff Bean, Bill Billiter, Deborah Cano, Bert Eljera, Alan Eyerly, Shelby Grad, Mimi Ko, Russ Loar, Frank Messina, Jon Nalick, Tom Ragan, Holly Wagner and Leslie Wright.