Assembly Race Illustrates Shift

In a sign of Orange County’s shifting political ground, a pair of Democrats have squared off in an Assembly race in which the Republican candidates are considered the longshots.

Tom Umberg, a former Santa Ana assemblyman, and Santa Ana Councilwoman Claudia Alvarez are fighting to be the Democratic nominee for the 69th Assembly District.

Santa Ana restaurant owner Otto Bade and businessman Ruben Ross are seeking the Republican nomination.

Although the Latino-heavy district has been in the Democrats’ hands for several years, a political fight between two well-known, well-financed Democrats is unusual in Orange County. Allan Hoffenblum, a former Republican consultant who now analyzes legislative races, said money is flowing into the Umberg-Alvarez race, with trial attorneys lining up behind Umberg and insurance companies supporting Alvarez.

As of Feb. 19, independent expenditure committees spent more than $350,000 on materials and commercials supporting Alvarez and nearly $100,000 on Umberg. Alvarez has raised about $175,000 in contributions for her war chest and Umberg has raised about $325,000.

Bade said he has raised $50,000 while Ross said he has about $10,0000 in donations.

Latino elected officials in Sacramento support Alvarez, a Mexico City native and an Orange County assistant district attorney. But Umberg has the endorsements of various unions, including the United Farm Workers.

November’s winner will take the seat of Assemblyman Lou Correa, a Democrat who has represented the district since 1998 and now is running for county supervisor. The district includes Santa Ana, central Anaheim and eastern Garden Grove.

Critics say Umberg is using the Assembly race as a springboard to run for the area’s state Senate seat in 2006, when Joe Dunn must leave because of term limits. Umberg, because he already has served four years in the Assembly, can serve only another two as assemblyman.

Umberg doesn’t deny interest in the Senate seat, but said Alvarez’s supporters are trying to use that as political fodder.

Umberg, 48, has the most political experience. He was the district’s assemblyman from 1990 to 1994. He unsuccessfully ran for state attorney general in 1994 and for insurance commissioner in 2002.

Umberg, a former federal prosecutor in Santa Ana, helped run President Clinton’s 1992 campaign in California and was chosen by Clinton in 1997 to serve as deputy director to drug czar Barry McCaffrey. In 2000, he returned to California and is now managing partner of the law firm Morrison & Foerster, with a local office in Irvine.

Umberg is critical of the manner in which the state’s budget is adopted, which he sees as factionalizing the Legislature and delaying passage of spending plans. He supports Proposition 56, which would permit the Legislature to enact budget and budget-related tax and appropriation bills with 55% approval rather than a two-thirds vote, as currently required.

Alvarez, 34, is running without the endorsement of local Democrats but said she is not intimidated by Umberg’s political connections. She has spent nearly four years on the Santa Ana City Council and five years in the Orange County District Attorney’s office. She will seek reelection to the council if she loses the primary.

Alvarez moved to Santa Ana when she was 10. She said she would bring a fresh perspective to the Legislature because of her grass roots involvement in a city that has become a destination for Latino immigrants in tough budgetary times and would loosen regulations that she believes push businesses out of California. Alvarez said she would support tort reform that could protect small businesses from frivolous lawsuits.

On the council, Alvarez supported efforts to bring computers into community centers in Santa Ana’s poorest neighborhoods. She also helped secure money for the Discovery Science Center.

Alvarez and Bade have criticized Umberg as a carpetbagger who moved into the district to run for office. Umberg lived with his family in Villa Park until October, 2003. He had moved from Irvine to Garden Grove in 1989 to run for the 69th District seat in 1990.

Umberg sayshow long he has lived in the district is not as important as his familiarity with it. “I’ve been part of this area since 1985 when my second son was born here. My life is intertwined with this area.” Bade, 58, owner of La Perla Restaurant and a former construction contractor, has not previously held public office. He founded the South Santa Ana Merchant Assn., serves as Casa de Salud Family Health Clinic chairman, headed the Williard Intermediate School site council, and founded the Santiago Club, which offered scholarships and support to Latino students and business people.

Bade emigrated from Guatemala in 1962 when he was 16. He learned English at Eureka High School and, as a green card holder, served with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. Later as a naturalized U.S. citizen, he served as a police officer in Garden Grove and Santa Ana.

He would like to loosen regulations he says dissuade businesses from staying in California, balance the state budget without raising taxes and create laws that would give greater independence to local school administrators.

Bade said he decided to run because of the budget crisis and what he sees as reduced opportunities for young people and business owners.

“When I first came here, California was the land of opportunity,” said Bade. “Now it is sheer survival.... Sacramento has been run by liberals. We need to balance that out.”

Ross, 53, a Pomona native who runs an information technology consulting business, moved to Santa Ana two years ago. He previously served on a school site council in Temple City.

In his printed ballot statement he said he would like to address the state budget, help local businesses, reduce business taxation, improve schools, and public safety and give greater recognition to California veterans.

Ross, who ran against Correa two years ago, said he was running again, “to bring some sensibility to the Legislature.”