2 Assembly Candidates Exchange Accusations of Foul Play

ORANGE —  A simmering debate between two leading candidates for the vacant 67th Assembly District seat boiled over Monday when both camps filed unethical-conduct complaints with the local Republican Party.

A hearing before Republican officials on the cross-fire between GOP activist Mickey R. Conroy and Orange City Councilman William G. Steiner has been scheduled for Thursday, according to Steiner’s campaign.

The special election for the Assembly seat vacated by John R. Lewis’ elevation to the state Senate will be held July 23.

In a letter to Jim Morrissey, the local Republican Party’s ethics committee chairman, Conroy claimed that a Steiner campaign mailer included several misrepresentations, including a statement that Conroy opposes abortion even in “cases of rape and incest.”

But Conroy said in his complaint letter, “I have never stated that position to anyone.” He added that he opposes abortion except in the case of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in jeopardy.

Steiner, who is an abortion rights advocate, said Conroy expressed that position to one of Steiner’s campaign researchers during a recent telephone conversation.

Steiner said a revised campaign flyer mailed Monday states simply that Conroy “believes abortion should be illegal.”

Conroy also has questioned Steiner’s claim that he has been involved in Republican Party politics since 1980, even though Steiner did not join the party until 1984.

Steiner said he made that claim because he supported Ronald Reagan in 1980.

But Conroy campaign spokesman Jim Bieber said Steiner is “simply trying to hide the fact that he has a liberal Democratic heart but carries a Republican registration card.”

For his part, Steiner has accused Conroy of mailing last Friday a campaign brochure that misrepresents Steiner’s “anti-tax” record as a councilman. Steiner said the brochure was mailed two days after the Conroy campaign admitted that it had made a mistake in its research and promised not to use that information again.

Conroy has claimed that Steiner voted for city tax increases on retail businesses, but Steiner said he has never supported tax increases. “I am perceived as the front-runner,” Steiner said, “so here you have a candidate who is pretty desperate to discredit me.”