Decision ’92 : SPECIAL VOTERS’ GUIDE TO STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS : ASSEMBLY RACES

Orange County has long been touted by the local GOP as the most Republican county in the nation. Although the county’s Republican leadership predicts that the party will once again squash the competition in most of the county’s six Assembly races, several scrappy Democratic challengers aren’t buying it.

Indeed, in the 69th Assembly District, the incumbent happens to be a Democrat--a fact that bothers Republicans no end. As a result, the GOP has mounted a feisty campaign pitting challenger Jo Ellen Allen against freshman Assemblyman Tom Umberg (D-Garden

Grove).

In most of the other races, the GOP enjoys a wide voter-registration advantage, but the Democrats--as well as Libertarians and other third-party candidates--hope to run strong. And in a few cases, Democrats are even predicting they can win.

Among the most optimistic: Ken LeBlanc in the 67th, Linda Kay Rigney in the 68th, Jim Toledano in the 70th and Lee Walker in the 73rd. The election also marks the political revival of former Assemblyman Curt Pringle, who was defeated by Umberg in 1990.

The Issues

The following are the questions asked of each candidate:

Abortion rights--Do you support or oppose abortion rights?

Education voucher--Do you support the proposed education initiative, which would provide parents with a voucher they can use to send their children to the school of their choice, including a private institution?

Health care plan--Do you support Proposition 166, the California Medical Assn.’s health care initiative requiring all employers to provide basic coverage for any employee working more than half-time?

Gay rights--Do you support legislation, similar to AB 101, prohibiting discrimination by employers against homosexuals?

Welfare plan--Do you support Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed budget and welfare plan, calling for a minimum 10% reduction in welfare grants, incentives to stay in school, lower payments for new state residents and enhancement of the governor’s budgetary powers?

Gnatcatcher--Should the California gnatcatcher, a rare bird that nests in areas targeted for development, be designated as a state endangered species?

The Candidates

67TH DISTRICT

Doris Allen: REPUBLICAN

Age: 56

Home: Cypress

Occupation: State assemblywoman

Background: Served on Huntington Beach school board for four years (1978-1981). Elected to Assembly in 1982.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes. Education voucher-- opposes. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--supports. Gnatcatcher--further study needed.

Ken LeBlanc: DEMOCRAT

Age: 36

Home: Huntington Beach

Occupation: Corporate officer, Eureka Products Co., Huntington Beach.

Background: Previously with Ford Motor Co. in New York and Connecticut. Never ran for public office.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education voucher-- opposes. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes. Gnatcatcher--no opinion.

Brian Schar: LIBERTARIAN

Age: 25

Home: Huntington Beach

Occupation: Aerospace engineer, McDonnell Douglas, Huntington Beach.

Background: Chairman of Libertarian Party in Orange County.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education voucher-- supports. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--supports. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

68TH DISTRICT

Curt Pringle: REPUBLICAN

Age: 33

Home: Garden Grove

Occupation: Vice president, Pringle’s Draperies, Anaheim.

Background: Former assemblyman, 1988-1990. Three-time candidate for Garden Grove City Council. Worked with family business in Anaheim for 20 years.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposed. Education voucher-- support. Health care--opposed. Gay rights--opposed. Welfare plan--support. Gnatcatcher--opposed.

Linda Kay Rigney: DEMOCRAT

Age: 48

Home: Garden Grove

Occupation: Education assistant, Alamitos Intermediate School

Background: Worked at school for 15 years.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. School voucher-- opposed. Health care--opposed. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposed. Gnatcatcher--opposed.

69TH DISTRICT

Tom Umberg: DEMOCRAT

Age: 37

Home: Garden Grove

Occupation: State assemblyman

Background: Elected to Assembly, 1990. Major in Army Reserve; former Army captain, serving in Korea and Italy, 1981-1985. Former assistant U.S. attorney in Santa Ana, 1987-1990.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education voucher-- opposed. Health care--supports. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--supports welfare reform, but opposes Wilson plan as budget power grab. Gnatcatcher--opposed to endangered species status, supports protected habitats.

Jo Ellen Allen: REPUBLICAN

Age: 45

Home: Santa Ana

Occupation: Former associate college professor.

Background: Former candidate for Newport-Mesa Unified School District board, 1989. State president of Eagle Forum of California since 1981, a conservative political organization. Associate college professor in political science at West Los Angeles College, 14 years.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposed. Education voucher-- supports. Health care--opposed. Gay rights--opposed, prefers equal rights instead of special rights. Welfare plan--support with reservations. Gnatcatcher--opposed.

David R. Keller: LIBERTARIAN

Age: 40

Home: Santa Ana

Occupation: Unemployed factory worker.

Background: Former assembly line worker, injection molding. Member of Orange County Central Committee of Libertarian Party.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education voucher-- opposed to initiative, but favors voucher system. Health care--opposed. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposed. Gnatcatcher--undecided.

70TH DISTRICT

Gil Ferguson: REPUBLICAN

Age: 69

Home: Newport Beach

Occupation: Assemblyman

Background: Marine lieutenant colonel mustered out in 1969 after 26 years. Became Irvine Co. manager of public relations. Started own PR firm in 1973. Elected to Assembly 1984. Helps wife, Anita, run development firm, Gilita Co.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes, except in case of rape, incest or danger to mother. Education vouchers--supports. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--supports. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

Jim Toledano: DEMOCRAT

Age: 48

Home: Costa Mesa

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Irvine attorney for two decades. UC regent 1985-87. Went up against Assemblyman Nolan Frizzelle in 1990, running 5% of Democratic registration in district.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--opposes. Health care plan--opposes because penalizes business and doesn’t address whole problem, but supports universal health care. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes, but supports reform to end welfare dependency. Gnatcatcher--supports.

Scott Bieser: LIBERTARIAN

Age: 35

Home: Costa Mesa

Occupation: Computer graphics designer

Background: Colorado native, raised in Texas. Journalism degree from University of Texas at Austin. Also studied art. Moved to Southern California in 1988 as “an economic refugee of the oil-patch recession.” Libertarian since 1976.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--supports. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes law, but abhors bigotry of all types. Welfare plan--supports, but feels reforms need to go even further. Gnatcatcher--opposes endangered species law, but feels rare creatures should be protected by stewards buying the land.

71ST DISTRICT

Mickey Conroy: REPUBLICAN

Age: 64

Home: Santa Ana

Occupation: Assemblyman

Background: Won election to the old 67th Assembly District in a special election last year; longtime GOP activist; spent 21 years in the armed forces; former executive director of the Veterans Charities of Orange County; founded the California War Veterans for Justice in 1983, a group organized to remove Assemblyman Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica) from office.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes, except in cases of rape or incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger. Education vouchers--supports initiative and vouchers. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--supports. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

Bea Foster: DEMOCRAT

Age: 54

Home: North Tustin

Occupation: Rancho Santiago College instructor.

Background: Chairwoman of the committee to incorporate North Tustin; member of the Orange County Democratic Party Central Committee since 1980 and member of party’s state executive committee; ran as a write-in candidate in last year’s U.S. Senate election against Republican John Seymour; served on the 1978 steering committee for the county’s TINCUP campaign finance reform measure.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--opposes vouchers but favors parental right to choose the school. Health care plan--supports more comprehensive plan that is not tied to employment. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes. Gnatcatcher--supports.

72ND DISTRICT

Ross Johnson: REPUBLICAN

Age: 52

Home: Brea

Occupation: State assemblyman

Background: Elected 1978. Assembly minority party leader 1988-91. Lifelong resident of north Orange County. Put self through college as journeyman ironworker. President of Orange County Young Republicans in 1960s. Graduated in 1977 from Western State Law School in Fullerton.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes. Education vouchers--opposes, but supports giving parents control over education alternatives. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--opposes Wilson proposal, but strong advocate of reform. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

Paul Garza Jr.: DEMOCRAT

Age: 44

Home: Fullerton

Occupation: Public affairs consultant

Background: Orange County Democratic Party executive director in late 1980s. Member of county central committee since 1986 and state central committee since 1988. Has worked as employment training coordinator. Ran adult learning lab. Taught vocational skills in Saudi Arabia for two years.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--opposes. Health care plan--supports, but concerned it doesn’t reform existing system. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes, but backs reform providing basic education and vocational skills. Gnatcatcher--supports.

Geoffrey Braun: LIBERTARIAN

Age: 35

Home: Placentia

Occupation: Warehouseman

Background: Member of Libertarian Party for more than two years. An evangelical Christian, has master of divinity degree from Biola University. St. Louis native, moved to California in 1983. Seeking public office for first time.

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes. Education vouchers--supports. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--opposes law, but support gay rights. Welfare plan--opposes, but supports turning welfare services to private charities. Gnatcatcher--opposes, but favors private ownership of habitats for endangered species.

73RD DISTRICT

Bill Morrow: REPUBLICAN

Age: 37

Home: Oceanside

Occupation: Attorney

Background: Marine Corps prosecutor 1979-87. Retired as major, began work as legislative assistant for Assembly Republican Caucus. Later went into private practice. Friend since college of state Sen. Frank Hill (R-Whittier).

Issues: Abortion rights--opposes, except in cases of rape, incest or medical danger. Education vouchers--supports. Health care plan--opposed, favors tax credit. Gay rights--opposed. Welfare plan--supports. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

Lee Walker: DEMOCRAT

Age: 58

Home: Laguna Niguel

Occupation: Professor of English and journalism.

Background: 21 years at Saddleback College. Elected in 1991 as director to state Community College Assn. Served as union board member at Irvine Valley College. Participated in 1989 fact-finding trip with college administrators to Soviet Union. Army veteran with Corps of Engineers.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--opposes. Health care plan--opposes. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes. Gnatcatcher--supports.

Paul H. King: LIBERTARIAN

Age: 37

Home: Oceanside

Occupation: Machinery repair business and tax consultant.

Background: Runs machinery repair business and consulting services out of home. Has never run for elected office. Three children ages 11 through 16 months, being home schooled.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports, but is opposed to government subsidies for abortions. Education vouchers--undecided, but supports idea of tax credits. Health care plan--opposed. Gay rights--opposes. Welfare plan--supports reluctantly, saying is too little, too late. Gnatcatcher--opposes.

Paul A. Steele: PEACE AND FREEDOM

Age: 69

Home: Oceanside

Occupation: Retired businessman

Background: Ran Costa Mesa furniture manufacturing business for 18 years. Currently studying photojournalism at Palomar College, helps on student paper. Member of Peace and Freedom Party and, before that, Independent Progressive Party for 45 years.

Issues: Abortion rights--supports. Education vouchers--opposed. Health care plan--supports, but feels it doesn’t go far enough to address problem. Gay rights--supports. Welfare plan--opposes. Gnatcatcher--undecided.