Assembly Candidate Raps Foe as Willie Brown Pawn : Politics: Democrat Yudelson’s charge is denied by his opponent, Tom Umberg, and also by the Speaker.

Despite his pledge just five days ago that he would not attack his Democratic rival, Assembly candidate Jerry Yudelson blasted his primary opponent Tuesday as being the handpicked choice of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown, who “only wants someone he can control.”

In a written statement, Yudelson also once again referred to his rival, Tom Umberg, as a “yuppie lawyer from Irvine.”

The statement seemed to violate a pledge Yudelson made last Thursday when he kicked off his campaign to unseat incumbent Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove).

“Curt Pringle is the issue in this campaign, and I am not going to do anything to tear down another Democrat who wants to run for this office,” Yudelson had told reporters.

Tuesday, Yudelson said in an interview that his statement was intended to attack Brown’s interference in the race, not Umberg. About calling his opponent a yuppie, Yudelson said, “That’s just recycling an old quote. You can’t blame a guy for that.”

Yudelson’s statement said, in part: “People in this area don’t need the Sacramento power brokers to be pushing a yuppie lawyer from Irvine down their throats. . . . It seems clear now that the Willie Brown crowd has handpicked someone to run against me because I have expressed my independence from the Sacramento gang.”

The campaign for the 72nd District, which includes parts of Santa Ana, Westminster, Garden Grove, Stanton and Anaheim, is expected to be one of the most hotly contested races in Orange County this year.

Both Yudelson and Umberg enter the June 5 Democratic primary with significant cores of support. State officials from both parties are also expected to turn the November general election into a major battle.

The 72nd District is the only Assembly district in Orange County where Democrats hold a lead in registration. But its politics are still considered conservative enough that even Democratic candidates are concerned about being linked to state liberals such as Speaker Brown.

In response to Yudelson’s attack Tuesday, Umberg quipped, “So much for the positive campaign.

“I think it’s desperate and ridiculous,” he said. “I don’t think name-calling serves anyone’s purpose.”

Brown’s office said Tuesday that the Speaker has not endorsed any candidate in the 72nd Assembly District race.

But Yudelson charged that the Speaker’s support was evident in a visit last week to Orange County by Rich Milner, legislative chief of staff for Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles).

Milner, however, said he was campaigning for Umberg on his own because he is a former resident in the district and interested in its politics. He also charged that Yudelson is being dishonest in his charge of Brown’s interference because Yudelson had sought the Speaker’s support in several visits to Sacramento last year.

“Pringle says Yudelson is Willie Brown’s candidate; Yudelson says Tom Umberg is Willie Brown’s candidate, and Yudelson is the first person who came to Sacramento seeking Willie Brown’s support,” Milner said.

Yudelson said he met with several Assembly Democrats but did not seek their support. He said he only asked that they not become involved in the race.