Tom Umberg
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Thomas John Umberg (born September 25, 1955) is a U.S. politician, who was a Democrat in the California State Assembly, representing the 69th District.
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[edit] Military service and family
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Umberg graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1977. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army, then promoted to Captain. Umberg served with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea and with NATO forces in Italy during his time in the army. Umberg also served as a paratrooper with the US Army Special Operations Command, US Army Special Warfare Center and the XVIIIth Airborne Corp.
Umberg remained in the U.S. Army Reserve, rising to the rank of Colonel. His wife, the former Robin Bailey, is a Brigadier General. They met while serving in South Korea. His last assignment in the Reserve was as a prosecutor of terrorist suspects, and received a Joint Service Commendation medal for his contribution in Guantanamo. Umberg had a top secret security clearance that allowed him access to criminal files on suspected Taliban members.
Tom and Robin Umberg have one daughter, Erin, and two sons, Brett and Tom. Umberg is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
[edit] Early career
After receiving his Juris Doctor degree from Hastings College of the Law in 1980, he was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Orange County. He had a 100% conviction rate prosecuting drug dealers, gang members, white collar criminals, and civil rights cases. In addition, he also served as a military prosecutor during between 1980 and 1985.
[edit] First stint in Assembly
Umberg was first elected to the California State Assembly in 1990, after defeating Curt Pringle. Umberg was re-elected in 1992. Instead of seeking a third term in 1994, Umberg ran for Attorney General of California but lost to Republican Dan Lungren.
[edit] Clinton Administration
Umberg then joined the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLP in 1995 as a senior partner. In addition, he also took a position as an adjunct professor of law at Southwestern University School of Law. During the 1996 presidential election, he served as the chairman of the Clinton re-election campaign in California. Clinton appointed Umberg as the Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in 1997, Umberg was unanimously confirmed by the Senate.
[edit] Second stint in Assembly
In 2000, Umberg left the Clinton administration and returned to California. In 2002, he lost the Democratic Party nomination for State Insurance Commissioner to John Garamendi. In 2004, Umberg won election to the Assembly to represent the 69th District, which includes the Orange County cities of Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove.
[edit] Senate campaign
Umberg sought the seat of retiring State Senator Joe Dunn (D) in the 2006 elections. Orange County Supervisor and former Assemblyman Lou Correa jumped in the race in January 2006 despite pressure from the local Democratic party for him to stay out (although with pressure from the state Democratic party for him to jump in), stating that he was running in part because of the allegations about Umberg's residency. Aside from the negative articles, Umberg also received criticism that he voted to legalize gay marriage.[1] Umberg attempted to get Correa off the ballot because Correa submitted more than the number of signatures required to qualify for the ballot, but ultimately failed.[2] Umberg also claimed that an alliance between Correa and State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata to funnel funds to Correa's campaign was illegal.[3] Umberg was defeated by Correa by a 60% to 40% margin, and was termed out of his Assembly seat.
[edit] Supervisorial campaign
After Correa won the general election for the Senate by a 1% margin, Umberg entered the race to replace Correa on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, representing the 1st District. 52% of 1st Supervisorial District voters are also voters in the 69th Assembly District, formerly represented by Umberg. 73% of 1st Supervisorial District voters are also 34th Senate District voters. On 6 February 2007, Umberg received 21.4% of the vote, coming in third despite a three-way split in the Republican vote.[1]
[edit] Controversy
On June 23, 2005, Umberg admitted he had an extramarital affair in the Los Angeles Times. Umberg stated that the woman was attempting to confront the Umbergs at his home, at school events, and in the gallery of the Assembly, and had forwarded e-mail messages exchanged during the affair to the Orange County Register. Umberg said that the relationship occurred between 2000 and 2004, and apologized to voters for the adultery.[4]
Separately, on June 24, 2005, the Register reported that, contrary to claims made by his 2004 Assembly campaign, Umberg only spent 16 days in Guantanamo Bay for his 2004 tour of duty. Republicans noted that in 1990, Umberg had claimed to be on duty in the "desert", implying that he was participating in Operation Desert Shield when in reality he was doing routine training at Fort Irwin in California's Mojave Desert. In addition, the Register also reported that Umberg lived in Villa Park (in the heavily Republican 60th Assembly District) instead of at the address where he was registered to vote, in Santa Ana (in the heavily Democratic 69th Assembly District). The Register reported that the woman, former Assembly staffer Ann Wallace, and Umberg continued the affair to November 2004, and published three lines from an e-mail purportedly from Robin Umberg calling her husband "a compulsive liar". The Register also noted that Umberg would lose his security clearance, and stated on July 9, 2005 that Umberg resigned from the Army Reserve.[5] On July 3, 2005, the Register subsequently published a letter from LTC Jack Einwechter, who served as a military prosector with Umberg in Cuba, stating that the Register had erroneously reported the length of Umberg's service in Cuba and Washington DC.[6] On July 15, 2005, the Register retracted some of its claims about Umberg, stating that Umberg actually retired from the active Army Reserve before the allegations about Umberg's sexual misconduct were disclosed. It also noted that the retirement would not affect Umberg's security clearance, contrary to what was previously reported.[7]
[edit] Electoral history
- 2007 Orange County Board of Supervisors, 1st District
- Trung Nguyen (R), 10,920 - 24.1%
- Janet Nguyen (R), 10,913 - 24.1%
- Tom Umberg (D), 9,728 - 21.4%
- Carlos Bustamante (R), 7,475 - 16.5%
- 2006 Democratic Primary Election for State Senate, 34th District
- Lou Correa (D), 17,409 - 59.8%
- Tom Umberg (D), 11,731 - 40.2%
- 2004 General Election for State Assembly, 69th District
- Tom Umberg (D), 38,516 - 61.4%
- Otto Bade (R), 19,811 - 31.5%
- George Reis (L), 4,470 - 7.1%
- 2004 Democratic Primary Election for State Assembly, 69th District
- Tom Umberg (D), 8,498 - 51.2%
- Claudia Alvarez (D), 8,122 - 48.8%
- 2002 Democratic Primary Election for Insurance Commissioner
- John Garamendi (D), 800,146 - 38.6%
- Tom Umberg (D), 586,112 - 28.3%
- Thomas M. Calderon (D), 476,234 - 22.9%
- Bill Winslow (D), 213,239 - 10.2%
- 1994 General Election for Attorney General
- Dan Lungren (R), 4,438,733 - 53.9%
- Tom Umberg (D), 3,256,070 - 39.5%
- Richard N. Burns (L) - 274,335 - 3.3%
- Robert J. Evans (P&F) 271,459 - 3.3%
- 1994 Democratic Primary Election for Attorney General
- Tom Umberg (D), 1,715,098 - 100.0%
- 1992 General Election for State Assembly, 69th District
- Tom Umberg (D), 32,700 - 60.0%
- Jo Ellen Allen (R), 18,560 - 34.1%
- David R. Keller (L), 3,217 - 5.9%
- 1992 Democratic Primary Election for State Assembly, 69th District
- Tom Umberg (D), 9,637 - 100.0%
- 1990 General Election for State Assembly, 72nd District
- Tom Umberg (D), 25,247 - 51.9%
- Curt Pringle (R), 23,411 - 48.1%
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Quach, Hahn Kim. "34th Senate race likely to get heated, expensive." The Orange County Register. January 26, 2006. Local 1.
- ^ Joseph, Brian. "Judge upholds Correa's right to remain in Senate primary." The Orange County Register. March 29, 2006. Local 6.
- ^ Pasco, Jean. "Umberg Says Illegal Alliance Is Hurting His Senate Campaign." Los Angeles Times. May 9, 2006. Page B4.
- ^ Pasco, Jean. "Anticipating Exposure, Legislator Admits Affair; Tom Umberg and wife publicly discuss the matter, saying the other woman threatened to expose it." Los Angeles Times. June 23, 2005. Page B1.
- ^ Gittelsohn, John. "Questions dog Umberg campaign." The Orange County Register. July 9, 2005. Local 1.
- ^ "Col. Umberg has served with honor and distinction," Letters to the Editor. The Orange County Register. July 3, 2005. Commentary 3.
- ^ Gittelsohn, John. "Umberg gave notice in May." The Orange County Register. July 15, 2005. Local 1.
| Preceded by Curt Pringle |
California State Assemblyman 72nd District 1990–1992 |
Succeeded by Ross Johnson |
| Preceded by Nolan Frizzelle |
California State Assemblyman 69th District 1992–1994 |
Succeeded by Jim Morrissey |
| Preceded by Lou Correa |
California State Assemblyman 69th District 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Jose Solorio |
