Tom Umberg
Encyclopedia
Thomas John Umberg is a U.S.
politician
, who was a Democrat
in the California State Assembly
, representing the 69th District.
, 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 completed the Harvard University
, Kennedy School of Public Policy, Program for Senior Executives in National Security. He was also awarded a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College
. Umberg remained in the U.S. Army Reserve
, rising to the rank of Colonel
. His last assignment in the Reserve was as a prosecutor of terrorist suspects, and he received a Joint Service Commendation medal for his contribution in Guantanamo. Umberg's other military decorations include: the Meritorious Service Medal (2d award), the US Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the Army Commendation Medal (2d award), the Army Achievement Medal. Umberg is married to Brigadier General (USA) Robin Umberg
.
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.
in 1990, defeating incumbent Republican Curt Pringle
. Umberg was re-elected in 1992. While in the Assembly he served as Chairman of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. Instead of seeking a third term in 1994, Umberg ran for Attorney General of California but lost to Republican
Dan Lungren
.
in 1995 as a partner. He was the Managing Partner of Morrison & Foerster's Orange County Office from 2003 until 2005. 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.
to John Garamendi
. In 2004, Umberg won election to the Assembly to represent the 69th District. During his third term, Umberg Chaired the Elections and Redistriciting Committee. While in the legislature, Umberg authored over 60 measures which became law. These laws include measures dealing with hate crimes, white collor crime, campaign finance reform, high-speed rail transport and school meal programs.
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 other negative articles, Umberg also received criticism that he voted to legalize gay marriage. 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. 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. Umberg was defeated by Correa by a 60% to 40% margin, and Correa went on to narrowly win the general election.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, who was a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
, representing the 69th District.
Military service and family
Born in Cincinnati, OhioCincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Umberg graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in 1977. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, then promoted to Captain. Umberg served with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
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 completed the Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Kennedy School of Public Policy, Program for Senior Executives in National Security. He was also awarded a Masters Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College
U.S. Army War College
The United States Army War College is a United States Army school located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, on the 500 acre campus of the historic Carlisle Barracks...
. Umberg remained in the U.S. Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
, rising to the rank of Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. His last assignment in the Reserve was as a prosecutor of terrorist suspects, and he received a Joint Service Commendation medal for his contribution in Guantanamo. Umberg's other military decorations include: the Meritorious Service Medal (2d award), the US Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the Army Commendation Medal (2d award), the Army Achievement Medal. Umberg is married to Brigadier General (USA) Robin Umberg
Robin Umberg
Brigadier General Robin Umberg, Deputy Commander Clinical Services 3rd Medical Command, is one of several female United States Army general officers.-Military career:...
.
Early career
After receiving his Juris DoctorJuris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Hastings College of the Law in 1980, he was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego 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.
First stint in Assembly
Umberg was first elected to the California State AssemblyCalifornia State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 1990, defeating incumbent Republican Curt Pringle
Curt Pringle
Curtis L. "Curt" Pringle , is a politician from the U.S. state of California. Pringle, a Republican, a onetime Speaker of the California State Assembly, former Mayor of Anaheim, California and former Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority, today runs his own public relations and...
. Umberg was re-elected in 1992. While in the Assembly he served as Chairman of the Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee. Instead of seeking a third term in 1994, Umberg ran for Attorney General of California but lost to Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Dan Lungren
Dan Lungren
Daniel Edward "Dan" Lungren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. The district covers most of Sacramento County and part of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties...
.
Clinton Administration
Umberg then joined the law firm of Morrison & Foerster LLPMorrison & Foerster LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP is a large full-service law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers in 15 offices. The firm was founded in San Francisco, USA in 1883, and its largest office is still located there. It was founded by Alexander Francis Morrison, a graduate of UC Hastings College of Law...
in 1995 as a partner. He was the Managing Partner of Morrison & Foerster's Orange County Office from 2003 until 2005. In addition, he also took a position as an adjunct professor of law at Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern University School of Law
Southwestern Law School is a private ABA-accredited law school located in Los Angeles, California , with about 1,000 students. Its campus includes the Bullocks Wilshire building, an admired art deco National Register of Historic Places landmark built in 1929...
. During the 1996 presidential election, he served as the chairman of the Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
re-election campaign in California. Clinton appointed Umberg as the Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
Office of National Drug Control Policy
The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy , a former cabinet level component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, was established in 1989 by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988...
in 1997.
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 CommissionerCalifornia Insurance Commissioner
California Insurance Commissioner is an elected executive office position in California. The officeholder is in charge of the California Department of Insurance.The current Insurance Commissioner is Democrat Dave Jones.- Duties :...
to John Garamendi
John Garamendi
John Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
. In 2004, Umberg won election to the Assembly to represent the 69th District. During his third term, Umberg Chaired the Elections and Redistriciting Committee. While in the legislature, Umberg authored over 60 measures which became law. These laws include measures dealing with hate crimes, white collor crime, campaign finance reform, high-speed rail transport and school meal programs.
Senate campaign
Umberg sought the seat of retiring State SenatorCalifornia State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...
Joe Dunn
Joe Dunn (California)
Joe Dunn is a Democratic former California State Senator who represented California's 34th Senate District in central Orange County and led the state's investigation into Enron's involvement in the 2000-2001 energy crisis. He was first elected to the state Senate in 1998, when he unseated incumbent...
(D) in the 2006 elections. Orange County Supervisor
County board of supervisors
The Board of Supervisors is the body that supervises the operation of county government in all counties in Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Sussex County, New Jersey as well as a handful of counties in New York...
and former Assemblyman Lou Correa
Lou Correa
Jose Luis Correa is a California Democratic Party Legislator. He is serving his second term as a member of the California State Senate, representing the 34th Senate District...
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 other negative articles, Umberg also received criticism that he voted to legalize gay marriage. 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. Umberg also claimed that an alliance between Correa and State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata
Don Perata
Don Richard Perata is a California Democratic politician, who was President pro tempore of the California State Senate from 2004 to 2008. He came in second place in the November 2010 ballot for Mayor of Oakland...
to funnel funds to Correa's campaign was illegal. Umberg was defeated by Correa by a 60% to 40% margin, and Correa went on to narrowly win the general election.
Orange County Supervisorial campaign
After Correa won the general election for the Senate by a 10% margin, Umberg entered the race to replace Correa on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, representing the 1st Supervisorial 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, so Umbert was believed to be the favorite. On 6 February 2007, Umberg received 21.4%, coming in third, less than he had been expected to poll.Electoral history
- 2007 Orange County Board of Supervisors, 1st District
- Janet NguyenJanet NguyenJanet Q. Nguyen is the County Supervisor from the First District of Orange County, California. She won her seat following a historic special election where two Vietnamese-American candidates received half of the total votes cast in a field of 10, separated from each other by only 7 votes. She...
(R), 10,919 - 24.1% - Trung Nguyen (R), 10,912 - 24.1%
- Tom Umberg (D), 9,725 - 21.4%
- Carlos Bustamante (R), 7,460 - 16.5%
- Janet Nguyen
- 2006 Democratic Primary Election for State Senate, 34th District
- Lou CorreaLou CorreaJose Luis Correa is a California Democratic Party Legislator. He is serving his second term as a member of the California State Senate, representing the 34th Senate District...
(D), 17,409 - 59.8% - Tom Umberg (D), 11,731 - 40.2%
- Lou Correa
- 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 GaramendiJohn GaramendiJohn Raymond Garamendi is the U.S. Representative for , serving since November 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Garamendi was the California State Insurance Commissioner from 1991 to 1995, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior from 1995 to 1998, and the California State Insurance...
(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%
- John Garamendi
- 1994 General Election for Attorney General
- Dan LungrenDan LungrenDaniel Edward "Dan" Lungren is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. The district covers most of Sacramento County and part of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine, Amador and Calaveras counties...
(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%
- Dan Lungren
- 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 PringleCurt PringleCurtis L. "Curt" Pringle , is a politician from the U.S. state of California. Pringle, a Republican, a onetime Speaker of the California State Assembly, former Mayor of Anaheim, California and former Chairman of the California High Speed Rail Authority, today runs his own public relations and...
(R), 23,411 - 48.1%