Democrats May Back One of Their Own in 67th : Politics: A memo says the party will consider supporting Moulton-Patterson instead of the beleaguered ex-Speaker Doris Allen.

SACRAMENTO — Assembly Democratic leaders will not help embattled Assemblywoman Doris Allen fight a recall and instead will consider supporting Democrat Linda Moulton-Patterson’s uphill campaign to capture the seat, according to an internal memo that surfaced Wednesday.

The memorandum from Assemblywoman Martha M. Escutia (D-Huntington Park) to other Democrats detailing a meeting of top party officials Monday indicates that they are toying with investing $50,000 in a telemarketing effort to drum up absentee ballot support for Moulton-Patterson.

Six candidates--including another Democrat, whom party officials contend is a Republican plant--are vying for Allen’s 67th Assembly District seat in northwest Orange County. Democratic Party officials contend that the four Republicans might split the vote in the district, which is about 52% Republican and one-third Democrat.

The memo also said that a recent poll suggests Allen, a Cypress Republican who angered GOP colleagues by hatching a deal with Democrats to become Assembly Speaker last June, will be dumped in the recall. But the results are mixed as to who would replace her. Voters will simultaneously decide whether to recall Allen and choose her successor.

Moulton-Patterson garnered 18% in the poll, but rose to 24% when respondents got “additional information about her,” Escutia’s memorandum said. “These 24 points place her neck to neck” with Republican Scott Baugh, who has captured the support of many Orange County Republican officials.

Escutia could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Moulton-Patterson said late Wednesday that she had heard nothing of support coming from Assembly Democrats.

“I haven’t heard a word about that,” she said. “I haven’t seen a thing in the way of money from them. Frankly, I am kind of disappointed.”

Allen expressed some disappointment.

“Oh my goodness, that is serious,” she said, on finding out that the memo had been written by Escutia, who had supported her in the past.

“It isn’t something that completely surprises me, however, because I am a Republican and they do have a Democrat in the race,” she said. “This just officializes what I already suspected” because of the response her campaign got from the Democrats.

Local Democratic officials have been eager for the state party to get behind Moulton-Patterson’s candidacy.