SACRAMENTO (AP) - Democrats accused Republicans on Monday of "trying to turn back the clock on race relations in California" by sending out late campaign mailers attacking the immigration policies of four Hispanic candidates in tight Assembly races.

Meanwhile, Ferial Masry, a Saudi American woman seeking an upset victory in a predominantly Republican Assembly district, said automated telephone calls paid for by her GOP opponent were distorting her position on illegal immigration.

"She's trying to link me to terrorism by saying I am supporting illegal immigrants," Masry said.

Spokespeople for Masry's GOP opponent, Audra Strickland, and the California Republican Party said the mailers and phone messages were accurate and proper.

"The Democrats are trying to run away from the positions of their candidates, who are on the wrong side of illegal immigration in California," said Karen Hanretty, a spokeswoman for the state GOP.

Democrats said the mailers were sent out by the Republican Party and JOBS PAC, a campaign committee formed by California Chamber of Commerce and California Manufacturers Association that has been running independent campaigns for several GOP candidates.

They targeted Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, and Democratic candidates Lori Saldana of San Diego, Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara and Juan Arambula of Fresno.

The mailers warn voters that the four candidates want to authorize driver's licenses for illegal immigrants.

Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he would support legislation authorizing driver's license for illegal immigrants if it included adequate security requirements. But, Hanretty said, "We have yet to see any sort of legislation come his way that he would support."

Steve Maviglio, a spokesman for Assembly Democrats, said the mailers were intended to "to turn back the clock on race relations in California."

"We thought this went away with Pete Wilson in 1994, especially now that we have immigrant governor," he added, referring to anti-illegal immigrant television ads used to help former Gov. Wilson win re-election.

Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez, D-Los Angeles, charged that the mailers aimed at Arambula, a Fresno County supervisor, "crossed the line of racism.

"It is an outrage that racism is being utilized by the California Republican Party to wage a campaign against one of the most creditable candidates running," he said.

The Arambula mailers have a photo of the Mexican border in the background and quote a 1991 Fresno Bee article in which Arambula says he found non-citizens voting an "intriguing idea" that could "encourage participation in school-related matters by parents that have not really had much say."

The mailers also state that Arambula belongs to Mexican government organization that "lobbies the United States to increase taxpayer benefits to Mexicans living in the U.S."

Arambula said he attended no more than two meetings of the Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior and resigned a year ago. He also said he had rejected the idea of allowing noncitizens to vote in school board elections.

Gale Kaufman, a campaign consultant for Arambula, said the comment about noncitizens voting was taken out of context.

She said the mailers were "racist in tone and clearly designed to either depress our vote or elicit the most angry response they can get. You can't look at those pieces and see it any other way. To suggest otherwise is just laughable."

The automated phone calls referred to the 9/11 commission and said Masry wanted Californians to "pay more in taxes (and) pay for free tuition and welfare for illegal immigrants."

Masry said she "never supported illegal immigration," calling it a federal problem. But she added, "If we think we need immigration and need people to come and work in the fields, let's do it in a way that we respect the humanity of these people.

"On the one hand we don't want them, on the other hand we allow them to come and give them jobs. We're sending a double message here."

Joel Angeles, a spokesman for Strickland, the wife of Assemblyman Tony Strickland, R-Moorpark, denied that the phone calls were racist.

"It's completely accurate," he said. "Ferial Masry at numerous events mentioned that she feels it's very important to provide full benefits to illegal immigrants."

He said Strickland "believes wholeheartedly that illegal immigrants should not have any benefits and should be asked to go back to their home country."