Wofford Win in Pennsylvania Welcomed by Jewish Democrats

Jewish Democratic activists are relishing Tuesday’s victory in Pennsylvania by interim Sen. Harris Wofford over former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, a Republican closely linked to the Bush administration.

And pro-Israel activists are welcoming the defeat Tuesday of a referendum in Washington state that would have limited the terms of its congressional delegation to 12 years for senators and six years for U.S. representatives.

In the Pennsylvania race, there is no clear cut gain for the Jewish community, as Wofford and Thornburgh appear to be equally supportive of Israel.

For example, they both supported unconditionally approving Israel’s request for U.S. guarantees covering $10 billion in loans to resettle Soviet Jews, the Philadelphia weekly Jewish Exponent reported.

But Morris Amitay, treasurer of the Washington Political Action Committee, said his group, which is one of the largest pro-Israel PACs, helped Wofford in part because it thought he would win.

In addition, Amitay said he was concerned that Thornburgh, who served under Bush, “owed the president too much to break with him on any issue.” That could have spelled trouble if Bush continues to block the loan guarantee package.

While Wofford’s populist message apparently won the day in Pennsylvania, such sentiment appeared to work on both sides of the referendum issue in Washington state.

“There are people who want the freedom to choose whoever they want,” regardless of how long they have served, while others want to “throw the rascals out,” explained Steve Gutow, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council.

The ballot measure was defeated by a vote of approximately 55 percent to 45 percent. Had it been approved, it would have effectively ended the term of House Speaker Thomas Foley in January 1995.

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While Gutow’s group did not take a position on the referendum, he said term limitations would likely hurt Democrats more than Republicans, simply because they hold an overwhelming majority of the 435 House seats: 267 versus 167 for the Republicans. An independent seat is held by Jewish Rep. Bernard Sanders of Vermont, who describes himself as a Socialist.

Approval of the referendum also would have set the dozens of pro-Israel PACs abuzz, as they generally like to see incumbents from both parties re-elected, unless the incumbents are anti-Israel.

In a victory letter to Wofford, Gutow wrote, “Your campaign underscored our need to aggressively remind these voters that the GOP is out of touch with the American public when it opposes extended unemployment benefits and favors tax cuts for the rich.”

Matthew Brooks, executive director of the National Jewish Coalition, a Republican group, had no comment on the Wofford victory, the first in that state by a Democratic candidate for the Senate since 1962.

Wofford was appointed last spring to replace Sen. John Heinz, a Republican who died in a helicopter crash. His re-election helps the Democrats retain a 57-43 edge in the Senate going into the 1992 elections, when 20 Democrats and 15 Republicans will be up for re-election.

Among the 15 Republicans is Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), one of eight Jews in the Senate. But Thornburgh has no plans to run against Specter in the 1992 primary, said Thornburgh campaign spokesman Dan Eramian.

Two House races were also decided on Election Day.

In Pennsylvania, Lucien Blackwell, a Democrat, defeated three candidates to win the traditionally Democratic House seat vacated by Rep. William Gray, who resigned to become president of the United Negro College Fund.

In Virginia, George Allen, a Republican, defeated Democrat Kay Slaughter to win a Republican seat being vacated by her cousin, retiring Rep. D. French Slaughter Jr.

There were also a number of mayoral races decided Tuesday. In Philadelphia, Edward Rendell became the first Jewish mayor of the “city of brotherly love.”