Wins and Losses in Congressional Races

In Ronald Reagan’s landslide victory, two Jewish Republicans won Senate seats — Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania and Warren Rudman in New Hampshire. Two Jewish Democratic Senatorial candidates — Elizabeth Holtzman in New York and Daniel Berman in Utah — apparently were defeated, though Holtzman continued to refuse to concede defeat.

Also defeated was a Jewish candidate for governor of Vermont, Jerome Diamond, who sought to replace the incumbent Republican governor, Richard Snelling.

The apparent results indicated today that the new 97th Congress convening in January, will have six Jewish Senators, one less than the record number of seven in the 96th Congress, on the still-contested assumption that Holtzman has lost her Senate bid. But a record number of Jewish House members were elected. The 28 apparent Jewish winners are five more than those elected in 1978. Of the 29 Jewish Congressman 23 are Democrats and six are Republicans.

Among the surprising results was the stunning defeat of the veteran New York Democrat, Lester Wolff. Seeking his ninth term in the House, Wolff was defeated by about 7000 votes, with a few precincts not yet counted, to Conservative-Republican John LeBoutillier.

MAJOR CHANGES IN THE SENATE

Specter, a former Philadelphia district attorney, edged out former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty for the Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Richard Schweiker. Rudman, a former New Hampshire State Attorney General, defeated incumbent Democratic Sen. John Durkin. Specter, who had tried before the Senate and lost, and Rudman, joined four Jewish Senate incumbents — Republican Rudy Boschwitz of Minnesota; and Democrats Carl Levin of Michigan, Howard Metzenbaum of Ohio and Edward Zorinsky of Nebraska.

In New York, Republican candidate Alfonse D’Amato, the Hempstead, Long Island Town Supervisor, held a slight lead over Holtzman. Sen. Jacob Javits, who was defeated in the New York Republican primary by D’Amato, garnered more than 500,000 votes on the Liberal line but trailed for behind D’Amato and Holtzman. Utah’s Republican Senate incumbent Jake Garn won a second term defeating Berman.

Besides Javits, two Jewish Senators who will not return to the Senate are Richard Stone, Florida Democrat, who lost in Florida’s Democratic primary; and Democrat Abraham Ribicoff, who chose not to run for reelection in Connecticut. Democrat Christopher Dodd won Ribicoff’s seat.

New Jewish Representatives include Tom Lantos, Democrat of California, and Bobbi Fiedler, Republican of California; and Som Gejdenson, Connecticut Democrat; Barney Frank, Massachusetts Democrat; Bob Shamansky, Ohio Democrat; Ron Wyden, Oregon Democrat and Charles Schumer, New York Democrat, who was elected to the seat vacated by Holtzman.

FIRST JEW ELECTED FROM MOSS SINCE 1876

Congressman Frank, who succeeded retiring Rep. Robert Drinan, was reported by The Jewish Advocate of Boston as the first Jew elected to Congress from Massachusetts since Republican Leopold Morse won in 1876. Frank’s opponent was Dr. Richard Jones, a Republican and a former member of the John Birch Society, according to The Advocate.

An especially poignant Congressional development was in Maryland, where three-term Democratic Rep. Gladys Spellman, who suffered a massive heart attack Friday while campaigning, was reelected by a four-to-one margin over her Republican foe. Spellman, noted for devotion to her constituents in the largely lower middle-class district of whites and Blocks, remained hospitalized in serious condition.

Aside from Wolff and Holtzman, all the other Jewish incumbents were reelected, two of them in tight battles. They were Democrat Howard Wolpe of Michigan seeking a second term, who came from behind in late returns to win; and in Pennsylvania, Republican Marc Marks, who won in a close battle, though a recount was indicated.

Rep. Paul Findley, the Illinois Republican regarded as the most friendly member in the House to the Palestine Liberation Organization, received 77 percent of the vote to defeat Jewish Democrat David Robinson.

Gerald Carlson of Dearborn, Mich, a self proclaimed white supremacist leader, running as a Republican for the House, was beaten by a 2-1 margin by William Ford, Democratic incumbent, who was reelected by a reduced majority. Ford won 68 percent of the vote, compared to 80 percent and 75 percent in his two prior campaigns, KKK leader Tom Metzger, campaigning as a Democrat for Congress in California, was defeated.

JEWISH INCUMBENTS REELECTED

Jewish Congressional incumbents, in addition to Spellman and Marks, who won reelection are: Benjamin Rosenthal, Richard Ottinger, Frederick Richmond, James Scheuer, Steven Solarz and Theodore Weiss, all New York Democrats; and Benjamin Gilman, New York Republican; Willis Grodison, Ohio Republican; Anthony Beilinson and Henry Waxman, both California Democrats; Daniel Glickman, Kansas Democrat; Martin Frost, Texas Democrat; Ken Kramer, Colorado Republican; Elliott Levitas, Georgia Democrat; Sidney Yates, Illinois Democrat and dean of the Jewish members in the House; William Lehman, Florida Democrat; and Bill Green, New York Democrat.