Dems Win Key National Contests

Democrats wrested governorship from the GOP in Texas, Florida and four other states yesterday in midterm elections that sealed a saason of Republican disappointment. Democrats also expanded their dominion of Congress in returns that heavily favored the incumbents.

North Carolina GOP Sen. Jesse Helms won re-election in the most closely watched Senate race of 34 on the ballot.

Upsets were few and far between, despite stirrings of voter discontent. House Republican Whip Newt Gingrich defeated his opponent in Georgia by only 1000 votes and Democratic Sen. Bill Bradley was pressed before winning a dramatic reelection in New Jersey.

Democrats elected Ann Richards as governor of Texas and Lawton Chiles in Florida, giving them the last word in redistricting that will add House seats to both Sunbelt states for the next decade.

In California, Republican Pete Wilson was leading San Fransisco Mayor Diane Feinstein, 51 percent to 44 percent early this morning.

Democrats easily renewed their majority in the Sente, and in the House as well, where they aimed to improve their 259-176 majority.

The GOP got food news in Ohio, where George Voinovich won a Democratic governorship, and in Connecticut where Gary Franks become the first Black House Republican since 1935.

Sen. Lowell Weicker vexed the GOP again, this time as an outsider, with an independent victory for governor of Connecticut. Republican Gov. Kay Orr was trailing, barely, in Nebraska.

Vermont sent Socialist Bernie Sanders to the House--in place of a Republican. But former GOP Gov. Richard Snelling won his old job back, and with it, the statehouse for his party.

Hours after the polls closed, there was no shortage of close statehouse races:

John Engler led Democratic Gov. James Blanchard in a Michigan surprise.

GOP Gov. John McKernan clung to a lead over former Gov. Joseph Brennan in Maine.

Illinois GOP Secretary of State Jim Edgar led Neil Hartigan narrowly in Illinois.

Democrat Rudy Perpich trailed Arne Carlson in a tough Minnesota race marked by Republican turmoil. Carlson was on the ballot only because Jon Grunseth dropped out in late October over allegations of sexual improprieties.

Dan Rather Grieves

Helms bested Harvey Gantt in his marquee race for reelection in a contest that pitted one of the nation's best known conservatives against a former Black mayor. "I'm sorry I'm so late," he told supporters, "but I've been home watching the grieving face of Dan Rather...the liberal politicians and editors and commentators and columnists have struck out again."

Democrats took aim Rudy Boschwitz in Minnesota in hopes of padding their current 55-45 majority. Paul Wellstone held a small lead.

Appointed Democratic Sen. Dan Akaka won re-election in Hawaii, dashing Republican hopes of a takeover.

Bob Smith in New Hampshire, Hank Brown in Colorado and Larry Craig help open Senate seats for the GOP.

Alabama GOP Gov. Guy Hunt won a close race for re-election.

Democratic Victory

The polls were still open in half the nation when the Democrats proclaimed victory and pointed the voters toward the 1992 presidential race. "I couldn't feel better," said Ron Brown, chair of the Democratic National Committee. "Both Republicans and Democrats ran against George Bush."

Spokesperson Charles Black put the best face forward for the Republican National Committee, telling reporters, "It appears to be more of an anti-incumbent trend than a partisan trend." He called the midterm results "an anti-Congress trend rather than an anti-president trend," even though incumbent members were being reelected at a substantial rate.

New York Gov. Mario Cuomo won in a possible prelude to a 1992 Democratic presidential campaign. Besides Bradley of New Jersey, two other potential challengers to President Bush won easy Senate reelection--Al Gore in Tennessee and Sam Nunn in Georgia.

Bush voted in his home state of Texas after an energetic yet awkward campaign for GOP candidates, then returned to the White House to read the returns. Bush sparked a Republican rebellion when he broke his memorable 1988 campaign pledge and embraced an October deficitreduction plan that raised tax rates.

"George Bush obviously has had a little setback on the polls but he's still the most popular president going into midterm elections in modern times," said Ed Rollins, the top political adviser to House Republicans.

All in all, the first election of the 1990s came at a time of extraordinary volatility--with the nation on the verge of recession and on the edge of war in the Persian Gulf. Other issues emerged in scattered races--abortion, crime, the savings and loan crisis and ethics scandals among them.

Anti-Incumbency Myth

The pollsters agreed the voters were unhappy with the government and pessimistic about the economy, but that failed to translate into widespread anti-incumbency.

In Florida, Chiles won handily over first-term Republican Gov. Bob Martinez.

Democrat David Walters grabbed the open Republican governorship in Oklahoma. Bruce Sundlun wrested the governorship from Republicans in hard-times Rhode Island, outing Edward DiPrete. Former Gov. Bruce King's successful comeback returned New Mexico to the Democratic column, and Joan Finney outsted GOP Gov. nike Hayden in Kansas.