European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday november 2, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 7key election contests rated even by the Baltimore Sun Washington a an unexpected. Number of major 1990 races appear to be virtual dead neats just five Days before the election according to Public and private polls. This development generally reflects gains for democratic candidates in recent weeks since in almost every Case the close contests Are for governorships or Senate seats that republicans Hope to maintain. Included Are four key gubernatorial races a in California Texas Florida and Illinois a states where republicans occupy the governorships. Meantime incumbent Republican senators Are fighting for political survival in Oregon Minnesota and North Carolina. The sole democratic held Senate seat that appears to be in jeopardy is in Hawaii. A a it a been 30 Days of incredible movement and change a said Alex Gage a Republican pollster based in Southfield Mich. A a in be never seen that much volatility in Public  in most instances these dizzying mood swings reflect a mix of National and local factors particularly an anti Republican trend resulting from the recent tax debate in Washington analysts say. These experts emphasize however that Republican candidates could come Back to win Many of the major races. In Texas a Gallup poll published wednesday showed Republican Clayton Williams and Democrat Ann Richards in Richards Williams Chiles Martinez Wilson a 44-44 deadlock among Likely voters. Two weeks earlier the Republican led by 10 in the same poll. Texas politicians attribute the shift to gaffes by Williams a millionaire rancher and oilman in his first Campaign for Public office As Well As National factors. Williams has been pressed for weeks for example on exactly How he would keep his no new taxes pledge especially since president Bush was forced to break a Sim. Ilar Campaign vow. In Florida Democrat Lawton Chiles holds a one Point Lead Over Republican gov. Bob Martinez according to a statewide poll released wednesday night. In California the Competition Between Democrat Dianne Feinstein and Republican Pete Wilson has been close for months. Three polls released within the past week show the candidates within four Points or less a difference that is within the surveys margins of error. In Illinois recent polls by the Chicago Feinstein Sun times and was to showed Republican Jim Edgar and Democrat Neil har Tigan within two or three Points though a third Survey by the Chicago Tribune had the Republican ahead. In Ohio former Cleveland mayor George Voinovich a Republican holds a dwindling advantage Over democratic attorney general Anthony Celebrezze or. In the race to succeed retiring democratic gov. Richard f. Celeste. At least a dozen other governors races remain competitive. Six Are for governorships held by democrats Alaska Connecticut Massachusetts Minnesota Oregon and Vermont and six by republicans Alabama Kansas Maine new Mexico Nebraska and Oklahoma. A new statewide poll for a pts in Portland ore., showed democratic challenger Harry Lonsdale leading Republican sen. Mark Hatfield by three Points 48-45. Back in August before Lonsdale launched an aggressive and Campaign built around anti Washington themes Hatfield a 24-year Senate Veteran held a 36-Point Lead. In Minnesota gop sen. Rudy Bosch Witz not initially viewed As vulnerable is also being attacked by a political outsider Carleton College professor Paul Well Stone. In North Carolina former Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt Battles incumbent Republican Jesse Helms. In Kentucky freshman Republican sen. Mitch Mcconnell a 20-Pomt Lead Over former Louisville mayor Harvey Sloane has been Cut in half Over the past  victim Dies Joliet 111. Apr tornadoes that ravaged Northwestern Illinois in August and killed 28 people have claimed another victim. Kent a. Keeley 52, died from injuries he suffered when the storm wrecked his car. Helms injects racial issues into bitter . Campaign by the Washington Post Raleigh . A sen. Jesse Helms r-., struggling to turn Back the bid of Democrat Harvey Gantt to become the South a first Post reconstruction Black senator wednesday bluntly and directly injected the subject of race into the bitter Senate contest in a television commercial attacking Gantt on the Issue of racial Job quotas. At the same time the North Carolina Republican party began a so called a ballot Security program that the state democratic party chairman charged was aimed at the a blatant intimidation of voters. Immediately denounced the television attack As divisive and accused Helms of attempting a to Divide people along the lines of  the Helms Job quotas commercial shows a White Many a hands crumpling what  is a Job rejection letter. A you needed that Job and you were the Best qualified a the announcer says. But they had to give it to a minority because of a racial quota. Is that really fair a a a Harvey Gantt says it is a the and says a Gantt supports Lea Kennedy a racial quota Law that makes skin color More important than your  the commercial is Only the Blu test weapon in a Helms Arsenal that includes accusations not Only that Gantt supports quotas a a charge he denies a but a negations that the challenger personally profited from a special racial preference program in the award of television licenses. How did Harvey Gantt become a millionaire a asks j000 111061 another Helms commercial that began wednesday. A the used his position As mayor and his a a a a qty status to get himself and his mends a free to j station License from the government. Only weeks later 2 Solo out a to a White owned corporation for $3.5 Muon. The Black Community Felt betrayed but the Deal made the mayor a millionaire. Harvey Gantt made government work for Harvey  t9ntt s Campaign manager said in response to the Helms quota ads a Harvey Gantt is a Long a ppm nent of  Watt contended that race not a Factor in the award of the television License to a group of investors that included Gantt. Rat not sought to defuse the Helms accusations. A new commercial contends a Jesse Helms is running Helms Gantt another outrageous smear Campaign. This time he has gone too far. Look at what 18 years of Jesse Helms has Cost us. Sat scores 49th in the nation a third of our kids dropping out of school 900 toxic waste  Helms however sought to turn Gantt a attacks on his record in education into an Issue heavily tinged with race. Appearing personally in a new and Helms declares a for 20 years the Washington liberals have controlled education. Twenty years of mistakes forced busing neighbourhood schools wrecked plummeting sat scores and now comes Ted Kennedy a quota Bill a hiring teachers based on racial quotas and not  while Helms mounted his final week television assault the North Carolina gop sent out postcards to newly registered voters and voters whose addresses appeared to conflict with other lists obtained by the gop. The postcards targeted to precincts with High democratic turnout warn that a it is a Federal crime punishable by up to five years in jail to knowingly give false information about your name residence or period of residence to an election  Jack Hawke head of the state gop acknowledged that a historically and traditionally the Black precincts Are the most democratic and therefore were at the top of the list to get the cards. Faced with accusations that earlier ballot Security programs were designed to prevent Blacks from voting the Republican National committee promised in a series of consent agreements in Federal court in 1982 and 1986 to a refrain from undertaking any ballot Security activities in polling places or election districts where the racial or ethnic composition of such districts is a . Akaka faces threat from Saiki by the Washington Post Honolulu a in Ordinary times and under Ordinary circumstances sen. Daniel k. Akaka a Hawaii  have any reason to worry. He is a Democrat running in one of the country a most heavily democratic states a one of Only six states carried by Jimmy Carter in 1980, and one of the 10 that Michael s. Dukakis won in 1988. A Akaka is also a political Veteran a native hawaiian who has served seven terms As one of the states two representatives in the House of representatives. But these Are not Ordinary times for politics in Hawaii a a mix of ethnicity gender and a rapidly changing electoral base have combined to make the Senate race closely contested. Akaka a Republican opponent two term rep. Pat Saiki is japanese american and a woman and she is cutting deeply into what has Long been considered the democratic party score constituency. The latest poll published wednesday by the Honolulu advertiser shows the Akaka Saiki race a virtual toss up with Saiki slightly ahead 45 to 42 percent with 11 percent undecided. The poll found Strong support for Saiki among caucasians who Back her by a 58-to-33 percent margin. In addition she is winning 47 percent of the male vote and 44 percent of the women a vote. Saiki also benefits from a Large crossover by traditional democrats a most of them japanese americans who appear to be abandoning their party to support one of their own. The poll showed Saiki winning 38 percent of the japanese american vote with another 16 percent of these voters undecided. Japanese americans account for about a third of the electorate. Akaka has stressed his democratic roots. His television commercials feature his endorsements from groups that traditionally Back Liberal candidates. And following the theme of other democrats around the county he has tried to paint Saiki As the candidate of the wealthy who supports tax Breaks for the Rich