European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 8, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 a the stars and stripes thursday november 8,1990democrats gain House seats according to Early returns Washington a democrats moved to strengthen their longstanding grip on the House in tuesdays election even As voters tossed out several entrenched incumbents. The majority party wrested four seats from the republicans and threatened to take 10 More. Gop candidates captured two previously democratic seats and led in another four. Voters elected the first socialist to the House since 1929 and the first Black Republican since 1935. Incumbents were turned out in Florida Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania and Vermont. Rep. Newt Gingrich the combative no. 2 House Republican Leader was running neck and neck in his rematch against Democrat David Worley in a suburban Atlanta District. Gingrich led the opposition to the bipartisan budget Deal reached by president Bush and Congress. In Vermont freshman incumbent Republican Peter Smith was ousted in favor of Bernard Sanders the socialist former mayor of Burlington. Sanders handily Defeated Smith who had created an awkward situation when he publicly distanced himself from Bush while standing at Bush a Side during a presidential trip to Vermont to stump for the gop candidate. Voters in Connecticut elected the first Black Republican to serve in the House since Oscar de priest of Illinois during the depression. Waterbury Alderman Gary Franks dashed the comeback Hopes of former democratic rep. Toby Moffett in a seat vacated by a Republican. Conservative Republican Stan Parris decisively lost his seat in the Virginia suburbs of Washington to former Alexandria mayor James Moran who had made Parrish anti abortion stand a major Issue. In Florida Democrat turned Republican Bill Grant was soundly Defeated by Democrat Pete Peterson a retired air Force colonel who made Grants 1989 party switch an Issue. And Maryland voters evicted five term Democrat Roy Dyson who had been plagued by character accusations choosing instead Republican Wayne Gilchrest a High school teacher who has never held Public office. Republicans also lost an open seat race in Rhode Island where Democrat John f. Reed Defeated Trudy Coxe for the seat vacated by Republican rep. Claudine Schneider. They also lost an open seat in Little Rock ark., where former rep. Ray Thornton succeeded in a comeback bid against Republican Jim Keet. In an affluent suburban Pittsburgh District attorney Rick Santorum shocked seven term democratic rep. Doug Wal Gren by hitting anti incumbent themes Bernard Sanders gets encouragement from a supporter As he votes in Burlington it. Like the congressional pay raise and Spe Cial interest political Money in his Campaign. A member of the armed services committee Dyson had barely survived a Challenge by Gilchrest in 1988 when Dyson was hampered by accusations of conflict of interest involving defense contractor Campaign Money. This year it was revealed that Dyson had escaped service in the Vietnam War by claiming conscientious objector status a in contrast to his hawkish defense views since entering the House. Several other incumbents were in extremely close races to hang onto their jobs Mcl uding several not previously thought to be in danger. The list included reps. Chuck Douglas r-n.h., John Hiler r-ind., Olympia Snower Maine Chester Atkins d-mass., Jack Buechner r-mo., Denny Smith r-ore., and James Mcclure Clarke . In Kentucky three term rep. Carl Perkins narrowly survived a scare from Republican will t. Scott a former circuit judge eking out a 2,000-vote Victory. Going into election Day analysts on both sides were predicting republicans would slip further into the minority los ing from six to 12 seats despite reported widespread voter disaffection with the Democrat controlled Congress. Starting from a democratic advantage of 258-175, with two vacancies additional gop losses would further hamper Bush a ability to push his legislative Agenda through Congress. The democrats have controlled the House since 1954. A if we do have some marginal gain i think its useful to democratic policy goals House speaker Thomas Foley d-wash., said in Advance of the voting. A we have a number of close issues including overrides of presidential vetoes where a handful of additional votes could make the difference. Foley cited As an example the civil rights Bill which was vetoed m the waning Days of the 101st Congress. The House vote to pass the Bill had been 273 to 154, 17 votes Short what would have been needed to override the presidents veto. Foley said the measure would be pressed again when the 102nd Congress convenes in january. A bolstered democratic majority will also carry a mandate to undertake a serious review of our National health delivery system a Foley said. A . House i socialist stuns Smith to win Vermont seat Montpelier it. A Bernard Sanders ousted rep. Peter Smith from the states Lone House seat tuesday becoming the first socialist in Congress in More than 60 years. With 32 percent of the precincts reporting the former mayor of Burlington had 28,596 votes or 55 percent to 21,056 votes or 41 percent for Smith a Republican. Sanders ran As an Independent for a seat in a chamber dominated by democrats and republicans. Smith Haa questioned How effective an Independent can be in Congress. Sanders who made his dissatisfaction with Congress a Campaign stance says hell ask to attend democratic strategy sessions. But its unclear whether he Wilt be admitted. Sanders says he a not a member of the socialist party but is a socialist a with a Small  the last time an Independent served in Congress was in 1975. Sanders Victory Marks the first election of a socialist to Congress since 1948, when Vito Marcan Tonio won a seat in new York state. During the race Smith accused Sanders of being sympathetic to the government in Cuba Ana not representing Vermont values. Sanders said Smith engaged in a vicious dishonest  the race Between Sanders 49, and Smith 44, was a rerun of their contest in 1988. Smith then was elected to Congress by about 3 percentage Points. Sanders a four term mayor of Burlington ran As an Independent. But he is a self avowed socialist who accused both major political parties of looking out for the interests of big business and the wealthy at the expense of the Middle class the poor and the elderly. Smith gained National attention in the waning Days of the Campaign when he publicly distanced himself from president Bush on the budget Compromise. Bush had made a Campaign visit to the state on the congressman s behalf. Sanders has been a persistent critic of the Federal tax Structure. The Basic economic Issue facing the country Sanders said is whether the United states will remain a nation in which a a Small handful of millionaires and billionaires maintain their control Over the economic and political resources of this country for their own  others Bush waited in line to cast vote from wire reports Houston a being president has its Perks but going to the head of a line at the polling Center is not one of them. President Bush capped a Tough election season tuesday by waiting like an Ordinary voter to cast his ballot standing patiently for about 10 minutes while half a dozen other houstonian went before him. Ronald Reagan would have handled this kind of election Day photo Opportunity by sweeping through in a grandiose blur. But Bush hates staged events and prefers a no fuss no majesty approach even in a Campaign season when his advisers have been coaching him to appear More presidential. As the president waited in line John h. Sununu his chief of staff stood on the sidelines and instructed Bush in a loud stage whisper on How to vote. A straight Republican ticket a Sununu advised dryly. Sununu swords had a certain resonance in a month when the president and his Strong willed aide have become so unpopular with republicans that time Magazine sardonically suggested Bush must be a democratic mole trying to destroy the Republican party from within. Although the presidents prestige was clearly on the line his advisers spent election Day loudly suggesting otherwise. The election was absolutely not a referendum on Bush they insisted. Even if republicans did not do Well it would have nothing to do with the president or the budget ordeal they said. Vice president Dan Quayle meanwhile cast his vote in his Hometown of Huntington ind., then spent a quiet morning before returning to Washington to catch up on paperwork his press Secretary David Beckwith said. Quayle spent monday night in Indianapolis where he campaigned All Day. It was a quiet finale to several months of intense campaigning by the vice president for Republican candidates across the nation. On tuesday morning he went to Huntington where Beckwith said he voted a a strict Republican