European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jesse Helms divisive racial tactics by Joe drape Cox nows service the stakes were North Carolina s somewhat dubious reputation As the South s most progressive state. Harvey Gantt who is Black came to the table with education environment and Good government cards in his hand sen. Jesse Helms who is White relied on a familiar and divisive Trump card a a Winner played in three previous terms. It was one that Merle Black an Emory University political science professor called simply Quot a Wake up Call Tor White  White North carolinians apparently heeded the Call. Helms will return to Washington for his fourth term after reversing an 8-Polnt poll deficit with a pointed racial attack in the campaigns final Days to beat his democratic challenger 54 percent to 46 percent. The result has left tar Heel voters and analysts wondering How progressive is a state that boasts Raleigh a research Triangle one of the nation s highest concentration of , while ranking near the Bottom in the nation on sat scores. Or How the nation s sixth ranked financial Center Charlotte funnels Money from the state with the highest infant mortality rate. And ultimately How an aging Hartline gop conservative such As Jesse Helms won in a predominantly democratic state Over a challenger who pushed a new South Agenda that had made political Folk heroes of former North Carolina goes. Luther Hodges and Jim Hunt and current . Sen Terry Sanford Quot that claim of progressiveness has been overplayed Quot said Thad Beyle a political scientist at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Quot we re not farther along the Trail As we have wanted to  statistically perhaps North Carolina has lived up to its recent Quot Meg state Quot Billing and economic Benchmark of the South. While it is the nation s 10th most populous state North Carolinas 4 percent unemployment rate is the lowest among the top 11 largest states. It has seen a recent burst of Prosperity a jumping from 44th to 34th nationally in per capita income Over the past several years a and has led the nation in manufacturing plants added in each of the past three years. About 100,000 new jobs annually have been posted in recent years. Gantt the former mayor of Charlotte tirelessly pushed his High minded Campaign of education Reform reduced defense spending and legislative environmental consciousness from the mountains in the West to the scrub land of the impoverished East. He concentrated primarily on the Urban areas of Charlotte Raleigh Durham Winston Salem and Greensboro where the greatest concentration of Blacks White transplants and More educated voters reside. Gantt gambled that his social Agenda would capture voters such As Charlotte Junior High school teacher Kenneth Medders. Quot for 18 years in be lived with Jesse Helms brazenly being against me Quot Medders said. Quot he has done so Little for education that i can to even Xerox materials for my students because of no Money. That a like asking a Carpenter to build something without  Gantt was Able to weather blistering television attacks on his support for the National endowment for the arts and abortion rights and opposition to the death penalty. His counterattacks against the incumbent s record on education and the environment in fact propelled him into a significant polling Lead. But in the final Days of the Campaign Helms resorted to a tactic that had suited him in each of his three previous elections a racial divisiveness. It is the element of his political career that has endeared him to mostly Rural  Quot or. Helms explicitly polarized the state on racial lines Quot Black said. Sharon Pratt Dixon outspoken . Winner by Susan Baer Baltimore Sun when District of Columbia mayoral candidate Sharon Pratt Dixon first started wooing supporters Back in 1988, she would invite them to lunch and ask for their advice on what she could do to wage a successful Campaign. Mark Plotkin had a simple answer Quot Start saying hello to  Quot she a not a very gregarious person Quot said Plotkin news director of Washington s Amu pm who served with Dixon for five years on the executive committee of the . Democratic party. Her smite May have beamed from Ward to Ward As she sailed into the mayoral Post with a sweeping 86 percent of the vote and a Promise to Quot clean  but friends and family say that such ebullience is rare Tor the Home grown lawyer and former Utility company executive. Quot during the Campaign we kept having to remind her Sharon smite Quot said Patrice White Dixon s personal Secretary of 10 years. Quot it s just her natural inclination not to smile. She s a thinker a very serious  but that Tough serious nature coupled with a Sharp strident Tongue a she was the first to condemn . Mayor Marlon s. Barryjr. And described her three . Council member competitors As Quot three Blind mice Quot a secured for Dixon Hec first elected Public office and turned her Longshot candidacy into what some have called a Quot Cinderella  Page 14 a a a the stars and stripes Quot it took incredible guts to take on the established heavyweight politicians in town and Tell them off in no Uncertain terms said car Rowan jr., a lawyer and former John Ray Campaign staffer. Quot she Sall business. As Tough As she can  a Petite stylish woman a third generation washingtonian and graduate of , Public schools Howard University and its Law school Dixon 46, left her $140,000 a year Job As vice president for Public policy at Potomac electric Power company last year in Pursuit of the City s top position. Quot i think she thought she could make a difference Quot said Ron Walters political science professor at Howard University. Early on she faced a horde of Veteran democratic politicians including Barry and had very Little funding. Her political experience ranked mostly at the National level a she had been treasurer of the democratic National committee and . Committee woman to the . She cast herself As a political fresh face surrounded herself by Young staffers and volunteers a Quot not the Marion Barry crowd of seasoned politicians Quot said Walters a and vowed to shake up and clean up the fiscally and socially ailing City. Quot i think she wrote a script for herself that said to going to win a and she believed it Quot said Lynn Cutler vice chairman of the . Dixon divorced from former . City Council chairman Arrington l. Dixon is Mother of two College aged daughters. A amp t Alaska 1 Hawaii 2 i map gives a Post election state by state View of party Power As Well As the number of House seats per state. The nation s legislative Power Structure will shift in 1992 when redistricting based on the 1990 census will mean a gain or a loss of House seats for some states. Redistricting who log it squeezed out by John King associated press new York reps Chuck Schumer and Stephen Solarz won re election with 80 percent of the vote but they might already be thinking about their next jobs. Redistricting could put them out of work in 1992, the once a decade debate now begins to get personal 19 House districts need to be erased in 13 states that lost population in the 1980s. In the big ego ambition filled world of politics that won t be easy. The decisions will be made next year in most cases by state Legislatures. If history is any guide members of Congress who could be affected by the plans will have considerable input in person and through contributions to state lawmakers who draft the plans. A the thing we fear most is being thrown into a District with another colleague Quot rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois said last year. Quot we Are at the tender mercy of those whose agendas Are not necessarily our  in most states losing seats including All losing More than one Power of redistricting is shared Between democrats and republicans that generally Means the losses or at key state name number of seats x number of seats it is expected to gain lose in 92 democrats control state legislature and governorship republicans control state legislature and governorship split controls amps Sharon Killday is the risk of losses will be shared too. Because available census data a ostensibly the guide redistricting a is preliminary and the process so plex its difficult to say with any certainty who will be ezed out or forced into a race with another incumbent cd retirements or bids for other office would affect the Jicome. New York will lose three seats. A Republican District in North of the state Likely will be eliminated probably rep Paxon s. And two districts in new York City Are Merable leading to speculation that Brooklyn districts presented by Schumer and Solarz could be merged. 3ut the possibilities Are nearly endless in the 20-District 3ueens Democrat James Scheuer will be 72 in 1992 and uld retire or be squeezed out. Democrats Schumer or Larz might Challenge Republican sen. Alfonse do Amato. F retirements ambition or other developments Don t be the third Cut Clear Republican Bill Green and Socrat Ted Weiss might find themselves in the same strict he other states losing seats Are Pennsylvania -2to -2illinois -2michigan -2massachusetts -1a Jersey -1kentucky -1west Virginia -1louisianakansas -1iowa -1and Montana -1. I >.ma8aniniiii4ny a a a my of i let Aroner att Dixon of Washington . Jul iwo pledged a a clean sweep to Wake of the anon Barry drug conviction arrives at a polling Pla Meitlon Day with a Broom carrying supporter saturday Leer 10, 1990 a Pete Wilson pledge of budget Reform by Jay Mathews Washington Post California Republican sen. Pete Wilson cautiously celebrating his election As governor of a state in an angry anti government mood has promised to Reform the state budget and respect anti tax sentiments that poured out of voting Booths. But the politically explosive Victory of an initiative limiting state political terms coupled with defeat of All but a few Money raising measures on the ballot significantly increased chances of a Long and bitter struggle Over California s finances and the political futures of nearly every prominent state officeholder. Quot the voters were saying the tax revolt is not dead Quot Wilson said at a news conference in san Diego crowded with supporters chanting Quot Pete Pete Pete Pete Quot in the City he once served As mayor. In a gesture to democrats who control the state legislature Wilson warmly praised his opponent former san Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein who called him Early wednesday morning to concede defeat and offer help. He said she Quot gave it 110 percent Quot and that his relationship with her Quot is a Friendship that i look Forward to  but he also warned that if legislative democrats Quot Are seeking to be vengeful to me and to the Public i done to think the Public will tolerate  unofficial incomplete returns from All precincts gave Wilson a closer than expected Victory 48.8 percent to 46.2 percent in the nation s most important governorship race this year the Victory guarantees some Republican control Over redistricting of 52 congressional seals the largest delegation in the country and automatically makes Wilson the subject of speculation As a contender for National office. Wilson a first decision As governor May be one of his most important a selecting someone to fill his . Senate seat until the 1992 election. He has promised an appointment in tune with his political views particularly his support for abortion rights. Speculation wednesday entered on Carla Hills . Trade representative former rep. De Zschau or state sen. John Seymour. But Wilson said he had Only begun to think about the appointment and gave no hints. Ann Richards Lone Star Surprise Victor by David Maraniss Washington Post when it was All Over when the melodrama known As Quot Claytie and the lady Quot finally ended the Only figure still Riding High in the Macho world of Lone Star politics was the lady. Democrat Ann Richards a resilient 57-year-old grandmother governor elect of Texas and the most visible if not the most powerful female elected official in the United states. Her come from behind Victory Over Republican Clayton Williams was so stunning that Richards first words to herself the morning after the election were Quot this can to quite be real Quot she said she had to turn on the television and see the Victory Check Mark next to her name to be sure that it was. She Defeated Williams 51 to 49 percent. Not Only did she pull it out after trailing Williams by 15 percentage Points in the polls but she won in convincing fashion carrying upscale Republican Dallas Good Ole boy East Texas and every Section of the state except Williams Home turf out West the election outcome offered two divergent but equally compelling tales. One was the Rise of Richards to an office of critical importance to state and National democrats and to what is without question a starring role in the women a political movement. A there will be a lot of Little girls who open their history texts to see my picture a i Hope along with Barbara Jordan s a and they will say a if she can do it so can i Quot Richards said referring to the former Texas representative. Quot the significance is enormous. It is sociological change not just governmental change it Means the doors Are going to be open to  on the other Side was the self destruction of Williams the millionaire oilman Cowboy who proved that no amount of Money a not even $9 million of his Fortune and $20 million altogether a can save a candidate from his worst instincts. Quot she did no twin it so much As he lost it Quot said political scientist Jerry Polinard of the University of Texas pan american reflecting the assessment of Many Texas political observers. Quot it was kind of like the Nightmare where the football player picks up the bail and starts running in the wrong direction. Williams started running three weeks ago and. He was going the wrong direction when he passed Richards on election Day  after establishing a reputation for being Loose lipped and Gaffe prone Early in the Campaign Williams did himself in with a steady series of late mistakes presumably shoving a massive bloc of undecided voters to the Richards column. Exit polls showed that nearly half the Richards voters made up their minds in the final month a Quarter in the last week. First Williams called Richards a liar and refused to shake her hand at a televised luncheon in Dallas an a chivalrous act that apparently turned the Republican women of North Texas against him. Then it became apparent during a television interview that he had no knowledge of the Only constitutional amendment on the ballot playing into Richards s Contention that Texas needed a governor with experience and expertise in state affairs. And finally in a statement that Hurt him deeply among the Blue Collar voters of East Texas he confessed he had not paid a cent of income tax in 1986. Harrison Hickman pollster for the Richards Campaign said interviews with prospective voters in focus groups in Dallas oct 4 convinced him that women of All ideologies Quot were ready primed to rally around Ann Quot after being Quot antagonized by chauvinistic remarks by  from then on Hickman said television consultant Robert d. Squier crafted commercials focusing on Williams gaffes and Richards and her advisers looked for More opportunities to Pound away on the notion that Williams was simply not up to the Job a opportunities that the self proclaimed Quot Good Ole boy Quot from Midland amply provided. The stars and stripes a a a Page 15