Abdnor’s Victory Highlight of Primaries in Four States

South Dakota’s Republican Sen. James Abdnor defeated Republican Gov. William J. Janklow in a struggle for their party’s U.S. Senate nomination Tuesday, a contest that was the most closely watched among those for statewide offices in four states in the Midwest, South and Southwest.

With 1,074 of 1,184 precincts reporting, Abdnor had 52,873 votes or 54% in unofficial returns, while Janklow had 45,774 or 46%.

Elsewhere, Democrats vied for gubernatorial and senatorial nominations in Alabama and Iowa, while Republicans competed for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in New Mexico.

The primary in South Dakota commanded the most national attention because the seat held by Abdnor was one Democrats were particularly hopeful of capturing this November in their effort to gain control of the Senate, where the Republicans now hold a 53-47 edge.

Daschle Unopposed

Democratic Rep. Thomas A. Daschle, the state’s only congressman, was unopposed for the Democratic Senate nomination, and polls indicated that he would be a formidable candidate.

Janklow, who has served two terms as governor, was barred from succeeding himself and decided to challenge Abdnor, his longtime ally, because of the senator’s perceived weakness as the result of the troubled farm economy in the state.

Mindful of concern among party leaders that his candidacy would be divisive, the colorful and often provocative Janklow restrained his rhetoric while arguing that Abdnor was not an effective spokesman for South Dakota in Washington and that he would have trouble defeating the popular Daschle.

For his part, Abdnor defended himself with commercials arguing that it would be wrong for South Dakota Republicans to “fire” their incumbent senator and with last-minute newspaper ads criticizing Janklow as “dictatorial” and hot tempered.

In the governor’s race in South Dakota, among the Democrats, with 1,074 of 1,184 precincts reporting, state Rep. Lars Herseth had a commanding lead, with 28,494 votes or 44%; former Gov. Dick Kneip had 24,578 or 38%; and Public Utilities Commissioner Ken Stofferahn, 11,781 or 18%.

GOP Primary

In the GOP primary for governor, with the same number of precincts reporting, former lawyer George Mickelson had 34,474 or 35%; former U.S. Rep. Clint Roberts had 31,915 votes, or 32%; Lt. Gov. Lowell Hansen, 18,684, or 19%; and Secretary of State Alice Kundert, 13,915 or 14%.

A June 17 runoff would be ordered if no candidate got 35% of the vote.

In neighboring Iowa, where Republican Gov. Terry Branstad was unopposed for renomination but believed to be vulnerable because of some of the same Farm Belt dissatisfaction that plagued South Dakota, the hottest primary competition was among Democrats seeking their party’s nomination to challenge him. With 48% of the vote counted the totals were: former Senate Majority Leader Lowell Junkins 32,651 votes, or 52%; Lt. Gov. Robert Anderson 21,598 votes, or 34%; and Des Moines Sen. George Kinley 6,833 votes, or 11%.

For the Senate, Republican incumbent Sen. Charles E. Grassley was unopposed and considered by many politicians in the state to be all but unbeatable. Des Moines lawyer John Roehrick was seeking the Democratic nomination, opposed by Juan Cortez, a supporter of Lyndon H. LaRouche Jr.

In a three-way battle for the Republican congressional nomination in Iowa’s 6th District, Fred Grandy, who played Purser Gopher Smith on television’s “The Love Boat,” easily defeated two opponents.

In Alabama, where George C. Wallace is leaving the governor’s mansion from which he had long dominated state politics, four Democrats were competing for the chance to succeed him.

Alabama Voting

With 2,602 of 4,230 precincts reporting, Lt. Gov. Bill Baxley had 199,860 votes, or 36%; Atty. Gen. Charles Graddick had 164,643 votes, or 30%; former Gov. Fob James had 116,643, or 21%; and former Lt. Gov. George McMillan had 68,350, or 12%. Baxley and Graddick will meet in a June 24 runoff to decide the Democratic nominee.

In the Republican primary, Guy Hunt easily won the gubernatorial nomination, defeating Doug Carter by a 2-1 margin. But party strategists conceded privately that their nominee would have little chance of success in the Democratic state.

For the Senate, Republican incumbent Sen. Jeremiah Denton easily defeated lawyer Richard Vickers to win renomination.

In the Democratic primary for senator, with 38% of precincts reporting, U.S. Rep. Richard C. Shelby had 232,936 votes, or 53%, Jim Allen Jr., son of the late senator from the state, had 149,594, or 34%, Ted McLaughlin of Anniston had 33,819, or 8%, Mrs. Frank Ross Stewart had 15,548 votes, or 4%, and LaRouche supporter Steve Arnold of Birmingham had 8,670, or 2%.

New Mexico Contenders

In New Mexico, where Democratic Gov. Toney Anaya cannot succeed himself, Ray Powell, retired vice president of Sandia National Laboratories, won over two write-in candidates for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

In the Republican primary, with 25% of the vote counted, former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Interior Garrey E. Carruthers was leading with 34%, followed by former state Rep. Colin McMillan with 30%. Others in the race were former state Rep. Frank M. Bond, former state Sen. Joseph Mercer, former state Sen. Paul Becht and highway contractor William Jay Loomis.

In a key congressional primary New Jersey, Democratic Rep. Peter W. Rodino Jr., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, turned back a challenge from Newark Councilman Donald Payne, a black, and won renomination in the mostly black district that Rodino has represented for 19 terms. With 85% of the precincts reporting, Rodino had 20,820 votes, or 59% to Payne’s 12,867, or 36%.