Lewis Defeats Civil Rights Ally Bond in Georgia Vote

Former Atlanta Councilman John Lewis scored a dramatic come-from-behind victory Tuesday over Julian Bond in a Georgia Democratic congressional runoff that turned the longtime civil rights allies into bitter rivals.

In Florida, Sen. Paula Hawkins easily captured the Republican nomination for a second term, and Democratic Gov. Bob Graham won the right to challenge her. In the crowded race to succeed Graham, a Latino ex-mayor led the GOP field, while two candidates were headed for a runoff on the Democratic side.

Winners in Nevada

And in Nevada, Democratic Rep. Harry Reid and former Rep. Jim Santini, a Democrat turned Republican, were apparently winning party nominations to succeed GOP Sen. Paul Laxalt.

In Georgia’s heavily Democratic 5th District, with all but one precinct reporting, Lewis had 34,443 votes to 32,162 votes for Bond.

Bond, who had captured 47% of the vote against six candidates in the Aug. 12 primary, led most of the evening. But Lewis pulled ahead on returns from mainly white precincts in the majority black district.

“This is a victory. It was a great victory. It was a victory for the people,” Lewis said. “I felt in my gut from the day I announced that I would win.”

Republican Opponent

Lewis will face Republican journalist Portia Scott in November. The district has not sent a Republican to Congress since 1873.

With 72% of Florida’s precincts reporting, Hawkins had 333,841 votes to 44,022 for Ocean Ridge Mayor Jon Larsen Shudlick. Graham, completing his second term, had 561,997 votes and Bob Kunst, a gay rights activist, had 102,769.

In Nevada, Santini, one of the Democrats who in 1981 helped push President Reagan’s budget and tax cuts through Congress, was trouncing two political unknowns for the Senate nomination, based on early returns.

The early totals gave Reid 79% of the votes in the Democratic primary.

Gov. Richard H. Bryan, seeking a second term, held an apparently insurmountable lead over Las Vegas businessman Herb Tobman in the Democratic primary.

State Treasurer Patty Cafferata was the apparent victor in a field of five for the GOP nomination.