The Nation : Mayor Hatcher Defeated

Gary, Ind., Mayor Richard Hatcher, one of the first black mayors of a large American city, was defeated in his battle for nomination to a sixth term by former supporter Thomas V. Barnes. With 96% of the vote counted in the Democratic mayoral race, Barnes had 57% and Hatcher had 43%. Hatcher has been mayor since 1967, when he and Carl Stokes of Cleveland became the nation’s first black mayors of major cities. During his campaign, Barnes, who also is black, charged that Gary, which has a population of 155,000 people, is crumbling and blamed Hatcher.