CAMPAIGN ’88 : Dukakis Picks Up More Congressional Backers

With Michael S. Dukakis’ campaign rolling towards the Democratic presidential nomination, seven more U.S. senators and 18 members of the House of Representatives climbed on board Wednesday in Washington.

The endorsements included eight from California congressmen: Anthony C. Beilenson, George E. Brown Jr., Vic Fazio, Tom Lantos, Leon E. Panetta, Nancy Pelosi, Pete Stark and Esteban E. Torres.

Dukakis joined the Californians at a news conference with about 35 members of “Go West ‘88,” an ad hoc Democratic contingent dedicated to winning Western states.

“We are not going to concede one single state to the Republicans, not one,” he vowed.

Dukakis met earlier at his hotel with Tennessee Sen. Albert Gore Jr., who suspended his presidential campaign last month. The two had “a good meeting,” Dukakis said, but he declined to provide details. More than 400 delegates are still nominally pledged to Gore.

The latest Senate endorsements came from Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, Quentin N. Burdick of North Dakota, John B. Breaux of Louisiana, Dennis DeConcini of Arizona, Wendell H. Ford of Kentucky, Harry Reid of Nevada and Terry Sanford of North Carolina. All told, according to Dukakis’ campaign, the Massachusetts governor has been endorsed by 27 senators and 81 House members.