University of Virginia Library

Democrats Retain

Republicans Capture Two Seats
In Senate, Lose Governorships

In the wake of a fierce and emotional
campaign, the bits and pieces of the
political contests show no clear-cut
victory for the Nixon strategy, as the
Democrats held control of both houses.
Though the Democrats have retained
control, the Republicans increased their
Senate forces by at least two seats, while
the Democrats had a net gain in the
House of Representatives of at least nine
seats.

Several contests that the Republican
campaigners and coffers had emphasized
backfired, most notably that of Texas
George H. Bush, the bright face that the
Republicans were reportedly breeding to
take Spiro Agnew's place on the 1972
ticket. His opponent, conservative
Democrat Lloyd M. Bentson Jr.,
overcame party divisions to defeat the
Administration candidate.

Tennessee's William Brock

Tennessee probably produced the most
bitter loss for the Democratic forces, as
conservative candy-millionaire William Brock
defeated liberal Albert Gore, the "Grey Fox"
of the Volunteer State. Senator Gore was the
number one target of the Nixon strategy, but
the Tennessee victory was the only clear-cut
win for the GOP in the South.

"A year and a half of attention directed to
the Southern Strategy has not worked for the
Administration," noted Democratic National
Chairman Lawrence O'Brien yesterday.

Cramer, Bush Defeated

President Nixon's final Southern sweep a
week before the election took him into Florida
and Texas where William C. Cramer and George
Bush had been persuaded to give up relatively
safe seats in the House of Representatives to
run for the Senate. Mr. Cramer was soundly
defeated in the Florida race by State Senator
Lawton Chiles.

Claude Kirk, governor of Florida, was
thoroughly trounced by State Senator Reuben
Askey, and the GOP lost another state house in
Arkansas, where Winthrop Rockefeller was
defeated by political newcomer Dale Bumpers.
Both Mr. Rockefeller and Mr. Kirk had been
their states' first Republican governors since
Reconstruction.

In South Carolina, where Strom Thurmond
and Spiro Agnew stumped for the Republican
candidates, Democratic Lieutenant Governor
John C. West defeated Representative Albert W.
Watson for the governor's chair.

In New York, long a traditional stronghold
of liberalism, Conservative James Buckley was
elected as the first third party senator in three
decades, defeating liberal Republican Charles
Goodell and moderate-liberal Democrat
Richard Ottinger. The Conservative Party win is
the party's first in its history.

In California, John V. Tunney, son of the
undefeated heavyweight champion, ousted
former actor George Murphy from the Senate,
overcoming the political undertow of Governor
Ronald Reagan's reelection victory.

Stevenson Victory

In Illinois, Adlai E. Stevenson III won a
landslide victory over Ralph Tyler Smith. The
reputation of this family name and his lopsided
victory establishes him as a bright spot in the
Democratic picture.

In Maryland, however, J. Glenn Beall Jr., the
Administration's candidate, defeated
Democratic Senator Joseph D. Tydings, who
had unseated Mr. Beall's father in 1964.

Robert Taft Jr. of Ohio followed in his
father's footsteps, the "Mr. Republican" of his
time, to win a narrow victory over liberal