A bitter primary campaign for governor of California is winding down in a flurry of television commercials, while North Carolina Democrats are choosing a challenger to Republican Sen. Jesse Helms. All told, candidates in nine states are vying for support Tuesday, 1990's busiest primary election day so far.
Democrats Dianne Feinstein and John Van de Kamp have spent months attacking each other's positions on abortion, the death penalty and how to deal with California's $3.6 billion budget deficit.Polls suggested their race was a dead heat as they entered the last weekend of the primary campaign.
On the Republican side, Sen. Pete Wilson faced only token primary opposition and sat on a huge campaign war chest as he waited to learn which Democrat would be his opponent in the race to succeed retiring Gov. George Deukmejian, a Republican.
In North Carolina, Harvey Gantt and Mike Easley were in a runoff for the Democratic Senate nomination. Gantt, the former mayor of Charlotte, finished first in a six-way primary May 8 but failed to get the 40 percent necessary to avoid a runoff with the second-place finisher.
Meanwhile, Helms has started running television ads accusing the Democrats of throwing mud at him.
Voters also will go to the polls Tuesday in Alabama, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota.
In Alabama, five Democrats are battling for the right to challenge Gov. Guy Hunt, the first Republican elected governor of the state since Reconstruction. The contenders are state Attorney General Don Siegelman, former Gov. Fob James, U.S. Rep. Ronnie Flippo, state Sen. Charles Bishop, and Paul Hubbert, executive director of the Alabama Education Association.
Sen. Howell Heflin, D-Ala., and Republican state Sen. Bill Cabannis were assured of their party nominations, setting up a face-off in November.
Abortion was the big issue in Iowa, where three Democrats were vying to take on GOP Gov. Terry Branstad, an opponent of legalized abortion. The Iowa chapter of the National Abortion Rights Action League endorsed Don Avenson, speaker of the Iowa House, a move that provoked an angry response from banker John Chrystal, who, like Avenson, supports legal abortion.
NARAL's decision to weigh in was believed aimed at the third Democrat, Attorney General Tom Miller, an opponent of abortion. Miller was an early favorite in the race and NARAL leaders were concerned the fall election would be between two opponents of abortion.
In the Senate primary in Iowa, incumbent Democrat Tom Harkin and his GOP challenger, Rep. Tom Tauke, were assured of their party nominations.
Another crowded field was battling in Democratic and Republican gubernatorial primaries in New Mexico, where incumbent Garrey Carruthers, a Republican, was ineligible to seek a second term.
For the first time in the state's history, the governor elected in 1990 will be allowed to serve two consecutive four-year terms.
The leading contenders on the Democratic side were Albuquerque lawyer Paul Bardacke and rancher Bruce King, who already has served eight years as governor, elected first in 1970 and again in 1978.
Regarded as the top GOP contenders were Frank Bond, a former legislator and education commissioner, and Les Houston, the leader of the state Senate.
Four Republicans were competing in Montana to challenge Democratic Sen. Max Baucus. Two years ago, underdog GOP challenger Conrad Burns toppled Democratic Sen. John Melcher, and the Republicans are hoping to repeat that success this year. Vying to take on Baucus were Lt. Gov. Allen Kolstad, state Sen. Bill Farrell, and businessmen John Domenech and Bruce Vorhauer.
The November lineups were virtually assured for Senate races in New Jersey and New Mexico, where Democrat Bill Bradley and Republican Pete Domenici were heavily favored for re-election. In South Dakota, Republican Larry Pressler will be challenged in November by Democrat Ted Muenster. In Mississippi, no Democrat filed to oppose Republican Sen. Thad Cochran.
Abortion was just one of the issues raised in the heated California gubernatorial primary.
The California governor's office was the biggest prize in the 1990 elections. The Democrats control the legislature, and if they can recapture the governor's office, the party will have the political advantage next year when lines are redrawn for the state's congressional districts. With 45 seats, California already has the largest House delegation and the state is expected to gain six more as a result of the 1990 Census.
The Republicans recruited Wilson, re-elected to the Senate in 1988, to run for governor. Van de Kamp, the state attorney general, was the early favorite for the Democratic nomination. But Feinstein, the former mayor of San Francisco, surprised many observers with the strength of her campaign.