LOCAL POLLS IN U.S.

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27190, 6 November 1953, Page 11

LOCAL POLLS IN U.S.

Heavy Blow To Republicans . (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Nov. 4. President Eisenhower today described the Republican defeats in yesterday’s local elections as the loss of a “skirmish,” but added that he still hoped the Congressional elections next year would yield a “thumping majority’’ for the Republicans. At the same time, political observers at Washington were unanimous in saying that the Republican Administration had been jolted by the Democratic triurhphs at the polls yesterday. The loss by the Republicans of the New Jersey byrelection cut the majority in the House to two.

The Democrats captured the New Jersey Governorship for the first time in 10 years. Both New Jersey elections had been regarded in advance as a test of the prestige of the Eisenhower Administration.

Democrats said the results portended a comeback for the party in 1954 and 1956.

The Republicans generally conceded they are In trouble, but many argued that the setback was temporary and would be erased when Mr Eisenhower’s programme was acted upon next year. In Kansas City, the former President, Mr Truman, said he was a happy man. He said the returns showed the people still believed in the New Deal and the Fair Deal programmes. To some veteran Republicans, the Democratic victories were a penalty on the Republicans for not cutting taxes. The Democrats offered other reasons. Typical was the comment of Senator Lestor Hunt (Wyoming), who said the city vote expressed dissatisfaction with the continued high cost of living and showed that the people did not like to be “under a Government so completely dominated by millionaires.”

“Blow to Prestige” Reuter’s political correspondent said the Republican defeats had served notice on the party’s leaders today that tney could no longer rely on Mr Eisenhower’s personal popularity to assure continued control of Congress in next year’s elections. The Democrats, he said, were “jubilantly hailing the analysis of the returns as a trend towards a Democratic Congress. The shaken Republican leaders are not concealing their concern over the results and their interpretation of them as a danger signal and a blow to Republican prestige.” The chairman of the Republican National Committee (Mr Leonard Hall) candidly admitted: “As of today we are in trouble politically.” The capture by the Democrats of the Republican Congressional seat in. New Jersey puts the Congressional party strength at 218 Republicans, 215 Democrats and one Independent, with one Republican seat vacant. The - vacant seat will be filled after an election in California next Tuesday. In the Senate, the Republicans have 47 seats, the Democrats 48, and there is one Independent.