Rockefeller Wins Oregon Primary Poll

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30443, 18 May 1964, Page 13

Rockefeller Wins Oregon Primary Poll

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PORTLAND (Oregon), May 17. Governor Nelson Rockefeller of New York has scored a surprise runaway win in the Oregon Republican primary election. It was the first time that all six Republican presidential candidates—declared and undeclared—had met at the polls.

With more than 70 per cent of votes counted Mr Rockefeller had polled 75,304, Mr Henry Cabot Lodge (Ambassador in South Vietnam) 55,543, Senator Barry Goldwater 38,731, and the former vice-president, Mr Richard Nixon 4163.

Senator Margaret Chase Smith, of Maine, and Governor William Scranton, of Pennsylvania, trailed far behind. Governor Rockefeller. Senator Goldwater and Senator Smith are the only declared Republican presidential candidates.

Supporters of the other three wrote their names in at the poll. Lodge supporters claimed the result meant that “a mod-

erate, middle-of-the-road r» publican is going to be nominated at the convention.”

There have been reports that Mr Lodge's supporters will join forces with the Rockefeller machine in next month’s California primary in order to stop Senator Goldwater, a right-wing politician. Mr Rockefeller was the only man to campaign actively in Oregon. Mr Goldwater had said earlier he did not expect to win, and was concentrating on California where he faces a straight fight with Mr Rockefeller, with no write-ins permitted.

The winner in Oregon gets 18 delegates pledged to vote for him on the first ballot at the nominating convention. In California, the winner

will receive 86. Mr Goldwater has shown his respect for California by making 50 speeches there this year. It is also the home state of Mr Nixon, who the senator has said all along is the man to beat

President Johnson was the only name on the Democratic Party ballot papers.