Kennedy topples Carter

Press, 27 March 1980, Page 8

Kennedy topples Carter

NZPA blew York Senator Edward Kennedy, riding a wave of Jewish resentment against President Jimmy Carter’s Middle East policies, won the important New York state presidential primary yesterday. Rebounding from a long string of defeats, Mr Kennedy also beat Mr Carter in the smaller neighbouring state of Connecticut.

George Bush won the Republican primary in Connecticut, gaining a comeback of his own, But supporters of Ronald Reagan won the majority of New York Republican delegates to swell his already commanding lead in nation-wide nominating strength. Jewish voters account for more than one-third of the Democratic electorate in New York state, and an Associated Press-National Broadcasting Company news poll found that they preferred Mr Kennedy by nearly four-to-one. Mr Kennedy had trailed Mr Carter in pre-election

polls in New York, althougi the polls showed that h< was gaining rapidly. With 91 per cent of returns counted Mr Kennedy swept 57 pei cent of the vote and wot 163 of New York’s 281 Democratic delegates to the party nominating convention. In Connecticut, with all precincts reporting, Mr Kennedy won 47 per cent of the vote to Mr Carter’s 41 pet cent.

In the Connecticut Republican race, Mr Bush took 39 per cent of the vote, Mr Reagan 34, and John Anderson, a liberal Republican Congressman, 23 per cent. In New York, where Re-

publican voters elected delegates instead of choosing among the candidates, Reagan supporters 1 won easily. Seventy-two Reagan men were elected and seven Bush delegates, with 38 uncommitted. The A.P.-N.B.C. poll indicated that Mr Carter was hurt badly by. the controversy over the recent United States vote in favour of a United Nations Security

h. Council resolution coin ejdemning Israeli settlements 5 on the occupied West Bank. I, Although Mr Carter later r repudiated the vote, his 1 Administration continued to 2 strongly criticise the Israeli e settlements policy. Even in double defeat, Mr Carter was gaining delegate 1 strength, and in that column, - he holds a nation-wide lead 5 that Mr Kennedy will find r difficult to overcome. Mr Carter appeared likely

to emerge from the two. primaries with a national total of 746 delegates, Mr Kennedy with 384. It will take 1666 to win the . Democratic nomination. With his New York and

Connecticut delegates, Mr Reagan has a total of 320 of the 998 it will take to win the Republican nomination. Mr Bush has 70, Mr Anderson 45. Mr Kennedy had won only one primary before, in his home state of Mass-, achusetts. His twin victories were the more dramatic the public-opinion polls had rated Mr Carter a big favourite.