Carter, Reagan win by 3-1

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 8

Carter, Reagan win by 3-1

NZPA-Reuter New York President Carter and Ronald Reagan won lopsided victories over their respective rivals, Edward Kennedy and George Bush, in three presidential primaries yesterday and edged closer to their parties’ White House nominations.Unofficial returns from Indiana, Tennessee, and North Carolina, with a total of 204 Democratic delegates and 140 Republican delegates at stake, gave the President and the former California

: Governor winning margins of three to one. The victories left the Pres--1 ident with about 80 per cent of the 1666 Democratic delegates he needs for renomination and Mr Reagan with ! about 85 per.cent of the 988 Republican delegates he ' needs-. Senator Kennedy and Mr Bush won their parties’ primaries in the tiny District of Columbia where only 19 Democratic and 14 Republican delegates were at stake. Returns from the nation’s capital gave Mr Kennedy a 59 to 40' per' cent victory

margin oven the President and Mr Bush a 71 to 28 per cent margin over the Illinois Republican Congressman, John Anderson. Mr Reagan was not entered. Mr Anderson has dropped out of the Republican contest to run as an independent. In Tennessee Mr Carter beat Senator Kennedy by 72 to 20 per cent, while Mr Reagan defeated Mr Bush by 72 to 19 per cent. In North Carolina the President won by a 70 to >l7 per cent margin and Mr Reagan 65 to 22 per cent.

In Indiana Mr Carter’s margin was 66 to 33 per cent and Mr Reagan’s 72 to 17 per cent. Mr Kennedy and Mr Bush conceded defeat in advance of the three state primaries and each vowed to continue fighting as the 1980 primary campaign entered its final four weeks before the parties’ national nominating conventions.

The two underdogs are pinning their now slender hopes on scoring upsets in the primaries ahead, especially the last round on June 3, when eight states vote.