ELECTION IN U.S.: NEW YORK CONTEST FOR SENATE SEAT

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 November 1949, Page 3

ELECTION IN U.S.: NEW YORK CONTEST FOR SENATE SEAT

NEW YORK, Nov. 7.—The election of a senator in New York State tomorrow offers a preview of the 1950 struggle for control of Congress. This election overshadows all others in nation-wide voting tomorrow, when New York elects a Mayor and council far a four-year term, and New Jersey and Virgina will elect their State Governors. By-elections are also being held to fill seats in the House of Representatives in one New York and one Californian district, and many local officials are being chosen throughout the country. The New York senatorial contest is for a seat made vacant by the resgiriation earlier this year of Senator Robert Wagner (Democrat). The Governor of New York (Mr Thomas E. Dewey) appointed Republican Party’s foreign policy expert, Senator John Foster Dulles to the seat until tomorrow’s election. Senator Dulles is seeking election for the remainder of Senator Wagner’s term, which will expire in January, 1951. His Democratic opponent is a former Governor of New York State, Mr Herbert Lehman. The American Federation of Labour and the Congress of Industrial Organisations are supporting Mr Lehman.

Senator Dulles made President Truman’s “fair deal.” programme an issue by criticising it during the campaign. Senator Dulles contended that the programme .would lead to such a centralisation of power in Washington as to threaten individual liberties.

Mr Lehman has campaigned in favour of Mr Truman’s programme. Mr Truman, in a radio address, supported Mr Lehman. The New York results are expected to indicate what the State’s trends will be in 1950, when elections will be held for the Governorship, and for seats in the Senate for six-year terms.

These elections may be influenced greatly by what happens in the poll for the Mayoralty of New York City, where the Democrat, Mr William O’Dwyer, is opposed by a Re-publican-Liberal fusion candidate, Mr Newbold Morris, and an American Labour Party candidate, Mi' Vito Marcantonio, who is a member of the House of Representatives. Democrats are expected to win byelections in New York State and California for seats in the House of Representatives. The seats were made vacant by the deaths of Mr Andrew Somers (Democrat, New York), and Mr Richard Welch (Republican, California).