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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1986)
The Battalion /ol. 82 No. 48 GSPS 045360 10 pages College Station, Texas Wednesday, November 5, 1986 vin rt] ico. )f mail nt ton 111 aw ikf couni )ueli State Election Results Following a/e the projected winners of state races in Tuesday’s general election. Projections are based on results from 73.2 percent of Texas’ 6,764 voting precincts. Governor Bill Clements Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby Attorney General . Jim Mattox Land Commissioner Garry Mauro Agriculture Commissioner . Jim 1 lightower Railroad Commission .J°hn Sharp Treasurer Ann Richards Comptroller Bob Bullock State Supreme Court Justice, Place 1 Oscar Mauzy State Supreme Court Justice, Place 2 ....Robert Campbell State Supreme Court Justice, Place 3 . James Wallace State Supreme Court Justice, Place 4 Raul Gonzalez Proposition 1, providing apportionment of rail road rolling stock among counties for property taxes Passes Proposition 2, requiring that the title of a bill in troduced in either house of the Texas Legis lature express the bill’s subject Passes Proposition 3, allowing political subdivisions to conduct business with authorized mutual insur ance companies Passes Proposition 4, allowing banks to offer full-serv ice banking at more than one location in the city or county in which it is located Passes As of 2 a.m. Tmal results were unavailable for the District 6 race between incumbent Joe Barton and challenger Pete Geren. The following results are based on reported bal loting from 42 percent of District 6 pre cincts. U.S. Representative, District 6 Joe Barton 54% Pete Geren 45% Brazos County Results Results are based on final tabulations, with all 40 of Brazos County’s precincts re porting, and include absentee balloting. With 80 percent of Brazos County precincts reporting, 19,148 of the county’s 38,355 registered voters had been to the polls, making the voter turnout rate 49 percent. Straight-ticket votes were cast by 3,971 of the voters, with 2,242, or 56 percent, voting a straight Democratic ticket and 1,620, or 40 percent, voting for all Republican candi dates. The Libertarian Party picked up 109, or 2 percent, of the straight-party ticket votes. State Representative, District 14 Richard Smith 66% John Seaman 33% County Judge R.J. “Dick” Holmgreen uncontested Judge, County Court-At-Law No. 1 Claude D. Davis 53% Hugh W. Lindsay 46% Judge, County Court-At-Law No. 2 J.D. Langley uncontested District Clerk Travis Nelson uncontested County Clerk Frank Boriskie uncontested County Treasurer W.B. “Stub” Davis 42% Sandie Walker 58% County Surveyor Mark Paulson uncontested County Commissioner, Place 2 Walter Wilcox 50.5% E. Wayne Gibson 49.5% County Commissioner, Place 4 Milton Turner 50.5% Rodger Lewis 49.5% Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 Tom Lyons uncontested Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2 Mary Creed Horn 49% Greta Norton 50% Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3 Ray M. Truelove uncontested Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4 Carolyn Hensarling 64% Geraldine Hester 35% Justice of the Peace, Precinct 5 Antone Dobrovolny uncontested Justice of the Peace, Precinct 7 North Bardell 39% Wesley Hall 60% Clements wins governor’s seat AUSTIN (AP) — Dallas oilman Bill Clements, Texas’ only Republican governor in 100 years, recaptured the Governor’s Mansion Tuesday by defeating the Demo crat who ousted him four years ago, Gov. Mark White. “What a night, what a night, what a night,” a laughing, waving Clements shouted to supporters. “I am very humble in accepting this elec tion and the responsibility that goes with it,” Clements said of his comeback. With 74 percent of the statewide pre cincts reporting, the News Election Service said Clements had 1,271,774 votes, about 54 percent of the total, to 1,095,748 votes, about 46 percent, for White. Libertarian Theresa Doyle, 43, a San An tonio travel agent, had about 1 percent. “You can see now why we won this elec tion, it was a real team effort by everyone concerned, and I’m talking about you and all those other people across the state of Texas,” said Clements, who first became governor after defeating Democrat John Hill in 1978. About 11:10 p m., White conceded in a three-minute speech before supporters. “I hadn’t really planned on having to make this speech tonight,” White said. “But tonight the election did not go for us, and I congratulate Bill Clements on his success.” White said that despite his loss, he is proud of the educational improvements he pushed through the Legislature. “I’m very proud of the work we’ve done and the accomplishments we’ve made,” White said. Texas Republican Party chairman George Strake said this year’s election showed that White wasn’t the Democrats’ big draw four years ago. “White is not a strong enough, credible candidate to carry the ticket by himself,” Strake said. “He was drug into victory (in 1982) by (Lt. Gov. Bill) Hobby and (U.S. Sen. Lloyd) Bentsen. “People saw through him and weren’t en thusiastic enough to turn out at the polls like they did four years ago.” The gubernatorial race received national attention, as no Democrat has been elected president without carrying Texas and Dem ocrats hoped to retain control of the gover nor’s office this year. Pete Geren waits for news on election returns. Joe Barton jokes with supporters before heading for home to wait for the returns. Barton edges Geren with 35% tallied By Craig Renfro and Jo Ann Able Staff Writers The race for the 6th District congressio nal seat was still up in the air at 1 a.m. to day as Republican incumbent Joe Barton had garnered 54 percent of the vote com pared to 46 percent for Democratic chal lenger Pete Geren after 35 percent of the district’s precincts reported totals. In the early hours, Geren held a 53 per cent to 47 percent lead with 20 percent of the precincts tallied, but his lead dissipated alter 27 percent of the votes were counted. During a stop Tuesday night in Culpep per Plaza, Barton told a group of his sup porters that he was looking forward to a big victory. After speaking to his supporters. Barton left for his home in Ennis to await the final election results. “I think we have a chance to win about 10 of the 14 counties,” Barton said.“If that’s the case, then this is definitely a Re publican district now.” Geren said he was happy with the early vote totals, and hoped the margin would stay that way through the end of the elec tion. “I’m glad it’s this way, instead of the other way around,” Geren said. “We’re pretty optimistic and just hoping for the best.” A crowd of about 200 supporters gath ered at the College Station Ramada Inn to cheer Geren on. But as the evening progressed and the vote shifted to Barton’s side, the crowd dwindled. Geren’s press aide Jeff Crosby said the early lead could be attributed to strong community campaigning. Crosby said Brazos, Montgomery and Tarrant counties would be extremely im portant to Geren’s chances. Vote totals in Ellis and Montgomery counties were slow coming in because they were being hand-tabulated, Crosby said. Barton also said it was going to be a long night. “If history is any indication, Brazos County will report at about 1 in the morn ing and Montgomery County will be in at about 2 in the morning,” Barton said. “Those are the two big counties in the dis trict.” But Barton said he still hoped to estab lish a lead before the late hours. “By the time I get back to Ennis, with a little luck, we’ll have this thing wrapped up and I’ll be calling back down here to de clare victory,” he said. Texas Dems turn back Democrats’ bid for seats Republican challenge j n senate, House strong DALLAS (AP) — Democrats turned back challenges in state cabinet offices other than the governorship and held their traditional majority in the Texas congres sional delegation in Tuesday’s elections. In other elections, Democrats won at least 17 congressional races and the Re publicans eight, with GOP freshman in cumbents narrowly leading in two other contests. U.S. Rep. Jim Wright, D-Fort Worth, was perhaps the most significant winner since his re-election virtually as sures his elevation from House Majority Leader to House Speaker. Texans also approved four state consti tutional amendments, including one allow ing branch banking, and they elected Raul Gonzalez to the Texas Supreme Court, making him the first Hispanic elected to statewide office. With 80 percent of the statewide pre cincts reporting, Clements had 1,348,579 votes, or 53.2 percent, to 1,164,627 votes, or 45.6 percent, for White. Libertarian Theresa Doyle had less than 2 percent. “You can see now why we won this elec tion,” Clements said. “It was a real team ef fort by everyone concerned, and I’m talk ing about you and all those other people across the state of Texas.” Four years ago, White, 46, ousted Clem ents, 69, a retired Dallas oilman, in an up set victory over the first Republican gover nor since Reconstruction. This year, the state’s economy has wors ened and falling oil and farm prices have driven the unemployment rate to 9 per cent, two points above the national level. The election replay was spiced up by negative advertising, sharp rhetoric, the discovery of an electronic bugging device in a Clements adviser’s office. In a special legislative session, White found himself proposing higher taxes two months before the election. Voter turnout across the state Tuesday appeared to be moderate under rainy skies. Earlier, Secretary of State Myra Mc Daniel had predicted that only about 44 percent, or 3.2 million, of the state’s 7.28 million registered voters would turn out. In the lieutenant governor’s race, with almost 80 percent of the vote counted, Democratic 14-year veteran Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby easily defeated Republican business consultant David Davidson of Austin and Libertarian candidate Bill Howell of Dal las. Incumbent Attorney General Jim Mat tox dashed Republican San Antonio dis trict judge Roy Barrera Jr.’s hopes of be coming the first Hispanic elected to statewide office by garnering almost 52 percent of the vote. Barrera had attacked Mattox’s ethics, pointing to an indictment in which the Democrat was accused of threatening to use his office to block the public bond busi ness of a Houston law firm. Mattox was ac quitted, and says it was his aggressiveness that prompted the indictment. In the land commissioner’s race, incum bent Democrat Garry Mauro beat Republi can M.D. Anderson and Libertarian Honey Sue Lanham of Austin by gar nering more than 61 percent of the vote. One-term agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower sailed to victory carrying more than 60 percent of the vote, defeating Re publican Bill Powers of Austin, a cattleman and executive vice president of the Texas Poultry Federation, and Libertarian Re becca Reed, a university student in San An tonio. In the race for Texas Railroad Commis sion, Democratic state Sen. John Sharp of Victoria defeated Republican state Rep. Milton Fox of Houston and Libertarian candidate Chloe “Jack” Daniels of Farmers Branch. State treasurer Ann Richards and comp troller Bob Bullock, both Democrats won easy victories over Libertarian candidates. All three challenged Texas Supreme Court justices were re-elected to the nine- member Democratic-controlled court, in cluding Gonzalez, who was appointed two years ago. Both Gonzalez and James See State elections, page 10 (AP) — Democrats won Republican seats in Maryland and Florida on Tuesday and mounted a strong bid to gain control of the Senate for the final two years of the Rea gan era. Democrats also were winning a new majority in the House as America picked its 100th Congress and selected 36 governors. “If there was a Reagan revolution, it’s over,” said retiring House speaker Thomas P. O’Neill, who led the opposition to Presi dent Reagan. Senate Democratic Leader Robert C. Byrd said he’d predicted a 52-48 victory to reestablish Democratic control, but as mid night approached, he “expected better.” His party needed to swing four seats to re gain control and got early momentum in Florida where Sen. Paula Hawkins was un seated. Retiring Republican Sen. Paul Laxalt said, “It’s too early to tell.” The GOP held a 53-47 majority in the 99th Senate. Democrats also bid to pad their 73-seat majority in the 435-member House. One early winner was Rep. Jim Wright of Texas, in line to replace Thomas P. O’N eill Jr. as speaker when the new Congress convenes. Joseph Kennedy II, son of the late Rob ert F. Kennedy, won O’Neill’s Massachu setts seat in the House. His sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend conceded defeat in her House race in Maryland. The GOP was faring better in guberna torial elections — including Guy Hunt’s election as Alabama’s first Republican gov ernor since Reconstruction. Former Texas Gov. Bill Clements defeated Democratic Gov. Mark White. Among the incumbent governors, two Democrats mentioned as possible 1988 presidential candidates — Mario Cuomo of New York and Michael Dukakis of Massa chusetts — won easily. Gov. Bob Graham claimed Florida’s Sen ate seat for the Democrats by defeating Hawkins, one of a handful of vulnerable GOP freshmen whose fate held the key to Senate control. Still vulnerable as the votes were being tallied were freshman col leagues Mack Mattingly of Georgia, James Abdnor of South Dakota, Mark Andrews of North Dakota, Bob Kasten of Wisconsin and James Broyhill of North Carolina. At 10:30 p.m., the national picture looked like this: Democrats had won nine Senate seats, including two held by Republicans. They led for another seven, including five held by Republicans. Republicans won seven, none held by Democrats, and were leading for four oth ers, including two held by Democrats. Democrats won eight governorships, in cluding one held by a Republican. They were leading for eight more, including one held by the GOP. Republicans won one seat from the Democrats — Alabama — and were lead ing in nine others, including five held by Democrats. Republican Christopher Bond led in the race to fill Missouri’s Senate seat being va cated by a Democrat. President Reagan watched returns from the White House after returning from a 25,000-mile campaign odyssey on behalf of Republicans. Democrats had to swing four Senate seats to gain control, and Byrd already was planning his legislative agenda. He pledged cooperation with Reagan “if he will work with us in a bipartisan way.” Rep. Barbara Mikulski won handily in Maryland’s two-woman race, picking up a seat vacated by a retiring Republican. Democrats looked for victories in North Carolina and Georgia, two seats where the television networks said GOP incumbents would fall. And an ABC poll showed Timo thy Wirth running strongly for the Colo rado seat of fellow Democrat Gary Hart. Hunt’s victory in Alabama’s gubernato rial election came as the GOP sought See Congress, page 10