Page 300 - Demo

In the 14th C.D.:r > : _ l _________________J |m t l l l l i u i i u L u u i v i i i g W 3 e K ! %u00ab r t + A n A o a i nI U V V a i V I i v a o i l l l l g i v i i n g u mBY PETER HALEYCongressman Fred Richmond squeezed toward the microphones in back of his second-floor headquarters at 32 Court Street and embraced Joseph Valcarcel, a Hispanic head of Williamsburg industrial development firm, and asked him in Spanish how it was going.The next person between him arid the microphones was Rabbi Moses Harfanes, also from Williamsburg, but from the Hasidic community. %u2022%u2018%u20181 did the best 1 could,%u201c the youthful Harfanes told Richmond, referring to the day-long campaign to %u201c pull out the vote.%u201dRichmond smiled broadly and nhanked him. The two-term Congressman had at that moment - nearly 11 p.m. election night - a victory margin of more than three to one in his favor. Victory was in hand. The anxiety that began last April, when the millionaire Congressman confessed his sexual solicitation of a black teen-ager and open up his largely undisputed hold on Brooklyn%u2019s multi-ethnic 14th Congressional District to the challenge from former city Deputy Schools Chancellor Bernard Gifford, was over.Bouyed by his resounding defeat of his black challenger, Richmond thanked his supporters and told them that he was %u201c looking forward to returning to Washington, D.C.%u201d%u201c With great humility and everlasting gratitude for your support I'm returning to Washington. Let%u2019s see if we can improve the quality of life in every neighborhood I represent, %u2019%u2019 said Richmond.Asked if his resounding victory made him feel vindicated for his admitted sexual solicitation charge, Richmond said, %u201c Personally, all 1 care about is that all the people trust me enough to send me back to Washington to represent them again.\Richmond told newsmen that he %u201c never campaigned so hard in my life\the incident there would have been no campaign.%u201d Richmond said that Democratic voters returned him to office because %u201c the incident brought out my community and legislative record,%u201d and ultimately reaffirmed his support.Gifford, who entered the race in June, campaigned largely on the issue that Richmond%u2019s wealth had enabled him to %u201cbuy\with his philanthropic contributionsto community groups. While the Gifford camp at first ignored the sex case, it became an issue toward the end, with Gifford insisting that Richmond's sex charge was %u201cedophilia%u201d and that the incumbent should not be returned to office.Throughout the campaign, Gifford failed to forge the vital white-black coalition he sought in his fight to unseat Richmond, and in the end this failure showed clearly in the vote totals piled up by Richmond in the largely wfiite communities of South Brooklyn, Greenpoint, and even Brooklyn Heights, where the West Brooklyn Independent Democrats helped launch the Gifford campaign.Gifford got his black votes, but not in the volume his camp had anticipated. In the 57th and 58thBY GARY FREDERICKBernie Gifford may have lost his bid to incumbent Rep. Fred Richmond in the Democratic primary Tuesday, but one feeling was certain at his campaign headquarters last night: Gifford will be back.The returns started trickling in a little after 9 p.m. As the votes came struggling in, it became clear that Richmond was pulling in front. All eyes of the rapidly growing crowd were either fixed on the portable television set or the voting charts affixed to the walls in back of open closets. Districts that Gifford felt would be strongly in his favor, were proving to be disappointing. At 10:15 p.m ., NBC projectedRichmond as the winner.However, no one was willing to throw in the towel yet. Gifford had not yet shown up; he would remain anonymous until 11:25 p.m. when the trend became reality.The crowd which had numbered under ten at 9 p.m. reached 70 by 10:30. The long, narrow room at 21 Smith Street was crowded with people milling around or sitting on desks with cheese sandwiches in their hands.Accusations against Richmond were flying even before GiffordAssembly Districts, where many Hispanic votes were concentrated, the Hispanic response to the Gifford campaign was lukewarm at best.The Richmond-Gifford bout turned bitter at the end, with anti-Richmond forces attaching the bumper-sticker-styled %u2018%u201c Child Molester%u201d to Richmond campaign posters and anti-Gifford pieces appearing in %u2018Der Yid,%u201d a Yiddish newspaper, and as a flyer labelling the former city schools head and biophysicist as a %u201c pitch black nigger from Kenya who supports all our enemies.%u201d This latter slur campaign was a blow against the Hasidic-black coalition Gifford had tried to forge with noted Williamsburg Hasicic Rabbi Chaim Stauber%u2019s endorsement.A city-wide press strike and anevening rain were contributing factors in the light voter turnout in the 14th C.D., and while the voters weren%u2019t always there, there were some lighter moments in yesterday%u2019s Congressional race.Runner-up Owen Augustin (along with another Democratic candidate, Williamburg%u2019s Irving Gross), finished far behind Richmond and Gifford but almost was arrested for his campaign efforts. Augustin entered PS 261 at 314 Pacific Street, to inspect the polling place and after a short inspection of one of the electin booths he inadvertently cast a vote. Officials present disputed the vote, especially since Augustin wasn%u2019t registered in the electoral district. Police were summoned and took Augustin to the 78th Precinct, where after a two-hour stay he wasreleased with no charges %u2018%u201cpending investigation by the District Attorney,%u201d according to one DA source.The Gifford forces, meanwhile, clashed with Richmond campaign headquarters over a %u201c Richmond for Congress%u201d sign posted on the marquee of M ontague Street%u2019s Hotel Bossert, a polling place. Gifford campaigners insisted that the sign violated the state election law. The argument began in the morning and city officials said that since the sign was more than 100 feet from the polling place it was legal. A State Board of Election official overruled the city board later in the day, however, and the police emergency response team was dispatched to take the sign down at 7 p.m.Gifford Says He s Going Fishing-But He%u2019ll Be Backarrived, who flung some himself. Mike Gershowitz, the Gifford campaign manager, told a WBLS reporter that Richmond people were handing out hate literature at the polls. %u201c A Gifforde worker was arrested today, when he got into a dispute with a Richmond worker handing out hate literature,%u201d he said. %u201c The voting numbers? The numbers are meaningless at this point.%u201dAt 11:18, ABC projected Richmond the winner and groans could be heard from the television area. %u201c No, no, no,%u201d someone cried as if the projection would change.%u201c Even if Gifford loses,%u201d said Hills, %u201che still has gained national exposure because of the sex issue.%u201d Hills hinted that he would be running for other things, maybe City Hall or another shot at Congress. To him, victory was theirs no matter what the numbers showed. Everyone across the country knows who Bernie Gifford is.But where was Gifford? The room was filled with reporters, aides, politicians, but no candidate. Possibly waiting for a dramatic entrance? No one knew or would say.Finally, at 11:25 when defeat wasobvious, the candidate appeared. Wearing a green suede jacket and appearing very calm, he walked through the applauding crowd towards the back of the room, shaking hands and kissing ladies. He stood on a chair, waiting for the applause to die. The television was shut off and someone yelled, %u201c You%u2019reon, Bernie.%u201dHis smiling face took on serious tones and he began, %u201c What I find disturbing is the initial references that my candidacy was a result of opportunity. Nothing cuts me more to the quick.%u201d Everyone in the room was silent as Gifford lashed out at Richmond.%u201c Fred Richmond has once again purchased the 14th Congressional District,%u201d Gifford said. %u201c When the reports are in, they%u2019ll show his expenditures at over $500,000. That%u2019s $50 a vote.%u201dHe charged Richmond refused to debate him after their initial encounter. %u201c Fred continually ducked me.%u201d He called Richmond%u2019s campaign %u201c a slick PR machine.%u201d But the biggest Gifford volley, came when he addressed the sex controversy. %u201c We%u2019ve said something very said in how far we%u2019ve come about behavior toward children,%u201d Gifford said. %u201c It%u2019s not aquestion of homosexuality. Rather, when any powerful man uses position and influence to intimidate a minor, it says we really don%u2019t have enough, confidence in ourselves to pass judgment. It says we%u2019re prepared to let adults manipulate children. %u2019 %u2019But he didn%u2019t seem too upset by the defeat. %u201c I%u2019ve enjoyed this opportunity,%u201d he said as cameras clicked throughout the room. %u201c I%u2019ve had an opportunity to see the community again...I saw some unbelievable things today. There weren%u2019t enough votes stolen to make a difference, but now you all understand the political process,%u201d he said to this campaigners.Later, in questioning with reporters, Gifford commented about his showing in the 56th Assembly District.Gifford put on his glasses and took another look at the voting chart. %u201c We should win in the 56th,%u201d he said after reflecting.It did not matter, though. This campaign was over. When asked about future plans, Gifford said, %u201c I%u2019m going to take a vacation and do some fishing.%u201d Although there were no further elaborations, the feeling everybody left with was that Bernie Gifford will be back.Assemblyman AI Vann regained his Democratic nomination for the 56th Assembly Distr'ct seat in Bedford-Stuyvcsant with a convincing 1000 plus plurality over taxi fleet owner Calvin Williams and made this a double play with the defeat of longtime 56 A.I). Democratic district leader Carl Butler for Democratic District Leader.BY JEANNETTE WALLSThough he had less than a 250 vote lead over Beatrice DeSapio, Joe Ferris%u2019 successful bid for Assemblyman in the 51st District was cheered as a major victory - if not for himself - for the Central Brooklyn Independent Democrat Clubs.The victory made for a celebration for the 50 some people who had gathered at CBID%u2019s offices on primary election night - despite Peter McNeil%u2019s loss to %u201c regular\Anthony Caracciolo for the position of District Leader and Alberta' - %u00bb sc. |__ t r ; _ __u c i c a i u y u j u i d c i n i n e }by some 800 votes.%u201c Peter McNeil stepped bravely and courageously into a position that many would never have taken,%u201d Ferris said after the race, commenting that CB1D could %u201c never have made it%u201d in the 51st without McNeil%u2019s contributions. The %u201c position%u201d that Ferris referred io was a vaccim.y left when JohnCarroll stepped out of the running for District Leader, leaving McNeil only a few weeks to campaign. Ferris also added that %u201c winning in the 51st is essential to maintaining the ground of the CB1D%u201d and that %u201cwhat this means is the starting point for a major change that will take place in Brooklyn politics.%u201dBut the earlier hours of evening had seen a much less confident Ferris. Ferris, pacing back and forth in the cluttered CB1D headquarters, walked with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, and he spoke only in very low tonesv - - * ^ A c n l f c U a I l i a c U U U U l l l i w w v v u v / i . * %u2018 - c i - . v c c . - - - %u2022 - %u25a0------perhaps the quietest person among the confusion as those who had participated in his and other 51st A.D. campaigns brought in and tallied the election results.Results were lost, misplaced or missing and in one 15-minute period Ferris%u2019 lead dropped from 600 to 200. Some blamed the rain, saying that %u201c Ferris voters are thekind of crowd that usually work or the kind that might drop by after work to vote.%u201dCBID members also added that because he is better known than DeSapio, Ferris would be the more likely choice for %u201c casual%u201d voters. Ferris blamed the close vote on %u201c a general apathy%u201d and %u201c over confidence,%u201d saying that his supporters were so sure that he%u2019d win that they felt no real need to vote.%u201c We expected the turnout to be more like 7,000,%u201d he said, adding, %u201c Then my victory would%u2019ve been more like 1500.%u201c W p ' v p nrnvpH tm fY m n r-ilm anr %u2022 * %u25a0 %u2014Tom Cuite that he%u2019s not going to get anymore free rides. Eighty percent of his work is done in my offices and things are going to start changing,\his %u2018 victory speech\One red-eyed campaigner turned to another. %u201c If we had a dictatorship, we wouldn%u2019t have to goi Lit-r\\it K o il fU io %u2019 *. . . .Ferris%u2019 Tight SqueezeBecomes a Big Victory For CBIDState Senator Vander Beattv pulled a double triumph in yesterday%u2019s Democratic primary defeating challenger Maxwell Clemmons for renomination in the Ft. GreeneBoerum Hill-Prospect Heights 23rd State Senatorial district. He also beat Clemmons, and museum head Andrew GUI for election as Democratic District leader in the 53rd A.D.Page 6, THE PHOENIX, September 14, 1978