Scattered Returns

Off-year local elections, often treacherous to politicians and political pundits, usually turn on a name, a face or a voice. Among the names, faces and voices that came through last week: CJ In Pittsburgh (pop. 680,000), Mayor Dave Lawrence, 68, a Democratic boss who runs the wards and precincts with a clenched fist and welcomes civic redevelopment projects with an open hand (TIME, Nov. 4), ignored feeble Republican attempts to trip him on such issues as Little Rock and a local trolley strike (typically, both strikers and management came to Dave Lawrence's defense), rolled to a fourth term by the largest plurality (59,511) of his career. P: Mayor Richard C. Lee, another Democrat busy remodeling a city, won reelection in New Haven, Conn. (pop. 165,500) by the largest plurality New Haven has ever given any candidate, national or local: 41,694 votes. Dick Lee, 41, onetime Yale public-relations man (but not a Yale grad), took three tries to get into city hall, but has made so much of the job once there that--with his fat victory margin--he has now become the front runner for the Democratic senatorial nomination next year. Possible drawback: a serious case of stomach ulcers. P: In Detroit (pop. 1,905,000), once racked by racial hate, Democratic Lawyer William T. Patrick Jr., 37, became the first Negro member of Detroit's non-partisan city council. A World War II pilot making his debut in politics, Patrick promised to serve as "a representative of the total' community." P: In Bridgeport, Conn. (pop. 292,000), 79-year-old Socialist Mayor Jasper McLevy was beaten by a slim 161 votes in a try for his 13th consecutive term. The winner: Democrat Samuel J. Tedesco, 42, who accused McLevy of undue conservatism and of standing pat while the city deteriorated.* But even Tedesco had regrets, saying: "I'm sorry it had to be Jasper. I accept the election with mixed feelings. I think the voters saw some of Jasper's qualities in me." Said Jasper McLevy good-naturedly: "I suppose I could go back to roofing houses."

*Tedesco's victory saved one of Bridgeport's pride, the gracious old Wheeler mansion, regard by architects as one of the finest American examples of Gothic revival (TIME, Oct. 21), McLevy had ordered it torn down to make way for a new city hall, but Winner Tedesco was all for its preservation.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.