THE
Michigan Daily
A
Vol. LXXXIV, No. 57-S
Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, August 7, 1974
Ten Cents
Twelve Pages
Pierce wins in upset;
Levin takes primary
Cavanagh loses
governor's slot
Former State Senator Sander Levin
glided into an easy victory last night in
the Democratic gubernatorial primary
as Jerome Cavanagh suffered an over-
whelming defeat in his uphill comeback
bid.
Levin, who captured 59 per cent of the
vote according to early returns, was the
acknowledged frontrunner throughout the
entire campaign. Cavanagh, mayor of
Detroit from 1962-1970, officially jumped
into the race only three months ago after
a brief bout with cancer of the kidney.
THE THIRD contender, Southfield at-
torney James Wells, received only nine
per cent of the vote according to early
returns.
Cavanagh received 31 per cent of the
vote with over one-third of the precincts
reporting as of press time.
Conceding defeat at 11 p.m., the for-
mer mayor said he was disappointed
but not bitter.
Levin, who will now face incumbent
William Milliken in the November elec-
tions, said in a jubilant victory speech
to cheering supporters, "I want to prom-
ise the governor one thing-he ain't seen
nothing yet."
The former state Senator also added
that he was pleased that the campaign
had been so "open and constructive."
Both Levin and Cavanagh ran low-
key campaigns and leveled the majority
of their attacks at the Milliken adminis-
tration rather than each other.
Their debates lacked a clear-cut focus
and campaign reform emerged as one
of the few salient issues.
"My first priority as governor will be
to reform campaigns," said Levin dur-
ing a broadcast debate last week. "We
have run the most responsible campaign
in the history of this state."
The only issue generating substantial
publicity during the race were allega-
tions that Cavanagh maintained under-
world contacts while mayor of Detroit.
LAST MONTH, L o uis Rome, former
head of the' Michigan Crime Commission
charged that Cavanagh was "unfit to be
governor" because of his "proximity to
the underworld."
The former, mayor responded by slap-
ping a $15 million libel slander and con-
spiracy suit on Rome and Democratic
National Committeeman Neil Staebler,
who Cavanagh alleges a i d e d in the
"smear campaign."
Levin, a liberal Democrat, was nar-
rowly defeated in his last bid for the
See LEVIN, Page 9
Reuther runs
close second
in 5-way race
In a photo-finish, 2nd U. S. Con-
gressional District Democratic Par-
ty Primary, Dr. Edward Pierce held
a slim lead over John Reuther but
appeared to have a major upset
victory in his grasp early this
morning.
With about half the vote tallied,
Pierce had received 6,596 ballots to
6,031 for Reuther and was declared
the winner by many observers.
The remaining three candidates
in the primary trailed far behind
Pierce and Reuther.
CONSIDERED the front-runner as the
polls opened yesterday, Reuther re-
ceived an unexpectedly tough battle from
Pierce who was given little real chance
of winning.
Running a well-financed professionally
organized c a m p a i g n costing around
$35,000, Reuther expected his closest
rival to be Ypsilanti Asst. City Attorney
Ronald Egnor.
The Egnor drive collapsed, as he was
battling for the third spot with Marjorie
Lansing. The final candidate in the pri-
mary Theo Williams ran far back of
the field with about three per cent of
the total vote.
PIERCE, an Ann Arbor doctor who
gave up his private practice five years
ago to found the Summit Street medical
center in order to provide care for low
income persons, waged a campaign
based on his longtime activism in local
radical politics.
At midnight, Pierce claimed victory
saying "there is going to be a new
voice in Washington and you're sure as
hell are going to hear it."
The winner of the primary will face
incumbent Congressman Marvin Esch
(R-Ann Arbor) and Human Rights Party
entry Phil Carroll in the November elec-
tion.
While Reuther did not concede victory
to Pierce and maintained he would pull
out a win, he said his organization would
support which ever Democrat won.
EGNOR MADE a similar promise in
his concession speech, which came ear-
lier in the evening. "I urge all my sup-
porters to join in working for our com-
mon victory in November."
Pierce's campaign was characterized
as a grass roots movement by many ob-
servers because it cost about half that
of Reuther's and Egnor's and depending
heavily on volunteer workers.
Throughout the campaign, the five
contestants all ran hard against Esch
and the record of the Nixon Adminis-
tration. They all held liberal-and very
similar stands-on tax reform, re-distri-
See PIERCE, Page 8
DR. ED PIERCE expresses his glee to supporters at his campaign headquarters
after claiming victory over John Reuther in yesterday's Second Congressional
District Democratic primary.
Eckstein wins State Sen.
McClary beatisCopi
Elden -takes judgeship
Bullard defeats Taylor
These st oriesand moreo eslso
elecion esuls onP. J3
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