TeMichigan Daily
Vol. XCII, No. 59-S Ann Arbor, Michigan-Wednesday, August 11, 1982 Ten Cents Sixteen Pages,
ECKSTEIN SECOND IN DEMOCRA TIC PRIMARY
Pollack leads state Senate race
By KENT REDDING
Although a close race was expected in
the Democratic primary for the 18th
District state Senate, Lana Pollack held
a commanding lead late last night over
her closest competitor, Peter Eckstein.
Pollack was not ready at midnight to
announce victory, but with more than a
third of the district vote recorded, she
showed a commanding three-to-one
lead over Eckstein.
POLLACK SAID she expected her
large lead in Ann Arbor to make up for
an expected weaker showing in outlying
areas of the district and Ypsilanti.
Pollack credited her lead over
Eckstein, a UAW economist to her work
in area politics, where she served as
local chairman of the Democratic party
and school board member.
"My work has been in the com-
munity, whereas Peter (Eckstein)
worked mostly in Lansing. I was a
known quality," she said.
THE 18TH District encompasses
nearly all of Washtenaw County, except
for Saline.
Because the state Senate has no
female members, both Pollack and her
campaign manager, Donna Wegryn
said the simple fact that she was a
woman added to her lead.
"There was a women's vote,"
Pollack said, although she was quick to
assert that her large lead involved
more than feminist issues.
Eckstein did not concede defeat last
night, but admitted that Pollack had a
"substantial margin" of the vote. He
said that he felt the race largely hinged
on the fact that Pollack was a woman.
"That motivated a lot of people,
especially women, to go out and vote,"
he said. "But she was also well-known
and had some very important
qualifications."
The other two Democratic can-
didates, James Murray and Ron Allen,
were running far behind the two fron-
trunners. Murray had about nine per-
cent of the vote and Allen had six per-
cent. The winner of the November elec-
tion will take the seat vacated by Ed-
ward Pierce.
The two main issues of November's
general election campaign will be
property taxes and the economy,
Pollack said.
Another important issue will be
higher education, according to Pollack,
who called it "the first business of the
county."
In November, Pollack predicted she
had a 50-50 chance of defeating Roy
Smith, who ran unopposed in the
Republican primary.
"I think I have an advantage in that I
have name recognition," Pollack said.
"I think this will be a good year for the
Democratic candidates and a good year
for women."
Eckstein said he had no future plans
to run for political office, but promised
to support Pollack in the general elec-
tion.
Pollack
... good year for women
Blanchard wins Dem. primary
From staff and wirereports
U.S. Rep. James Blanchard,
benefiting from strong union support,
won the Democratic gubernatorial
primary yesterday.
But early this, morning, the
Republican race was still too close to
call, although several Detroit television
stations projected that Farmington ,
Hills insurance executive Richard
Headlee would be the upset victor in the
contest.
Spirits were high at a Headlee
gathering in Southfield this morning,
but the candidate was not ready yet to
claim a victory.
With approximately 22 percent of the
state's precincts reporting, Headlee led
with 37 percent of the vote. Lt. Gov.
James Brickley, who was considered
the front runner at the election's outset,
had 29 percent and Oakland County
Prosecutor L. Brooks Patterson had 26
percent.
In Lansing, Brickley's campaign
managerDon Goodwillie told about 200
Brickley supporters that it would be a
"long night," and described the elec-
tion as "a horse race."
Although Patterson would not concede,
he told supporters in Bloomfield Hills,
"I don't want you to get your expec-
tations up."
Blanchard, a runaway victor over his
six Democratic opponents, called
yesterday's vote "a runaway victory
for the thousanda of people in Michigan
who want change."
He attributed his victory to early
organization by his campaign"staff.
The four-term congressman from
Pleasant Ridge said that his campaign
served to unify the state's Democratic
party, but added that "we've got a lot of
work ahead of us" to gain the gover-
nor's seat in November.
tsianchard said that any of the three
Republican candidates would be "very
tough to beat," predicting a close race
this fall.
With 22 percent of Michigan's precin-
cts reporting, Blanchard had 48 percent
of the vote, far ahead of his closest
rival, William Fitzgerald, who had 20
See BLANCHARD, Page 3
No votin'
for Zolton-
orPie re
in primary_
By GEORGE ADAMS
and FANNIE WEINSTEIN
Few were "votin' for Zolton" and it
was "politics as usual," but not winning
politics for Ed Pierce. The optimistic
slogans of both former state
Democratic party chairman Zolton
Ferency and 18th District state Sen.
Edward Pierce took an ironic twist
yesterday as the two lost their bids for
the Democratic gubernatorial
nomination.
Pierce conceded defeat near mid-
night at his election headquarters on
Packard Rd. A late poll showed him fif-
th behind the winner James Blanchard.
"It's fairly certain that it would
take a miracle greater than the im-
maculate conception to win this elec-
tion. At my age, any conception would
See PIERCE, Page 5
Doily Photo by DAN DEVRIES
ANN Arbor's own Ed Pierce conceded his race for the Democratic
nomination for governor to James Blanchard late last night. Pierce said he
would resume his medical practice.
Virginia -executes Coppola
Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger struck down a lower
court decision late last night, permitting the electrocution of con-
victed killer Frank Coppola. See story, Page 4.