
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 6, 1990                   TAG: 9006060324
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BLACK NOMINATED TO CHALLENGE HELMS

Harvey Gantt, declaring "how sweet it is," broke racial precedent in North Carolina and won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to challenge Republican Sen. Jesse Helms. Dianne Feinstein jumped to an early lead over John Van de Kamp in their race for the Democratic nomination for governor of California.

The former mayor of Charlotte, Gantt defeated county prosecutor Mike Easley. "How sweet it is," Gantt told supporters. "I want to tell you that God is good, yes he is. It's a new day in North Carolina."

Gantt was the first black nominated for U.S. Senate in North Carolina this century. He will face conservative icon Helms, who spent $17 million on his 1984 re-election race.

Sen. Bill Bradley of New Jersey swept by his Democratic primary opponent and is the favorite over Republican Christine Todd Whitman in the general election.

Feinstein, the former mayor of San Francisco, and Van de Kamp, the state attorney general, have spent millions of dollars battling each other and now the winner will plunge into an even more costly general election race against Republican Sen. Pete Wilson.

California voters also were making decisions on ballot propositions, including two that would strip the legislature of most of its power to redraw legislative, including congressional, district lines. California is likely to gain six U.S. House seats as a result of the 1990 Census.

Sen. Max Baucus of Montana won renomination in the Democratic primary, Lt. Gov. Allen Kolstad defeated three rivals to win the Republican Senate nomination.

Senators renominated without opposition were Democrat Tom Harkin of Iowa and Republicans Larry Pressler of South Dakota, Pete Domenici of New Mexico and Thad Cochran of Mississippi. No Democrat filed to oppose Cochran.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB