Kerry Concedes In 5th District

John Kerry's bid to become the first Democrat in 45 years to be elected to Congress from the 5th Congressional District of Massachusetts failed yesterday. Former State Representative and Congressional Aide Paul W. Cronin was elected.

Kerry conceded shortly after 2 a.m., blaming "the politics of fear."

Results early this morning indicate that Kerry ran poorly in Lowell and Lawrence, major cities of the district in which he was expected to do well.

According to Marco Turbovitch, press secretary for the Kerry campaign. Kerry and Cronin ran "a dead heat" in Lowell. Lowell had been expected to go solidly for Kerry.

Cronin's margin was due in large part to his convincing victory in Andover has hometown and a traditional Republican stronghold Cronin took 67 per cent of the vote there.

Kerry who had been picked as a solid favorite as recently as a week ago was substantially kindered by the with drawal from the race last Friday of Democrat turned independent Roger P. Durkin a conservative whose criticism of Kerry's radicalism had dominated the campaign Durkin threw his support to Cronin in an attempt to block Kerry's bid for Congress. Yesterday's returns medicated that Cronin had picked up most of the 20 per cent of popular support that Durkin had claimed.

The atmosphere was sense at Kerry's post-election reception at the Statler Rolling Green in Andover. The former head Vietnam Veterans Against the War remained in sectusion at the hotel with a small group of advisers and friends throughout the evening.

Kerry's supporters had little to celebrate during the evening Except for a brief period towards 11 p.m. Kerry traded Cronin throughout the night.

As I am Kerry appeared saying "It is a very, very close race. We're going to have to be here for the better part of the sight before we'll know." An hour later he conceded defeat.