Studd's District Divided Over Reelection Bid

DENNIS, Mass.--Last August, Rep. Gerry E. Studds (D-Mass.) visited this small resort town of about 8000 to hold one of his frequent "town meetings" on issues and concerns of his constituents just two weeks after his censure for a 1973 affair with a male Congressional page.

What Studds found was a community violently divided over his sexual misconduct and homosexuality.

Manhood

At the meeting, a Dennis selectman presented Studds with a petition signed by 314 residents calling for his immediate resignation because he had "de-based his manhood" and could no longer effectively represent the 10th district. Demonstrators with picket signs reading "Get the Gay Out" and "Dump Studds" also greeted the 46-year-old Congressman.

But about half of the crowd registered equally vigorous support for Studds, including a former page who pleaded that the crowd consider Studds's record and dedication.

Six months later, tempers have cooled, but, as Studds begins his fifth reelection campaign, his 10th Massachusetts Congressional district remains clearly divided in its feelings about Studds as a man; and, to a lesser extent, Studds as its congressman.

Three Sections

The district includes three distinct sections: the traditionally Democratic blue-collar New Bedford area, which still depends on commercial fishing for much of its livelihood; the more conservative and more elderly constituency on Cape Cod; and the affluent liberal suburbs to the southeast of Boston.

Studds's strong record of service to the area over the last 10 years has made him extremely popular throughout his district, Studds is particularly strong in New Bedford, where fishermen associate him with helping institute in 1974 the 200-mile-limit on U.S. waters, which kept foreign boats out of the fishing zones off the Cape.

Studds has also worked hard to keep oil drilling rigs off Georges Bank, winning him support from Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard residents.

Angelic

"Until this scandal broke this summer, you'd think he was an angel from heaven, the way people talked about him," says David Morris, who works at The Peanut Store, a confectionery market in downtown New Bedford. "I've heard a lot of fishermen say they like what he's done for them.

"I think he's done a good job as far as helping the seamen around here. I don't see anything wrong with him," agrees a secretary at a Christian Science reading room in New Bedford.

Besides fishing and martime issues--Studds served as chairman of the House subcommittee on the Coast Guard and navigation until he was stripped of his seniority after the censure--Studds has been an outspoken critic of the Reagan Administration's military policy in Central America.

But by and large, the 150,000 voters of the 10th district are divided over how they feel about Studds as a person, although not necessarily as a representative.

District Divided

An intellectual who is not well-disposed toward the nitty-gritty of politicking. Studds comes across to his constituents as either smart and capable or aloof and arrogant.

Strong Shoulders

"He has a good head on his shoulders. He's a very smart person," says 28-year-old Pamela Moniz, a saleswoman at New Bedford Shade and Drapery.

But Elaine Fisher, a Barnstable house-wife in her 60s, says she "didn't vote for him before and I'm not going to now."

"It's because of his preferences for one thing, but I didn't know that before," she says. "I just don't like him--I think he's arrogant, and he makes himself sound better than he really is."

Ultra-Liberal

Dennis Selectman George W. Fallon says he hopes Studds will get voted out of office "because he's an ultra-liberal--his record is one of extreme liberalism," and also because he disagrees with his lifestyle and his activities.

"I think that we citizens have a right to expect more," Fallon adds.

James Gouvela, owner of Jimmie's Hot Dogs in New Bedford, also says he thinks Studds's record as a congressman has been very good. But on the congressman's homosexuality, Gouvela adds, "As a man, I can't buy that kind of stuff. He seems to think it's an ultimate lifestyle, but I don't agree."

The Competition

Peter Flynn, the sheriff of Plymouth County, which includes the part of the 10th district running south from the suburbs to the Cape Cod Canal, has emerged as Studds's principal rival for his seat.

Flynn, is also the first Democrat to challenge Studds since 1976, Studds ran unopposed in 1978, and faced no challenge from his own party in 1980 and 1982 when he beat Republican opponents by more than two-to-one margins.

Flynn has avoided making political capital out of Studds's censure, but "quite frankly, when you talk to people, that's the first thing that comes up," notes Flynn's campaign manager, Robert J. Glenn.

The Issues

The principal issues in the campaign will be transportation and the environment. The quick completion of repairs on the Southeast Expressway, which connects the South Shore with Boston, heads the list of area concerns. The presence of toxic PCBs in New Bedford Harbor and cuts in the Coast Guard budget have upset district residents and are major campaign issues.

There is, however, very little disagreement among Flynn and Studds on these issues.

Retains Popularity

Richard Kendall, the Democratic Party's Falmouth town chairman, says he feels Studds "retains great popularity" despite the censure. "I'm convinced that he will have a very strong showing in the Falmouth area and throughout the district."

Studds swept every single town and city in the district in the past two elections, according to Kendall, and he feels an anti-Republican sentiment in the area will work in Studd's favor.

Old News

"I think people have made up their minds months ago on the [censure] situation," says Studds aide Peter N. Fleischer. "People are going to decide whether the record--on his accessibility, constituent services, environment, foreign affairs--is one they feel comfortable with."