8th Congressional District Gives Kennedy a Landslide Victory

Signs in the America Ballroom of the Westin Hotel said it all: "Charleston Cheers for JPK," "Allston Loves JPK," "Newton Wishes They Could Vote For Joe Kennedy."

And Joseph P. Kennedy II, eldest son of Robert F. Kennedy '48, became the first of his family's younger generation to claim political office, 40 years after his uncle, John F. Kennedy '40, made his political debut in the 8th Congressional District.

Sound Trouncing

With 35 percent of the district's precincts counted last night, Kennedy trounced his Republican opponent, Clark C. Abt, by a 71 to 27 percent margin. (The late president John F. Kennedy '40, who won the same seat 40 years ago this week, garnered only 65 percent of the vote in his first victory.)

The Kennedy family wrapped up election day with one out of two seated in Congress. The candidate's younger sister, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, lost a stiff race last night against incumbent Republican Helen Bentley in Maryland.

Passing the Torch

"It's about time that a new generation of Americans realized that we have to kindle a new spirit," Kennedy said in his victory speech, which restated his commitment to social services and to his belief that "the Federal government can be used as a catalyst" to "put something back into this country that has given us so very much."

Kennedy acknowledged that he will enter the House as a freshman Congressman and called it an honor to be selected by the same voters who chose Speaker of the House Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill for 34 years. He said he would try to follow the Speaker's example in helping "the ordinary hard-working American poor" and in increasing social services.

"I'll go down to Washington D.C. and fight with all my heart and soul for what I believe in," Kennedy said in claiming victory.

Real Election Long Over

The candidate's resounding victory last night followed a hotly contested primary election six weeks ago. In that race, he faced a host of Democratic candidates in a field that eventually narrowed to include State Sen. George Bachrach, activist and former Boston mayoral candidate Melvin H. King, and James Roosevelt, Jr. '68.

Michael Kennedy, announcing the first precinct results, told a crowd made mostly of volunteers that "we could have all let up after September 16, with good reason," but they fought a hard campaign anyway. He said volunteers had made 40,000 telephone calls, and had used more cars to bring voters to the polls than any other campaign in the state.

Last night, Cambridge's new Congressman thanked Abt for establishing a difference between the two candidates' positions, and praised the patience of voters who "have been subjected to more phone calls and more political activity than any group of 550,000 people in the country."

"He got the job and apparently I didn't. I hope and believe that he'll do his job well," Abt said in his concession speech, adding that he plans to run again in two years.

"Somebody has to dare oppose the favorite, the wealthiest," he said. "It's ironic that it falls to Republicans to oppose the rich and powerful. Somebody has to accept the high risk of defeat to keep winner decent and honest," Abt added.

"It was a difficult race--you have to give Abt credit because of who we're running against," said the Republican's campaign manager, Don E. D'Entremont. "We were playing to win until 8 p.m. tonight. It's very disappointing," he added.

Local politicians at the Kennedy victory party last night said Kennedy would be able to serve his district better than most freshmen Congressmen because the family name carries a lot of weight in the nation's capital.

Puffing on a fresh cigar, Mayor Walter J. Sullivan said after Kennedy's speech that "he knows politics. It'll take him a while to learn, but he'll cover us well."

Former Cambridge Councilor Kevin Crane commented that "It'll be an interesting two years, to see what he does down in Washington--we haven't had a freshman Congressman for 34 years." With a Republican President, he said the Speaker's ability to retain Federal aid for the district would be difficult to match.

James Spencer, director of the Kennedy field operation, said "Joe Kennedy is the first politician I've worked for who can speak to the baby-boom generation on down." He said he hoped Kennedy would be able to inspire the young to political action, since the current crop of aspiring politicians "is like the Revenge of the Nerds"--an ambitious but selfish collection of "high-school debate team captains."

"I've never in my life been so excited. I don't give a damn about the glitz--it's the potential for change," he said of Kennedy's victory.

Billed as a reluctant candidate, Kennedy avoided political life until January of this year, and stayed out of the limelight until he founded the non-profit Citizens Energy Corporation six years ago. The corporation aids the Massachusetts Fuel Assistance program and has worked on various experiments in alternative energies and conservation.

Spencer said the media has correctly called the Congressman "the ordinary Kennedy."

"He's an ordinary guy," and "a non-leader," he said, but added that "he has a drive, and he's not afraid to put himself in somebody's face and say, 'this is what has got to be done.'"

Sophia Van Wingerden contributee to the reporting of this story.