Kennedys Re-Elected Easily

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54 (D-Mass.) quietly celebrated his nearly two-to-one victory over Republican candidate Joseph D. Malone '78 last night.

Kennedy, speaking before a crowd of 400 at the Copley Plaza Hotel, pledged to continue his progressive legislative agenda in his fifth term. Supporters, although pleased by Kennedy's 66 to 34 point reelection, said the disappointing presidential returns put a damper on the Senate victory.

Meanwhile, a block away, another Kennedy claimed victory. Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II defeated business executive Glenn Fiscus by 121,902 to 31,626.

"Beating a Kennedy in Massachusetts is a very difficult thing," Malone said in an interview with The Crimson just after the first exit polls showed him trailing Sen. Kennedy by a wide margin. "There is a special feeling for the Kennedys here in Massachusetts, and it transcends any sort of politics."

In his victory speech, Sen. Kennedy touted his liberal agenda. "I'd like to believe that tonight this victory is a victory for students that are concerned about quality education," he said. He also pledged to fight for maintaining Social Security benefits and enacting a universal health care program.

Although Kennedy's supporters were celebrating victory in a confettifilled ballroom, the Republican presidential victory quieted down their mood.

"I think people are obviously feeling the presidential race--there are some sensitivities there, but on the other hand people are delighted to be sending [Kennedy] back to the Senate," said Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.)

Defeated opponent Malone, who joined more than 1000 Republicans celebrating Vice President George Bush's victory, said he would continue to remain active in Massachusetts politics and pledged to run either for the Senate or governor in 1990.

In his concession speech, Malone invoked the memory of Kennedy's brother, President John F. Kennedy '40, saying that one of his first political memories was of the 1961 presidential inauguration.

Return of Two Parties

Malone charged that the Democratic Party could no longer serve Massachusetts voters. Bush's victory heralded the "return of the two-party system" in the Bay State, Malone proclaimed.

Massachusetts has not had a Republican senator since Edward Brooke retired from the Senate more than 10 years ago.

But while Malone attributed much of his loss to the Kennedy mystique, many of his supporters were not so gracious to the incumbent. As Kennedy's victory speech was televised before the Republican party, shouts of "the Duke of Chappaquiddick" and "go home to your Black friends" accompanied the senator's remarks.

In the Marriott Copley Hotel, about 300 Joe Kennedy supporters crowded into a bar to celebrate their candidate's victory. Kennedy "has certainly worked hard and he's gotten some results," said Charles J. McDermott, a spokesperson for Kennedy.

"He's for the people--the common people," said Juanita L. Miranda, a campaign volunteer. "He's for the little American--not the middle, not the big. He doesn't want to see the peons beat on."

As victory music roared, Kennedy supporters ignored television coverage of the presidential race.

"They're not concerned simply because they realized it was a lost cause--[Dukakis] started too late to exhilarate," said W. William Walker, a Kennedy supporter and a volunteer in the Dukakis campaign.

"Regardless of whether we have a Republican president, as long as we have a democratic Congress, we are all right," Miranda said.