Duke Clinches Nomination Behind Primary Victories

Governor Michael S. Dukakis moved to the brink of victory in the Democratic presidential race last night, winning in New Jersey and waiting for California to seal his triumph in a coast-to-coast finale to the primary season. George Bush said he would stress "prosperity and peace" in his fight to hold the White House for the Republicans.

Dukakis was defeating the Rev. Jesse Jackson by a margin of 67 percent to 29 percent in New Jersey's primary, and was winning New Mexico by almost as large a margin. He was favored to complete a four-state sweep with victories in Montana and California.

Dukakis began the night needing roughly 150 delegates to achieve a mathematical lock on the nomination. He was certain to top the magic 2081 goal when the votes were counted in California.

Bush, who has lost ground in the polls since wrapping up the Republican nomination more than a month ago, won the New Jersey and New Mexico primaries unopposed--and had no active competition in the other two states, either. He said the political momentum would swing his way once his campaign brought the issues of peace and prosperity into focus for the voters.

"The Democrats are out there tearing down the administration, me, and in many areas things that I think make this country click," he said in an NBC interview.

Jackson offered no rebuttal to the claims of victory from the Dukakis camp, andalready was turning his attention to the nextphase of a remarkable campaign. Talk of the vicepresidential nomination, convention platformissues and changes in party rules affecting futurecampaigns was in the air even before the pollingplaces opened to voters on the final primary dayof the year.

In New Jersey, with returns from 48 percent ofthe precincts counted, Dukakis had 198.233 or 67percent. Jackson had 85,307, or 29 percent.

Republican returns lagged far behind. With 6percent counted, Bush had 14,898 votes for 94percent.

In New Mexico, with returns from 21 percent ofthe precincts, it was Dukakis 23,014, or 62percent, to Jackson's 9298 or 25 percent.

Bush had 78 percent of the vote in hisuncontested race. That translated to 13,403 from20 percent of the precincts.

Bush's primary victories were as secure ascould be. But because his campaign was nearingfederal spending limits, he mounted only ashoestring effort in New Jersey and California,possibly placing himself at a disadvantage in twoimportant battleground states in the fallcampaign.

Advisers predicted the vice president wouldbegin sharpening his attacks on Dukakis as soon asthe Democratic nominating war was officiallysettled, perhaps beginning at the Texas GOPConvention on Thursday and a party unity event inDenver on Friday.

Bush sounded like he was more than ready,telling NBC in an interview, "the differences areenormous" between himself and Dukakis. "It will belike the McGovern-Nixon race in '72 in terms ofthe breadth of differences on these issues," hesaid. Nixon won that race in a landslide.

The vice president said he also would besetting out differences on a variety of issueswith the Reagan administration, saying, "I do haveto spell out my own identity..."

Dukakis was looking beyond the primaries, aswell. He arranged to pick up endorsements todayfrom former rivals Rep. Richard Gephardt ofMissori and Sen. Paul Simon of Illinois, and saidhe hoped Jackson would also work for the ticket.And he was expected to meet with aides this weekfor discussions on selecting a running mate andplanning the nominating convention.

Even as his faint hopes of stopping Dukakis'nomination were being snuffed out, Jackson was atwork on the next phase of his campaign. He said hehad earned "the option" of a vice presidentialoffer, vowed a floor fight at the convention ifDukakis doesn't toughen his position against SouthAfrica and pressed for changes in delegate rules.

But with a Bush-Dukakis general electioncampaign already taking shape, the final round ofprimaries seemed a mere formality. The onlysuspense centered around how quickly theMassachusetts governor would amass the remainingdelegates needed to clinch his first ballotnomination at the party convention next month.

Dukakis went into the final primaries with 1927delegates, 154 short of the total required toclinch the nomination. Jackson was far behind with985