Republican City Leader Eyes Seat Of LoPresti

Republican City Committee Chair Vincent L. Dixon '75 has been putting out political tentacles about competing for the State Senate seat of Michael LoPresti '70.

"I am testing the waters and sort of touching base with people," Dixon said in an interview Monday. "I am likely to do it."

Dixon, who ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 1985, described himself as a candidate who might appeal to both liberal and conservative factions in the Suffolk and Middlesex district, which includes Cambridge, Winthrop and part of Boston.

"It's hard to type me. I view myself as a moderate--genuinely a moderate," Dixon said. "I'm very much oriented toward solutions rather than rhetoric."

The Democratic Party commands a substantial majority in most Cambridge elections, and Republicans--when they run at all--are at a considerable disadvantage.

But Dixon said the Democratic leadership's apparent inability to manage the state's worsening fiscal crisis might allow Massachusetts Republicans to make substantial gains in 1990.

Massachusetts leaders are currently wrestlingwith a $500 million deficit, while the state'sbond rating has sunk to the lowest in the nation.

"This year is beginning to look like a yearthat could be advantageous to Republicans," Dixonsaid. "Five or ten percentage points of anger canmean a lot."

But prominent Republicans in the city said theydoubted whether a member of their party could oustLoPresti.

"I'd say Yassir Arafat would have a betterchance getting elected mayor of Tel Aviv," saidGlenn S. Koocher '71, the last Republican to servein a city office.

Koocher described the Suffolk and Middlesexdistrict as "tailor-made" for LoPresti. "I don'tsee LoPresti being vulnerable to Republicans," hesaid.

Koocher said he knew of not other Republicansseeking office in State House districtsrepresenting parts of Cambridge.

Former Republican City Committee Chair John R.Moot '43 also said he was skeptical of Dixon'schances, but added that a sucessful Republicancampaign might depend on the outcome of thegubernatorial race.

"The State Senate position is going to be a lotharder if the top of the ticket isn't carrying theRepublicans some," he said.

Dixon said that one of the issues he wouldaddress in upcoming election is the need forcomprehensive planning. Many of the currenteconomic woes are attributable to a lack ofdiscussion among State House leaders, he said.

"No one's really talking about what kind ofeconomy Massachusetts should have," Dixon said