Easy Wins for Thompson and Reilly

Seeking his second term in office, State Representative Alvin E. Thompson won a crushing victory over Larry W. Beeferman in the Democratic primary for the 28th Middlesex district yesterday.

Coming off a 71 percent to 29 percent victory over Beeferman, Thompson faces little-known independent Ralph Lopez in the November general election.

Thompson said in an interview that the key to his victory was his "accessability, availablitiy" and the 40 "town meetings" he has held in the city during his term.

"When I ride the subway home, it takes one and a half hours to get home [with] people stopping me and talking to me," he said.

In his acceptance speech at the Kirkland Cafe on Kirkland St. in Cambridge, Thompson blasted the Citizens for Limited Taxation petition that would roll back taxes to their 1988 levels. He also said he was eager to get back to the State House.

"I am prepared to take on new challenges in state government," he said.

Thompson drew 4330 votes to Beeferman's 1786. Fifty-four percent of registered voters went to the polls yesterday.

While Thompson recieved criticism earlier in the year on his descision to resume his job as a security guard for the Cambridge Schools, he sailed through most of the primary battle unscathed.

"There was no reason for Beeferman's candidacy," said David J. Holway, a campaign manager for Thompson. "He never laid out an agenda different than Alvin Thompson's record. He tried to ride an anti-incumbent wave but with no success."

Thompson claimed victory at 10:30 pm at the Kirkland Cafe. While Beeferman did not concede until later in the evening, it was clear early on that the election would be a landslide.

"I am disappointed. I certainly expected it to be much closer," Beeferman said in an interview. He blamed his loss on the lack of a forum to discuss the issues. "Cambridge is a world-class city, but there is no meaningful opportunity to discuss anything of substance."

Beeferman said that voters' disillusionment with state government did not translate into dissatisfaction with Thompson. He also said that his campaign could not overcome the mileage Thompson earned through political patronage and the sense that the state rep. deserved a second term in office.

Thompson beat former State Rep. Saundra Graham in the 1988 Democratic primary by 47 votes. He overcame a write-in campaign on behalf of Graham in the general election by a three-to-one margin.

Thompson dismissed Lopez and said that an independent in Cambridge did not stand a chance. "In the 28th district you are either a democrat or a republican," he said. "An independent can't win."

District Attorney Race

Thomas F. Reilly coasted to a easy victory in the race for the Middlesex County District Attorney, defeating Somerville State Rep. Joseph K. Mackey '74 and Cambridge laywer George W. Spartichino.

Reilly, the former assistant Middlesex DA, will succeed L. Scott Harshbarger '64, who defeated James G. Shannon in the democratic primary for attorney general.

Reilly, who with 86 of 485 precincts reporting, had claimed 53 percent of the vote to Mackey's 27 percent and Spartichino's 19 percent, does not face a Republican challenger in November's general election.

The Mackey campaign blamed the defeat on the waves of negative campaign ads launched by Reilly.

"Probably the primary reason Tom Reilly won was that he had a better financed campaign, and we did not have the financial ability to counter his negative ads," said Thomas M. Keane Jr., manager for the Mackey Campaign.