Election Causes Few Changes In Congressional Offices

To paraphrase what became a campaign cliche, George Bush was no Ronald Reagan. When Reagan won reelection in 1984, he pulled enough Senate candidates with him into office that the Senate changed from Democratic to Republican control. Despite a clear-cut Presidential victory Nov. 8, Bush had no coattails to help other Republican candidates. In the Congressional elections this year, most incumbents held their own, and most vacated seats were won by the same party that had held them. At least 34 new faces will be in the House when the 101st Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 1989. There are that many only because 24 members of the 100th Congress decided either to retire or to run for other office. One member, Ernie Konnyu (R.-Calif.), was defeated in a primary race. And three vacancies were created by the death of two members and the resignation of another. An amazing 98% of the House incumbents who sought ...