
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 9, 1990                   TAG: 9005090640
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A/4   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SEX SCANDAL COSTS LUKENS SEAT IN OHIO

Ohio voters cast out Rep. Donald "Buz" Lukens, his long career shattered by his conviction on a sex offense, while North Carolinians boosted a black Democrat's bid to challenge conservative Republican Sen. Jesse Helms.

"Never argue with the voters," Lukens said, finishing a distant third in Tuesday's GOP primary, which he entered over the objections of his party's leaders.

The loss, following his conviction on charges of having sex with a 16-year-old girl, apparently ended a congressional career that spanned nearly 25 years.

On the busiest day of primary elections so far this year, both Helms and Democratic Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia coasted to easy victories and turned their attention to the general elections in November.

In other races:

Ohio Attorney General Anthony Celebrezze picked up more than 80 percent of his party's vote to claim the Democratic nomination for governor. That sets up a November race against the Republican nominee, former Cleveland Mayor George Voinovich.

West Virginia's former first lady, Dee Caperton, lost her shot at joining the administration of her ex-husband, Gov. Gaston Caperton, when she was beaten in the Democratic primary for state treasurer.

The indicted mayor of Atlantic City, N.J., James Usry, clinched a spot in a June 12 runoff by finishing second to a city councilman in a seven-way non-partisan race.

Former Democratic Reps. Katie Hall of Indiana and Ken Hechler of West Virginia lost comeback bids in their old districts. Hall was beaten by Rep. Pete Visclosky, and Hechler lost to Rep. Nick Joe Rahall Jr.

A 100-year-old eye doctor lost his race for Congress in North Carolina but wouldn't admit it. "I don't concede a damn thing," Harry Merritt Stenhouse said after being trounced by businessman Don Davis.

Helms had little trouble knocking off two GOP challengers, businessman George Wimbish and salvage dealer L.C. Nixon, who could manage only 8 percent of the vote each.

The top finisher in the Democratic primary was former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt, who is hoping to become the first black Senate nominee in North Carolina in this century. But Gantt failed to win the 40 percent needed to guarantee the Democratic nomination and could face a June 5 runoff against second-place finisher Michael Easley, the Brunswick County district attorney.

by CNB