The Northeast

Republicans had feared a real pasting in the Northeast, which had many of the unemployment spots on which the Democrats placed high hopes. If anything, most G.O.P. politicians were a bit relieved by their party's loss of just eight seats--three in Pennsylvania and one each in West Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New York and Massachusetts.

Pennsylvania's switches came in three hairline districts that parted this time on the Democratic side. Example: in Luzerne County, where chronic unemployment among hard-coal miners has grown worse, former Democratic Representative Daniel Flood, a waxed-mustache dandy who likes to refer to himself in the third person, defeated Republican Incumbent Edward Bonin by less than 3,000 votes of 137,000 cast. In 1952, with Dwight Eisenhower helping him, Bonin won over Flood by 588 votes.

In Massachusetts, Democratic campaigning on the unemployment issue had Republicans quaking in their pre-election boots. Yet the Republicans' one loss in the state had little, if anything to do with the economic situation. Representative Angier Goodwin had served twelve thoroughly undistinguished years in the House. Democratic Winner Torbert Macdonald is 37 years old, stands a handsome 6 ft. 1 in. and weighs 190 lbs. He had captained the Andover and Harvard football teams, roomed with Senator John Kennedy in college, played in the outfield for New York Yankee farm clubs, won a Silver Star for gallantry as a PT-boat skipper in World War II, married a movie actress, and served as a lawyer for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Labor Relations Board. He won by 9,000 votes.

Much the same pattern emerged from the House races in New Jersey, another state with unemployment problems. Both parties held all their House places. The G.O.P. was mainly disappointed by its failure to unseat Democratic Representative Harrison Williams in a normally Republican district. But the Republicans had only themselves to blame for that: they nominated an ex-wrestler named Fred Shepard, who went around shouting that he had the support of the National Association for the Advancement of Indians, and saying he would not discuss federal issues until he was paid to do so.

Maryland's Prince Georges County, which includes some Washington suburbs heavily populated by federal employees, swung decisively from G.O.P. Incumbent Frank Small Jr. to Democrat Richard Lankford, 40, who campaigned in favor of a pay raise for Government workers. Lankford also won votes by criticizing the Republican increase in Swiss watch tariffs, on the theory that Switzerland--which furnishes Maryland tobacco growers with about one-third of their revenue--would retaliate. On Maryland's Eastern Shore. Democrat Ed Turner had blatantly used segregation as an issue against G.O.P. Representative Edward Miller. Miller won--but only after adopting Turner's general anti-integration line.

In New York, Republicans dropped the seat vacated by Jacob Javits, who was elected attorney general, and in Delaware. Democrat Harris B. McDowell, 48, a real-estate man from Appoquinimink hundred, rode right along with other Democrats in a state sweep.

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