American Notes Elections

To win three terms as mayor of New York City, a politician must come to personify the town. Fiorello La Guardia and Robert Wagner did so and became the only three-termers in the 20th century. Now the brash and blabby Edward Koch is about to join them. Last week he won the nomination for a third four- year term with the heaviest majority in any Democratic mayoral primary this century. Koch, 60, vaporized his opponents, City Council President Carol Bellamy and Assemblyman Herman D. Farrell Jr., by taking 64% of the city's Democratic vote. His electric personality and his record in helping restore the city's financial prosperity after its brush with bankruptcy in the 1970s apparently outweighed criticism that he is insensitive to the city's poor. Koch faces anemic opposition in November.

Winning just as handily last week, but for a fourth term, was Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, 67. Young won renomination to serve another four years against a dozen opponents who argued that he had stayed past his time. A skilled assembler of support among labor, civic and business leaders, Young sped away with 64% of the Motor City's vote.