Aug. 16, 1964 - Representative Samuel Stratton formally announced today he will fight Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy for the Democratic Party’s nomination for U.S. Senator from New York — the seat now held by Republican Kenneth Keating.
Kennedy has not formally announced as a candidate, but he is expected to shortly. He reportedly will resign as Attorney General and as a delegate from Massachusetts to the Democratic National Convention at the same time.
Stratton made his announcement in a television interview (“Newsmakers” — ABC) and attacked Kennedy as an out-of-stater who wants to use the New York senatorial post as a stepping stone to higher political jobs.
As Stratton officially stepped into the race, the New York County Democratic leader who seldom, if ever, makes a political policy statement without the approval of Mayor Robert Wagner, threw his support behind Kennedy.
Edward Costikyan said that he had polled district leaders and that “a substantial majority believe that Attorney General Kennedy will make the strongest and best qualified candidate of all those whose names have been put forth, and they are prepared to support him.”
Stratton charged that Kennedy supporters were conducting a “newspaper blitzkrieg” and doing some “arm-twisting” to swing supporters from him to the brother of the late President.
“It is disgraceful,” Stratton declared. “It certainly will hurt President Johnson’s chances of carrying the state in the November election.”
Kennedy supporters claim he has more than enough delegates for the nomination at the party’s Sept. 1 convention. A total of 573 votes, a simple majority of the 1,144 delegates, is needed to win.
Kennedy lives in McLean, Va., and votes in Massachusetts. The federal Constitution says only that a senatorial candidate must be a resident of the state on election day.
Support this project at patreon.com/realtime1960s
Comments