Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-25
4 House Seats
Sill Undecided
In New Lineup
BY ROBERT K. WALSH

by ROBERT II. WALSH
The exact lineup of the
House. though safe for the DEM
ecrats, may remain in doubt
almost until the 85th Congress
convenes January 8.
The lineup listed by the Office
Of the Clerk of the House yes
terday was 1888 Democrats and
1913 Republicans. The House had
232 Democrats and 203 Republic
cans at the last session.
OF the four seats needed to
complete the ABS quota. one will
be unoccupied until an April 8
special election in New Mexico. |
Another must await a Maine |
State Supreme Court ruling. The
two others depend on further
official checks or recounts in
Nebraska and Washington.
Those as we'll as several pre-
vious delayed or questioned re-
turns caused some confusion
and apparent inconsistencies in
informal tabulations published |
q day or two after the Novem-
Der 6 election.
Death Creates Vacancy
Thus, the Democrats won more
or less clearly in at least 234 dis
tr1cts November 6. But a va
cancy occurred only a few hours
later because of the death of
Representative Antonio M. Fer
nandez of New Mexico, who had
been reelected. The Democrats
are confident of re-winning that
district in the April special cleo
ton.
The Republicans thought they
had captured at least 1919 dis
tricts but feared they could not
overcome Democratic leads in the
ordinarily Republican Sd district
of Nebraska and the 4th district
Of Washington. Most recent re-
ports from those two areas, how
ever, indicate the Republican in
cumbents may pull through.
Representative Robert D. Har-
rison, Republican, has overcome
the immediate post-election lead
OF Lawrence Brock, Democrat,
and is ahead by 258 votes in the
Nebraska contest.
Holmes Leads LeROux
Representative Hal Holmes,
Republican. has Is more votes
than Frank LeRoux, Democrat,
In the Washington canvass to
date. That justifles no predic-
ton but it shows Mr.. Holmes is
better off than when he trailed
Mr.. LeRoux by 81 votes in the
first compilation after Election
Day.
Despite such improving pros
poets in those two States, the Re-
publicans face another possible
upset in Maine. In the elections
there last September the Demo-
Gratis took one of the three hith-
erto Republican seats.
In one of the others Repre-
sentative Robert Hale generally
was listed as victor. But his
margin over James C. Oliver,
Democrat, has been trimmed to
only 20 votes in the canvass of
absentee ballots. Furthermore,
almost 800 of those ballots thus
far have been disputed as not
complying with State election
laws.
Gov. Edmund S. Muskie.
Democrat, who scored a spec
tacular reelection victory last
September. has refused to sign
. certificate of election for Mr..
Hale. He wants the State Su-
Preme Court to look into the
tangle.
Turnover Is Small
Accordingly. the Hale-Oliver
contest Of last September cannot
be recorded as sure thing for
the Republicans. Their tentative
House total therefore drops to
1913.
Otherwise, whether it turns
out to be 236 to 1913 or 233 to 20l /
or some other figure January 8,
the House still will present a
notable homecoming appear
ance that day. AS has been noted
by THE Roll Call" a Capitol
Hill publication, by Congressional
Quarterly and by others, the |
turnover in House membership
will be the smallest since the 435 |
total was established in 1912.
Only "a new Democrats and
20 new Republicans, on the basis
OF present returns, will join the
House. This 46 is 10 less than the
total of newcomers after the
1854 election and IS less than the
1852 turnover.