St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1962-04-13
Congressman Judd's
Decision Not To Seek
Reelection

II Is TOO early 10 tell Whether DR.. Walter Judd'S
announced decision not to stand for reelection for
Congress in the Fifth district is irrevocable
Judd, 20 year veteran of the US. House of
NAL Fifth District COP convention Monday night
in North Minneapolis.
Congressman Judd, an effective canpaigner in
demand turnout the nation for his foresenic ability
has been under fire for months because of his
close association with extreme right-wng elements
of the Republican party, including some of the ex-
IRENE southern right wingers who equate their
conservatism with de-hard advocacy of racial caste
and racial segregation to the extent of defying
the us. Supreme Court decision.
Judd has had no difficulty in being elected to
Congress from the Fifth Ditrict for all these 20
years. because the district was heavily Republican
until the recent redistricting He was first elected
as a liberal or progressive Republican originally
winning both Independent voters and some DFI,
adherents to his camp.
Soon however after his election those liberal
independents like the late great attorney leader and
liberal George B. Leonard who originally supported
Judd because he appeared to be dissatisfied with the
political status quo left him.
Negro voters in the Fifth district were i'm
pressed originally because he had shown consider
able interest with the Chinese people and the prob
lens facing them. This interest in a non-white
lean Negro in the progress of all of the non-white
groups of the world who have been pushed around
for years by the Europeans and other whites
These voters reasoned that If Judd was inter-
ested in the Chinese, he would also be sympathetic
to the plight in which the oppressed Disseminated
against American Negro found himself 20 years ago
in his own country
1t not long before Congressman Judd
showed himself to be difficult to persuade that
federal civil rights legislation was the answer for
the American Negro to obtain his basic rights under
the Constitution.
In most of the slirmishes in Congress, except
in the 1857 enactment of legislation to set up the
us. Civil Rights Commission, extreme pressure had
to be put on Judd to support the northern Repubi-
cans and Democrats who spear-headed most Of the
civil rights attempts in the Congress.
This record dlsiIluslOned Negro voters In the
Fifth district, and not since his first term of
office has Judd regained the support Of the leading
Negroes of the district.
It appeared in the first part of the Eisenhower
administration that DR.. Judd realized the American
Negro had some consideration coming when he was
instrumental in securing advancement for Negro
postal employee to a position of fairly high rank.
There is some feeling in certain areas that
Congressman Judd's announced decision could be
changed If enough demand Is made by the Repubn-
cans of the Fifth District Some political cynics
suggest that his move is a smart political strategem
to start a Draft Judd" movement.
1t may be that Congressman Judd sees a real
challenge from the announced DFL candidate, DON
aid Fraser, a young vigorous, intelligent state
Senator. And with both parties evenly matched
in numerical strength in the Fifth district he
may not want to go through a real tough campaign
against tough l1nowedgeable candidate.
Whatever the reasons and the conjectures about
the Judd decision, the Fifth District DFL should
not be ulled to sleep and think that Fraser is going
to have walk-in since Judd's remuneration. The
Republicans are not going to turn over by default
the Fifth District seat and let DFL strategists
forget it.
Any Republican who (f Judd keeps his
announced intention not to be candidate) is going
to have the financial backing and dedicated workers
to put up a real campaign