Minneapolis spokesman., 1962-04-13
Congressman Judd's
Decision Not To Seek


1t is too early to 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
Representatives made the announcement at a bien-
nial Fifth District COP convention Monday night
in North Minneapolis.
Congressman Judd an effective campaigner, in
demand thruout the nation for his foresenic ability
has been under fire for months because of his
close association with extreme right-wing elements
of the Republican party, including some of the ex-
treme southern right wingers who equate their
conservatism with diehard advocacy of racial caste
and racial segregation, to the extent of defing
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 redisricting He first elected
as a liberal or progressive Republican originally
winning both independent voters and some DFL
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-whte
people appealed to the known interest of the Amer
ican Negro in the progress Of all Of the non-whte
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 was not long before Congressman Judd
70 ha 70 Ia hoh
federal civil rights legislation was the for
the American Negro to obtain his basic rights under
the Constitution.
In most Of the skirmshes in Congress, except
in the 1857 enactement 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 disillusioned Negro voters In the
Fifth district, and not since his first term Of
office has Judd reganed 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 Judds announced decision could be
changed If enough demand is made by the Republi-
cans of the Fifth District. Some political cynics
suggest that his move is smart political strategem
to start 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 more evenly matched
in numerical strength In the new Fifth district he
may not want to go through a real tough campaign
against tough lnowledgeable candidate.
kHna oINo
the Judd decision, the Fifth District DFL should
not be lued to sleep and think that Fraser is going
to have a waIlx-in since Judds renunciation. The
Republicans are not going to turn over by default
the Fifth District seat and let DFL strategists
forget 1t.
Any Republican who runs Cf Judd keeps his
announced intention not to be a candidate) Is going
to have the financial backing and dedicated workers
to put up a real campaign