H. Stuart Hughes, professor of History, said yesterday he would not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1964. Reports indicated that Massachusetts Political Action for Peace (PAX) will run Boston integration leader Noel Day as an independent candidate in the ninth Congressional district against Speaker of the House John W. McCormack.
Although he would not confirm the reports, Jerome Grossman '38, chairman of PAX and campaign manager for Hughes's 1962 Senate race, said PAX will run "a candidate who will have the same national impact as Hughes." Grossman said the candidate would be running for federal office against a nationally known figure, and would announce his candidacy within 30 days.
The campaign will stress the issues of disarmament, poverty, and civil rights, Grossman said, and will receive support from other organizations.
Day also refused yesterday to confirm or deny reports that he is the candidate who will oppose McCormack in the ninth district. "There hasn't been a decision on my part or on PAX's" Day said.
PAX has, however, announced its endorsement of the candidacy of David Bloch for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress in the fifth district. Bloch, an industrial engineer for Avco Corporation, will stress the necessity for planning a conversion to peace-time industry in his campaign. As yet he has no opposition in the Democratic primary. The Republican incumbent, Bradford Morse (R-Mass), faces a primary fight.
In a telephone interview yesterday. Hughes said his decision not to run was based on the prestige Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '64 (D-Mass) would enjoy as an incumbent Senator. "He's no longer the brash young man he seemed to be in 1962, but a decent Fair Deal incumbent," he said.
Although admitting that the conditions that made his 1962 Senate bid worthwhile would not exist this fall. Hughes remarked that "the potentially most interesting race" for an independent candidate would be against McCormack or former Speaker Joseph W. Martin (R-Mass.)
Underscoring Hughes's reasons for not running this fall, Grossman stressed that in 1962 the Hughes candidacy was a possible threat to the Democratic majority. The popularity Kennedy now enjoys would eliminate this threat, he felt
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