By Guy F. Smith
September 9, 2002

As the November election cycle approaches, many U.S. mayors, and former mayors, are in the national mix in some hotly-contested races.

At stake is control of both the House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate for the remaining two years of President George W. Bush's term. The House, Republican-controlled, has but a six-member margin over Democrats while the Senate has a 51-49 Democratic advantage due to Vermont Senator James Jeffords leaving the GOP to become an Independent.

Some key races to watch in upcoming elections:

Texas

Former Dallas Mayor and Democrat Ron Kirk, 48, faces Republican state Attorney General John Coryn, 50, in the November 6th election for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring Republican Senator Phil Gramm.

Kirk was the first black mayor of Dallas and would be the state's first black Senator if elected and only the third in the Senate nationwide since Reconstruction ended in the 1870's.

A plus for Kirk, political writers note, is the fact that the Democratic candidate for Governor is a Hispanic, wealthy buisnessman Tony Sanchez, who has already spent more than $31 million of his own money. Countering that will be campaign appearances on behalf of Coryn by former Texas Governor, President Bush.

First elected as mayor of Dallas in 1995, Kirk held that post as mayor for six years.

Pennsylvania

Since 1914, Philadelphia has not sent a Governor to the state capitol of Harrisburg - from either party.

Former Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell won the Democratic primary for Governor and on November 6 will know whether the state's voters will end that long electoral drought.

Rendell's opponent is Republican Attorney General Mike Fisher.

During the 2000 presidential campaign, Rendell was general chair of the Democratic National Committee and won the sobriquet of "America's Mayor" before 9/11 and the emergence of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani as a national hero for his handling of post 9/11 recovery.

The winner in November will replace Mark Schweiker, promoted from lieutenant governor to governor when Bush named GovernorTom Ridge to head up the homeland security department.

Hawaii

Former Republican Mayor of Maui, Linda Lingle, is expected to win the Republican primary September 21 as her party's candidate for governor.

For years, the Democratic party has been dominant in island politics, controlling state politics and Hawaii's congressional delegations.

Lingle's probable campaign received a boost when popular Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris withdrew from the Democratic primary.

Minnesota

Former St. Paul Mayor Norm Coleman, backed by the Bush White House, is running for the Senate seat currently held by Paul Wellstone, generally conceded to be one of the most liberal Democratic Senators.

District of Columbia

The 2002 mayoral campaign in the nation's capitol received a jolt when incumbent Mayor Anthony A. Williams failed to get his name on the ballot after campaign aides submitted falsified signatures. Williams- main opponent in the September 10 Democratic primary (in a heavily Democratic city) is another write-in candidate, the Rev. Willie F. Wilson.

Mayor Williams was chief financial officer for the District of Columbia under former Mayor Marion Barry and won the mayor's race after Barry decided not to run again in 1998.

Because both candidates names must be written in, and then validated, political observers in the nation's capitol believe it may take weeks for the Democratic candidate for the November 6th election to be confirmed.

In recent months, Mayor Williams has received continuing media acclaim for turning the city's fortunes around. This included an article full of praise in a recent issue of Governing Magazine.