NEWARK — Democratic Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg defeated Republican Pete Dawkins, a retired Army general, Rhodes Scholar and ex-football hero and Heisman Trophy winner, surviving a nasty and expensive battle of negative campaign ads to win his second term.
At the same time, George Bush soundly defeated Michael S. Dukakis to claim the state's 16 electoral votes.
With 54% of the precincts reporting, Bush had 952,472 votes, or 58%, and Dukakis had 679,956 votes, or 42%.
With 74% of precincts reporting, Lautenberg had 1,153,698, or 55%, and Dawkins had 957,731 votes, or 45%.
