Drinan and Linsky In Close Struggle

Robert F. Drinan, one of the most successful practitioners of the new politics, is embroiled in a tough night for re-election against liberal Republican-Martin A Linsky in the Fourth Congressional District.

As of midnight Drinan had 46,020 votes to Linsky's 38,024 votes with "2 out of 144 precinets reporting Conservative candidate John L Collins had polled only 3751 votes.

Drinan appeared at the Sidney Hills Country Club in Newton at 11.45 p.m. and told about 600 cheering supporters that "It will be a long night but we have every expectation that all things will go well.

He then landed Massachusetts as the peace state which has given its mandate the Senator George McGovern." "We have stood alone today," he said.

Drinan, a 51-year old Roman Catholic has narrowly carried the three major towns in the eastern part of the district Newton, Waltham and Brookline.

These three towns as especially Waltham and Newton me considered to be Drinan's strongholds. In 1930 when Dinan's defeated John McGlennon and Philip J. Filbin in a three-way race Waltham Newton and Watertown as formed for 56 per cent of Drinan's total vote.

Linsky showed surprising strength in Brookline, his home town which he lost by less than 1000 votes. Only a week ago. The Boston Globe reported that Linsky was trailing Drinan by a ten point margin.

Linsky in a speech earlier this evening at his headquarters, said that the situation looks promising Linsky supporters are banking on a strong showing in the factory--towns in the western portion of the district--Leominster, Fitchburg, and Framingham.

Filbin, a conservative Democrat, polled well in Leominster and Fitchburg in 1970.

John Hogsett, Drinan's director of communications, said at 11:30 p.m. that he was "very confident about the prospects of a Drinan victory."

Hogsett maintained that Drinan would show enough strength among the blue collar workers in the western towns to hold onto his current lead.

The western towns use paper ballots rather than voting machines and the results from these areas will not be in until early this morning.