Cleveland Voters Eleet Perk Again

Ralph J. Perk, Republican mayor of Cleveland, retained office in a landslide victory over city council clerk Mercedes Cotner in the non-partisan election yesterday.

Perk, a conservative, was backed primarily by Cleveland's white population, about 60 per cent of the city's votes. In 1971, after black mayor Carl Stokes left Cleveland for New York, Perk defeated James M. Carney.

Cotner was placed on the ballot two weeks ago when Democrat Carney pulled out of the race because of what he called "personal problems." The Carney family, an important political entity, has been a long-time enemy of the Perks.

Ira Forman '74, a campaign worker for Carney, said yesterday that Carney's abdication destroyed the Carney family politically in Cleveland.

Cotner, a moderate liberal like Carney, stressed municipal unity during her two week campaign. Her platform held that struggling races and ethnic groups have polarized Cleveland. However, she was unable to gain much exposure in the few days since Carney forfeited his place on the ballot.

All 33 City Council members were also elected yesterday. Twenty whites and 13 blacks were chosen. Only one ward saw a contest between a black and a white.