Heinz Narrowly Beats Green In Pennsylvania Senate Race

Personal wealth triumphed over political savvy last night as Republican Rep. H. John Heinz III, scion of the Heinz pickle and catsup fortune, edged Democratic Rep. Bill Green in Pennsylvania's Senate race.

Heinz, who spent more than $2.2 million dollars in the contest, combined huge margins in his native western part of the state with substantial support in the populous eastern suburbs to gain the seat to be vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Hugh Scott.

The victory was not easy for the Pittsburgh-area congressman. Green, a Philadelphian and son of one of Pennsylvania's most powerful bosses, the late Bill Green Jr., has cultivated extensive support from the Democratic machine, which possesses a 700,000 margin in registered voters over the Republican Party.

But Heinz saturated the state with advertising and literature, spending more than 80 cents per registered voter.

More than 60 per cent of the union vote went for Heinz, as did 60 per cent of the unemployed voters.

Green, in a concession speech delivered in Philadelphia last night, equated the race to taking on a bazooka with a baseball bat.

In the voting, Heinz benefited greatly from Pennsylvania's penchant for ticket-splitting, drawing many Democratic supporters of Jimmy Carter. He lost very few President Ford voters to Green. Carter won the state by a small margin.

Although the media often treated Heinz and Green as look-alikes--they are both 38 years old--Heinz favors far less government intervention into social problems than Green.