News In Brief

Iowa Democrats pick Mondale as early leader

Nearly 3,000 of the Democratic faithful in Iowa, which conducts the nation's first presidential caucus, picked Walter Mondale as the early favorite for the Democratic nomination.

Mr. Mondale got 48.1 percent of the vote in a straw poll conducted by the Iowa Newspaper Association after a fundraising dinner. Mondale's front-runner position also was bolstered when a poll published in the Des Moines Sunday Register indicated he holds the lead among state voters as well.

In the straw poll, Mondale was followed by Alan Cranston with 34.9 percent of the vote. John Glenn took only 5.7 percent. Both Cranston and Mondale bussed in large numbers of supporters for the dinner.