Oct. 1, 1972:
The New York County (Manhattan) Democratic Committee selects Bella Abzug as the party's nominee in the 20th Congressional District to replace the late Rep. William Ryan.
Abzug, who was first elected to Congress in 1970 and whose own district was eliminated by redistricting, challenged Ryan in the June Democratic primary and lost by a 2-1 margin. But Ryan died on Sept. 17 of cancer. In the meeting of Manhattan Democrats, Abzug defeated Ryan's widow, Priscilla, by a vote of 576 to 333.
Abzug will be re-elected to Congress in November, beating a field that includes Priscilla Ryan as the candidate of the Liberal Party. She will serve until 1976, when she leaves to make an unsuccessful bid for the Senate.
Today in Campaign History is a daily feature on Political Junkie.
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