Barry, Incumbents Triumph in Primaries

THE year's biggest primary election day brought redemption for Marion Barry, the former crack-smoking mayor of Washington, rejection for Bruce Sundlun - the troubled governor of Rhode Island - and big wins for many incumbents.

Mr. Barry, who served six months in prison after being videotaped smoking crack in a 1990 FBI sting operation, won the Democratic nomination for mayor in the nation's capital, ousting incumbent Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly.

``Amazing grace, how sweet it sounds,'' Barry bellowed to jubilant supporters. The Democratic nomination is usually tantamount to election in Washington, where Democrats outnumber Republicans 9-to-1.

Republican voters turned to a familiar face in Maryland - that of Bill Brock, a former Tennessee senator, national Republican Party chairman, and labor secretary. Mr. Brock will challenge Democratic incumbent Paul Sarbanes. And a familiar name - Sen. Edward Kennedy's son Patrick Kennedy - won a Democratic congressional primary in Rhode Island.

In all, there were primaries in nine states, involving eight governor's races, eight Senate races, and 73 House seats. The midterm elections are considered a major test for President Clinton.

Republicans are expected to make major gains and possibly win a majority in the Senate.

Four incumbent governors triumphed easily in their primaries: Democrat Mario Cuomo of New York and Republicans Fife Symington of Arizona, Arne Carlson of Minnesota, and Steve Merrill of New Hampshire.

Mr. Carlson defeated an anti-abortion conservative, Allen Quist, who had wrested the official state Republican Party endorsement away from the incumbent. Carlson now faces state Sen. John Marty, who narrowly won the Democratic primary.

In Arizona, Mr. Symington trounced Phoenix lawyer Barbara Barrett for the Republican nomination. His 1990 rival, former Phoenix Mayor Terry Goddard, lost in a tight race to Eddie Basha, chairman of a statewide supermarket chain that bears his name.

Incumbency was no protection for Mr. Sundlun, whose troubles included a rotten economy and an out-of-wedlock child. Democratic voters nominated Myrth York, a state senator who could become Rhode Island's first woman governor.

Ms. York beat Sundlun by better than 2-to-1, and faces a November showdown with former United States Attorney Lincoln Almond, who won the Republican primary.

All the incumbent senators won. Besides Sen. Sarbanes in Maryland, the winners included Democrats Daniel Patrick Moynihan in New York and Herb Kohl in Wisconsin, and Republican John Chafee in Rhode Island.

Mr. Moynihan defeated black activist Al Sharpton in the primary and will take on Republican Bernadette Castro in the general election. Mr. Kohl will face Republican Robert Welch; Mr. Chafee faces Democrat Linda Kushner.

* In Arizona, US Rep. Sam Coopersmith held a razor-thin lead over Secretary of State Richard Mahoney II for the right to oppose Republican Jon Kyl for an open US Senate seat. Democrat Dennis DeConcini is retiring.

* The candidates to succeed Republican Sen. Dave Durenberger of Minnesota are Democrat Ann Wynia and Republican US Rep. Rod Grams.

* In New York City, Rep. Charles Rangel easily defeated Adam Clayton Powell IV in a Democratic congressional primary in Manhattan's Harlem district.