The Runners

Other political stirrings last week:

P: In Missouri, four-time State Auditor Forrest Smith, who helped himself get re-elected by reminding voters that he was the man who mailed out the old-age pension checks, won the Democratic nomination for governor. Always a big vote-getter, plodding, affable Forrest Smith was rated a good bet to pull more votes in Missouri than Harry Truman. His Republican opponent: hefty, cautious Murray Thompson, operator of a small-town furniture store and speaker of the house.

P: In Kansas, where victory in the Republican primary is about equal to election, popular ex-Governor Andrew Schoeppel, 53, easily won nomination to the Senate seat being vacated by ancient (83) Arthur Capper. Governor Frank Carlson, 55, was renominated in a walk.

P: In Minnesota, Harold Stassen finally came out for the re-election of Joe Ball, whom he had appointed to the Senate eight years ago. Ball had angered Stassen four years ago by supporting Franklin Roosevelt for reelection, has since differed with him on many issues, notably on labor legislation and aid to Europe. But Joe Ball needed all the help he could get to beat able Hubert Humphrey, Democratic mayor of Minneapolis.

P: In Connecticut, Chester Bowles, sometime eager-beaver OPAdministrator, was picked by Democratic leaders to run for governor, an opportunity he sought in vain two years ago. His November opponent : Governor James C. Shannon, who succeeded the late Governor James L. McConaughy last March.

P: In Virginia, the first Republican primary in the state's history was held in the eighth congressional district, across the Potomac from Washington. Virginia Republicans, who traditionally play footie with Senator Harry Byrd's Democratic courthouse cronies, put up no candidates for local offices. Winner of their nomination for Congress: Tyrrell Krum, 48, conductor of a column on veterans' affairs for the Washington Times-Herald, who will try to pry labor-baiting, reactionary Howard Smith from his well-entrenched (18 years) congressional seat.

P: In Kentucky, triple-chinned Representative Virgil Chapman, tippling 300-lb. friend of the tobacco growers, nosed out labor-backed John Young Brown, onetime Congressman, for the Democratic senatorial nomination. In November he will oppose Republican John Sherman Cooper, who won a tradition-smashing victory in the 1946 off-year election.

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