Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 3, 1993 TAG: 9311030329
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: LARRY O'DELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
In unofficial returns from 30 of 37 precincts, Republican Barnes Lee Kidd had 60 percent of the vote to 38 percent for Jennings, a 12-year veteran legislator. Independent Thomas Linville had 2 percent.
Republicans hoped to shrink the Democratic majority in the 100-member House. Democrats outnumber Republicans 57-41, with one independent and one seat vacant.
GOP candidates were challenging 30 Democratic incumbents, and Democrats were trying to unseat 16 GOP incumbents.
Ten seats were open because of retirements, and nine of them were contested by both major parties.
The other opposed incumbents faced independent challengers.
Republican officials began the campaign hoping to gain a couple of seats.
But their optimism grew as GOP gubernatorial candidate George Allen erased Democrat Mary Sue Terry's huge lead in the polls and took a double-digit lead of his own.
Kevin Mack, director of the Democratic Caucus, said he did not believe the statewide GOP ticket's momentum in the polls would have any effect on the House races.
To some extent, the House races were a microcosm of the statewide contests.
Republicans tried to turn the anti-incumbent mood against the Democrats, and Democrats tried to portray GOP candidates as right-wing extremists.
Terry's proposal for a five-day waiting period on handgun purchases was an issue in some House races.
Most Democratic candidates supported the proposal and most Republicans opposed it.
Republicans made an issue of the planned new lottery headquarters in downtown Richmond, calling the building a monument to wasteful spending.
The Democratic majority rammed that project through the last legislative session with the help of only a few Republicans.
Charges of ethics violations and negative campaigning were traded in several races, and Republicans accused Democrats of "sleaze polling."
They claimed public opinion surveys conducted by Democrats were filled with inaccurate or distorted accusations about GOP candidates.
Democrats defended the polls as legitimate attempts to learn what was on voters' minds.
Keywords:
ELECTION
by CNB