
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 10, 1990                   TAG: 9006100072
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: PETER MATHEWS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

BOUCHER, OLIN, WARNER MAY BE UNOPPOSED

Republicans meeting in Wytheville and Lexington failed Saturday to come up with opponents for Democratic Reps. Rick Boucher of Abingdon and Jim Olin of Roanoke.

For their part, the Democrats, whose state central committee met Saturday in Richmond, decided they would give U.S. Sen. John Warner a free ride in the Nov. 6 election.

The three may face token opposition, however.

Charles D. Counts, a 75-year-old Smyth County farmer and retired preacher, said he may wage a write-in campaign for Boucher's 9th Congressional District seat. District Republicans declined to give the nomination to Counts, whose three unsuccessful tries for office include a 1979 state Senate race against Boucher.

Two associates of jailed political extremist Lyndon LaRouche say they have enough signatures on petitions to run as independents. Nancy Spannaus, who was denied the Democratic nomination, hopes to take on Warner, and Gerald Berg of Roanoke wants to challenge Olin in the 6th District.

"I accept this decision not to be opposed with a sense of humility," Warner said Saturday. "I will continue to travel throughout Virginia between now and election time doing less speech-making and more listening to Virginians with regard to their concerns and the goals that we share for the future."

The 9th District Republicans elected former Del. Ward Teel as their new chairman, replacing Jim Ferreira of Abingdon. Teel, 66, also is a former mayor of Christiansburg.

Ferreira, who also considered taking on Boucher, and some other Republicans said a challenge was unlikely to succeed with so little time before the election. It also would help Boucher raise money he could use in 1992, when the party hopes to have a strong candidate.

Television reporter Andy Fox won the Democratic nomination Saturday to oppose four-term Democratic Rep. Herbert Bateman in the November election.

Fox defeated Damian Horne, a Mathews County attorney, 90-25 at the 1st District Democratic convention. Fourteen delegates voted not to oppose Bateman.

Fox, who announced his candidacy only a week ago, said he will resign immediately from WAVY-TV in Portsmouth.

by CNB