Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 30, 1991 TAG: 9103300251
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The state Democratic chairman acknowledged that election law may be ambiguous, but said the claim shows that Republicans "like to not really be taken seriously."
The dispute arose Thursday when Republican Del. George Allen of Charlottesville disclosed that he has looked into the question.
Democrats failed to field a candidate to oppose Republican Sen. John Warner, who handily won re-election over Nancy Spannaus, a follower of imprisoned political extremist Lyndon LaRouche.
Warner got 82 percent of the vote.
State election law defines a political party as "an organization or affiliation of citizens of the commonwealth which, at the last preceding statewide general election, polled at least 10 percent of the total vote cast for the office filled in that election by the voters of the commonwealth at large."
Joe Elton, executive director of the state GOP, said the failure to oppose Warner means the Democratic Party "has in effect lost its charter to be an official party."
As a result, Elton said, Democratic candidates cannot get on the ballot through such party nomination processes as conventions and mass meetings. Instead, their candidates must circulate petitions, the same as independent and third-party candidates, Elton said.
Paul Goldman, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said the law gives parties the right to choose not to run a candidate.
"For them to suggest that the intent of the Virginia election law is to create a one-party state is obviously absurd," Goldman said. "They ought to just be a serious party and start talking about serious things."
Del. Ford Quillen, D-Gate City, chairman of the House Privileges and Elections Committee which writes state election statutes, said the GOP contention "doesn't make sense to me."
"Democrats didn't have a candidate when Henry Howell ran for governor [in 1973 as an independent]," Quillen said. "I don't think the law would ever be construed that way."
Goldman said the law is lengthy and complicated and might have some ambiguities that require amending. "If that's the case, then that will be done," he said.
Elton said the GOP's top attorneys would meet soon to decide how to proceed with their view of the statute.
Sen. Thomas Michie, D-Charlottesville, said the issue probably will need an interpretation by Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, a Democrat. A spokeswoman for Terry said her office would look into the question.
Michie acknowledged that the party's status is an interesting question.
Steve Johnson, a spokesman for U.S. Sen. Charles Robb, D-Va., said that years ago Republicans sometimes offered only token or no opposition to Democrat Harry F. Byrd Sr. but still existed as a party.
Nonetheless, Johnson said, Allen "has found something that's very interesting."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB