GOP LIKELY TO CHOOSE EX-MAYOR ANDERSON'S PLANS AWAITED; BACKERS DOUBT MUSSER

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

DATE: MONDAY, February 24, 1992                   TAG: 9202240161
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
GOP LIKELY TO CHOOSE EX-MAYOR ANDERSON'S PLANS AWAITED; BACKERS DOUBT MUSSER
Democrat David Bowers apparently will face Republican Willis "Wick" Anderson for mayor of Roanoke in the May election.
Gary Bowman, chairman of the city GOP committee, said Sunday he expects Anderson, a former Anderson mayor, to be nominated at the party's mass meeting Tuesday night.
"It is my belief that Wick is everybody's choice and will get nominated," Bowman said.
Although Anderson is holding off on announcing his plans until the GOP meeting, party officials are already looking ahead to the campaign.
Sources said there has been talk of an independent getting into the mayoral race since Bowers beat Vice Mayor Howard Musser for the Democratic Party nomination on Saturday. But they said that seems unlikely.
Musser met with advisers on Sunday to discuss his options in the aftermath of Bowers' victory, but sources said they don't expect him to make an independent bid.
"People are calling and telling me what they think I should do. I don't want to hurt the people who supported me, but there are other things to consider," he said. He expects to make a statement today about his plans.
Before Saturday's mass meeting, Musser said he had no intention of running as an independent if he lost, but he would not rule it out.
Bowers said Sunday he expects to have the backing of Musser and his supporters in the May 5 election.
"I'm going to extend the olive branch to Howard, and ask for his support. He is a good and honorable man, and I look forward to working with him and his followers," Bowers said.
If there are any wounds left from the fight for the mayoral nomination, Bowers said, he will try to heal them and unify the party.
Bowers said he expects to have Republican opposition, but that he is confident the Democrats have a winning ticket.
"I don't take anything for granted. I worked right to the end of the [mass meeting] to get the nomination and I'm going to be just as vigorous and positive in the upcoming campaign," he said.
Regardless of the GOP ticket, Bowers said, the Democrats have a slate with broad appeal to voters. It includes Renee Anderson, Councilman Beverly Fitzpatrick Jr. and James Trout.
"I need these people and we can work together. I am very pleased with the ticket because it broadens the participation in the process," he said.
Bowers, 39, said the Democratic ticket includes cultural diversity, youth and experience. Anderson is 28, Fitzpatrick is 45 and Trout, 61.
The GOP has three candidates seeking the party nomination for the council seats at Tuesday night's mass meeting: Councilwoman Elizabeth Bowles, Beverly Lambert and Delvis "Mac" McCadden.
Because there is no competition for the GOP nomination for mayor and council, party officials expect a much smaller crowd for their mass meeting than the Democrats'.
Nearly 1,700 registered voters attended the Democratic meeting, which included two candidates for mayor and six aspirants for the three council seats.
Musser said Sunday that he is still concerned that many residents who planned to attend the meeting might have left without voting because they couldn't find a parking place at William Fleming High School.
"Something is wrong with the process when people are turned away because there is no parking," he said. Musser and Councilman James Harvey said they were told that scores of people couldn't find a place to park.
Harvey said he was disheartened by the Roanoke Firefighters Association's support for Bowers, even though Musser has worked to improve pension benefits for firefighters and correct inequities in the city's pay plan.
"Howard was instrumental in getting a better pension for them and he took the lead in getting city officials to review the pay plan," Harvey said.
The firefighters union said it was responsible for bringing about 200 Bowers supporters to the meeting. Union leaders said they supported Bowers because he promised to listen to their concerns.
Ed Crawford, president of the union, said he had taken firefighters' complaints on staffing and other issues to Musser, but nothing came of them.
Keywords:
POLITICS

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB