Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 4, 1993 TAG: 9301040042
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
TERRY MAY BE MANEUVERING ON SUCCESSOR
Attorney General Mary Sue Terry won't resign her office to run for governor as long as Gov. Douglas Wilder can appoint her interim successor, a newspaper reports.Terry hopes to be the Democratic nominee to succeed Wilder, a Democrat, as governor in 1994. Virginia law forbids governors from succeeding themselves.
But Terry will not resign before Jan. 13, when the General Assembly begins its 1993 short session, the Daily Progress of Charlottesville reports in a story for Sunday's edition. The newspaper quotes unidentified associates of Terry within the Democratic Party.
If Terry decides to follow Virginia tradition and step aside while she runs for governor this year, she would like the General Assembly to name a successor of her choice, associates say. While the General Assembly is in session, lawmakers - not the governor - have power over appointments.
Terry has not ruled out a resignation while the lawmakers are in session, the attorney general's associates said. But they say Terry may very well choose to serve out her term until next January while running for governor. The gubernatorial election is in November.
Republican Marshall Coleman held onto the post while running for governor in 1981, but took heavy criticism from Democrats. Coleman accepted half his attorney general's salary during the end of the campaign.
"I don't really think he suffered for that," University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said. Coleman lost to then-Lt. Gov. Charles Robb.
Wilder says his court battle with Terry has forced him to re-evaluate whether he will support her for governor.
"I said previously that I was supporting the nominee of the party," Wilder said in an interview with the Roanoke Times & World-News.
"However, that was all prior to me being sued, prior to my authority being questioned and prior to my knowing that the attorney general has more authority . . . than the governor's office," he said.
A Richmond judge's ruling last month reaffirmed Terry's independence from Wilder. Both are directly elected.
Wilder had tried to remove Terry as lawyer for the state pension fund after she criticized Wilder appointees to the pension's board of directors.
Terry sued to keep the job, and the judge said Wilder had no authority to fire her as legal representative for state agencies.
Terry so far faces no opposition for her party's nomination.
If nominated, she is likely to face one of three Republicans: businessman Earle Williams; former U.S. Rep. George Allen; or state Del. Clinton Miller.
Keywords:
POLITICS