Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 28, 1993 TAG: 9304280145
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BONNIE V. WINSTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Fielding questions from reporters following his campaign announcement, Beyer coyly deflected an inquiry on whether he'd pledge to serve out his term if re-elected.
"A week is a long time in politics," he said to the laughs of various state and Democratic Party officials, including Gov. Douglas Wilder and Mary Sue Terry, the party's presumptive nominee for governor.
Beyer has been talked about as a possible alternative candidate to rescue Democrats from a bloodletting should Wilder decide to take on incumbent Sen. Charles Robb.
"Senator Robb is a good friend. I am not committed to his re-election. I will watch what happens in '94, but we are keeping our eyes on November 1993," Beyer said.
Neither Wilder nor Robb, who have not let party unity stand in the way of their enmity for one another, has formally announced his intentions. Robb has said he intends to seek a second term, however, and Wilder has said he will decide by June whether to challenge Robb.
Later in the day, Beyer took his re-election campaign to Roanoke and took the opportunity to give a push to tourism in Western Virginia.
Beyer chose the quintessence of the city - the Hotel Roanoke - to announce his campaign for re-election, making him the first Virginia lieutenant governor to do so in 36 years.
A predictable cast of Roanoke Valley Democrats, many shaded by sunglasses in the bright April sun, turned out for the brief afternoon affair. House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell, D-Vinton, hailed Beyer for having "one of the sharpest minds, one of the most compassionate hearts" he's ever encountered in politics.
Beyer, speaking from a prepared text distributed to reporters, said personal responsibility from citizens and public accountability from government are key to Virginia's progress.
Drawing on the economic development initiatives that marked his first term, Beyer pledged to support the Hotel Roanoke renovation effort, to "look for a way to make [the] Explore [Park] work . . . and to make sure the entire business of tourism knows the majesty of Western Virginia."
Beyer was a little-known, 42-year-old Northern Virginia Volvo dealer who had served quietly on a couple of state boards before he overtook veteran state Sen. Richard Saslaw of Fairfax for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor in 1989. That fall, he upset heavily favored Republican Eddy Dalton, the widow of former Gov. John Dalton.
Tuesday, as he began a four-day, 16-city statewide swing to kick off his re-election campaign, Beyer sought to capitalize on his business experience and record in office.
"I know how to build a clear, long-term plan for solving problems, how to get a realistic fix on how much it will cost and how to insist on a bottom line on achieving results," he said.
Staff writer Daniel Howes contributed to this story.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB