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

DATE: MONDAY, August 9, 1993                   TAG: 9308090058
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MCLEAN                                LENGTH: Medium

WILLIAMS SAYS HE WON'T WASTE HIS VISIBILITY

Earle Williams, whose entry into politics consisted of a run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, knows that many people expect him to disappear as fast as he appeared.

He has no such plans.

Williams, who recently returned from a vacation in Florida after losing the GOP nomination to George Allen, said he intends to honor his vow to not seek elective office again. But he wants to continue promoting his views on education, transportation and economic development.

"I'm not going to let the visibility I got out of this go to waste," he told The Washington Post. "I'll keep talking. I'll be attending political events, and every time I get a chance to make a speech, I will."

By his own count, the retired defense contractor from McLean spent more than $2 million out of his own pocket on his campaign, only to be defeated by Allen by a margin of about 2-to-1.

The money Williams spent amounted to about $836 for each delegate vote he got at the convention.

"Look at it this way," Williams said. "I had a run for the office of governor . . . in lieu of an airplane, a yacht and a mistress - and my wife is particularly happy about the latter."

Like many rich men who jump into the electoral arena after a successful career in business, Williams, 63, found it difficult to make that transition from high-powered corporate executive to candidate.

Williams said his financial means, which he thought would be an asset, turned out to be a handicap. He said he lost because of six words used to describe him time and again: "millionaire defense contractor from Northern Virginia."

Williams made his money at BDM International Inc., where he worked for 30 years, the last 20 as chief executive overseeing growth that transformed the once-small firm into a leading defense contracting firm.

In 13 months on the campaign trail, Williams learned how divisive Republican primaries can become, how difficult it is to negotiate the minefield of abortion politics in a party so divided on the issue.

One thing he said the race did not teach him, though, was humility.

"On the contrary, . . . because what I found out in the process was, in my own mind, I was far and away the best candidate."

by CNB