Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 23, 1994 TAG: 9403230019
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
"The governor and Mike Farris are friends," Ken Stroupe said. He pointed out that Farris is on Allen's task force trying to streamline state government. "They are clearly working together."
Farris, the GOP's unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor last year, said he has written letters of support for several of the challengers but did not initiate the challenges to Allen loyalists.
"I am not the director of this thing," Farris said. "I am obligated to support people who are supporting me."
The chairman of Campbell County Republicans said after losing his party position to a teen-age supporter of Farris that "the party will turn sour and chaos will erupt" if the GOP continues its shift to the right.
State GOP Chairman Patrick McSweeney said Tuesday that the competition is good for the party. "It's just a healthy party contest. It shows vigor."
Farris, who counts himself as a likely GOP challenger to U.S. Sen. John Warner, R-Va., in 1996, said his support of several challengers to congressional district chairmen is tied to their friendship and loyalty.
Allen loyalists June Funkhouser of Orange in the 7th District, Randolph Byrd of Charlottesville in the 5th District and James Rich of Middleburg in the 10th District are among the more moderate district chairmen whose challengers are conservative Christians loyal to Farris.
McSweeney said other GOP chairmen who are loyal to Allen, including Anne Petera in the 1st District, also will be challenged at district conventions in May.
McSweeney, who has survived Allen's attempts to force his resignation, said the challenges generally are from the Christian right, but the battle lines are more complicated than McSweeney and allies or Farris and allies against Allen loyalists.
Also involved are "personalities and perennial party factional fights," McSweeney said.
Allen has written letters supporting Petera as well as Byrd, who is being opposed by Donivan Edwards of Henry County and Funkhouser, who is being challenged by Wayne Sullivan of Chesterfield, Stroupe said.
Roger Moody, Campbell County chairman for eight years, said his loss last Wednesday to Rick Boyer, a 19-year-old drywall contractor, could prove divisive.
In a letter to Campbell County Republicans, Moody wrote that he was "concerned that the party may be heading toward the far right. If this occurs, the party will turn sour and chaos will erupt."
The far right could drown out the voices of more moderate members and weaken the party's appeal, Moody said.
Boyer, county coordinator for Farris' campaign for lieutenant governor, said the local organization should be more conservative to reflect the philosophy of most members.
"I don't like the direction the country is taking or the Republican Party is taking," said Boyer, an abortion opponent.
by CNB