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

DATE: TUESDAY, November 29, 1994                   TAG: 9411290130
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

STATE GOP SETS SIGHTS ON '95 RACES

Gov. George Allen urged state Republican leaders Monday to concentrate on the 1995 General Assembly election and resist looking ahead to the following year's presidential and U.S. Senate races.

Sen. John Warner, who has said he will seek re-election in 1996, was among the 20 Republicans attending the private, hourlong meeting at the Executive Mansion.

Jim Miller, who unsuccessfully sought the GOP nomination for the state's other Senate seat last June and is considering running against Warner, also attended. Another potential challenger, home-schooling advocate Mike Farris, sent a representative.

Warner angered many Republicans by refusing to support Oliver North in this year's Senate race and Farris in last year's lieutenant governor's race. North, who also sent a representative to the meeting, and Farris both lost.

``We must be careful that our immediate goal of Republican control of the General Assembly is not overshadowed or circumvented by a premature fascination with the presidential and U.S. senatorial elections of 1996,'' Allen said in a news release.

Democrats hold a 22-18 advantage in the state Senate. In the House of Delegates, Democrats outnumber Republicans 52-47, with one independent.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB