Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 14, 1995 TAG: 9503140117
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The race for Roanoke County Supervisor Ed Kohinke's seat got a jump-start Monday when Kohinke, feeling pressure from within the Republican Party, confirmed that he will call for the first local GOP primary in more than 25 years.
The first-term Republican supervisor will be challenged by Warren Brown Jr., a self-professed conservative who says he has the backing of the county's Republican leaders. Brown plans to announce his candidacy at Fort Lewis Elementary School this morning.
As the incumbent, Kohinke has the legal right to demand a primary, which he said will ``more fairly and accurately gauge public opinion about what I and the rest of the Board of Supervisors have been pursuing for the past few years.'' He acknowledged, however, that primaries rarely occur at the local level.
``Nobody I've talked with remembers this happening before,'' Kohinke said. ``It is unusual, to say the least ... but it's also unusual to challenge the incumbent in your party. I have yet to figure out what the basis is for that, other than the fact that Mr. Brown wants to get his name out and run against'' Del. Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County, the Democratic majority leader.
The primary, to be held June 13, will allow voters to make a more broad-based decision than a traditional mass meeting of the party would, Kohinke said. Any registered voter in the Catawba Magisterial District is eligible to vote.
``You can stack a mass meeting,'' Kohinke said. ``All you've got to do is rent a couple of buses and bring people in. I don't like to do things that way.''
Brown, who will launch a campaign based on more active representation, said Kohinke wants a primary because he is frightened.
``People as a whole and Republicans are not real comfortable with Ed, because they don't know where he stands,'' Brown said. ``He lacks convictions. I'm not sure what his stands are, but I am a conservative, and I'm proud of it.''
With eight months to go before the general election, the campaign rhetoric is already on the upswing. Kohinke sent a two-page fax to media outlets Friday offering commentary on Brown and a third opponent, Doug Chandler Graham, who submitted a petition to the registrar's office Monday. Graham will run as an independent against whoever wins the Republican primary.
In the fax, Kohinke said Brown lacks the maturity and the experience to serve as supervisor. He also questioned whether Brown has the time the job requires.
``A college dropout who works the night shift as a machinist, he has two young daughters and a working wife who attends night school. Many party leaders feel that he has no concept of the demands that the office of supervisor would place on his time and energy,'' Kohinke said.
On Monday, Brown said he understands the sacrifice the job entails.
``What do you need to get good people in government? You need people who are willing to sacrifice. I'm not willing to sacrifice my faith, my family or my country ... but I am willing to sacrifice sleep. Everything that's worth fighting for is worth losing a little sleep over,'' he said.
Brown, 32, said he hopes to set a good example by getting into the arena and working to better the county.
``I want the people to say, `Look, he has just as much desire to get things in the county fixed.''' Brown said. ``What difference does it make how old I am? The idea that you have to be 50 or something and have very little hair to be a manager or a supervisor is ridiculous. You need fresh, new ideas, and I have them.''
Kohinke said maturity and education levels are important to the position he holds.
``Education is not a prerequisite to being on the Board of Supervisors, but it almost ought to be, at least to the level of a bachelor's degree,'' he said Monday.
Kohinke, who holds a master's degree in business administration from Old Dominion University and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from the University of Idaho, said he constantly works with government staffers and other elected officials who hold high degrees.
``Perhaps it isn't relevant; maybe you don't need a lot of education to be good in government, but you have to be able to communicate with these people and think logically when working with them,'' he said.
In a separate release Monday, Kohinke unveiled his campaign team and announced that he has the endorsements of Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and state Sen. Malfourd ``Bo'' Trumbo, R-Fincastle.
``I do have two very prominent Republicans who are supporting me,'' he said. ``I'm fully prepared to get out there and campaign and do the best I can. When it's over, the best person, hopefully, will have won.''
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB