Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 22, 1995 TAG: 9503220058
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Now, state Republicans hope Del. Steve Newman can follow through with a race that will give the GOP a majority in the state Senate.
The Lynchburg Republican is expected to announce today that he will seek the GOP's nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by state Sen. Elliot Schewel, D-Lynchburg.
Other contenders for the nomination, including former congressional candidate Charles Judd, have stepped aside to give the nomination to Newman. That's a sacrifice in a Republican-leaning district that includes the conservative community of Forest in Bedford County.
``Everybody realizes the nomination is his for the taking,'' said Lynchburg GOP Chairman Robert Garber. ``He's got a lot of name recognition; he won his last election with about 60 percent of the vote; and, with the job he's done as a state delegate, everybody in the party is happy with him.''
Elected in 1991 at age 27, Newman is the youngest member of the House of Delegates. He operates a direct-mail business and is a former Lynchburg city councilman.
Newman would not confirm Tuesday whether he will run for the state Senate, but said: ``It's nice to know if I decide to run there will not be the necessity of a nomination fight. That's positive.''
State and local Democrats, still shocked by Schewel's unexpected retirement, have yet to unveil a candidate, though they say they will oppose Newman for the veteran senator's seat.
Mary Margaret Cash, Lynchburg Democratic Party chairwoman, said Republicans shouldn't think the seat will be easy to take.
``Pride goes before the fall, you know?'' Cash said.
She said Democrats are looking at several possible candidates, all of whom could give Newman a tough race. But she declined to name those pondering the run, saying: ``We're not reacting to anybody else's timetable. We don't feel pressured'' by Newman's announcement.
State Democrats, however, concede it could be a tough race. In the conservative district, Schewel was the exception to the rule. He occasionally took liberal stances unpopular with his constituents; but during 20 years in the Senate, he never lost their loyalty at the polls.
``We don't intend to leave Lynchburg in the lurch,'' said state Democratic Party spokeswoman Gail Nardi. ``We feel very good about the prospects we have, [but] ... we don't take anything for granted. We expect we will have to earn the support of people in the district, and we will do that by running the best campaign we can.
``That stands in sharp contrast to the Republicans, who think they're somehow entitled to that seat, that it's pre-ordained.
``I think that's like saying you could put up any fool, and the voters of the district will vote for them.''
Scott Leake, executive director for the joint Republican caucus, said the race is important to Republicans because it's probably the best opportunity they have to win one of three seats they need for a majority in the state Senate.
``We went from eight to 18 [senators] in '91, so we think it's entirely possible to go from 18 to 21 in '95,'' Leake said.
As for Newman, Leake said: ``He's a really aggressive campaigner. He knows the people, he knows the campaign territory, he's won handily in the least-Republican parts of his [House] district; so when he gets into Republican-leaning parts of Lynchburg and Bedford County, he should do very well.''
Memo: NOTE: Shorter version ran in Metro edition.