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

DATE: MONDAY, April 3, 1995                   TAG: 9504030030
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BRIAN KELLEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHAWSVILLE                                 LENGTH: Medium

MARYE TO ANNOUNCE DECISION FRIDAY

State Sen. Madison Marye has said all along he would wait until after the General Assembly session to announce his political plans.

So it comes as no surprise that the Democrat from Shawsville has reserved a room at the Montgomery County Courthouse for Friday - after the conclusion of this week's veto session.

"That's for a news conference," Marye said. "What the news will be, I don't know."

Two Republicans already are competing for the nomination to run for Marye's 39th District seat: Blacksburg businessman Pat Cupp announced his campaign last week; Radford clothier Gary Weddle formally kicked off his effort in January. They'll settle the matter in a May 20 mass meeting at Dublin Middle School.

For his part, Marye has been driving around the district since the Senate adjourned at the end of February, testing the political waters and meeting with local Democratic Party leaders.

Aside from canvassing his home base in Montgomery County, Marye said he had visited Marion, Chilhowie and Saltville in Smyth County, Independence in Grayson County and the city of Galax. He was trying to squeeze in visits to Pulaski and Carroll counties before heading to Richmond.

Marye, 69, first won the seat in a 1973 special election. Republicans consider the 39th District to be one of the top three they must win to take control of the state Senate.

"A lot of people think I've really and truly made up my mind," Marye said. But he said he has not. "It's a tough decision."

Take this job ... please!

Sometimes, it's hard to quit, even when you want to.

Last week, Pat Cupp tried to give up the post of chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Party, as he had promised to do when announcing his state Senate bid.

But county Republicans would have none of it, even though Cupp would rather devote his time to his challenge to Weddle for the GOP nomination for the seat held by Marye.

The problem is that the Montgomery County Republican Party has a shortage of vice chairmen. The first vice chairman is Tom Gilmer. He's Weddle's father-in-law, ruling him out. The second vice chairman moved out of Virginia last fall. The third vice chairman, Helen St. Clair, is vying for the nomination for commissioner of revenue against Steve Fijalkowski, a state trooper. That rules her out.

Cupp, elected chairman a year ago, told party regulars he would remain in his post as long as is necessary. There's much work to be done before the Montgomery GOP's May 20 mass meeting to choose candidates in a slew of local elections.

The solution: the party's executive committee will meet soon and set a date for a meeting this month to choose a new chairman, a Cupp aide said.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB