Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 10, 1995 TAG: 9504100025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
That's the question some Republican activists are asking themselves - and their candidate - as they get behind Averill's bid for the House of Delegates against House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County.
Averill is known for her irrepressible personality, which many see as a strong selling point. "She's got a feisty, fiery personality," says Jim Lowe, a likely GOP House candidate next door in Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum's district. "I think she's got the personality to just really get under [Cranwell's] skin."
But other Republicans worry about Averill's knack for turning a colorful phrase. They still cringe at how, when Averill last year was elected chairman of the state board that runs Virginia's Explore Park, she quipped: "My husband won't let me have the checkbook. Now I'm given a million-dollar budget."
Or how, when Averill first started thinking about running for office in March, she described her amazement at how much financial backing she was being offered by state Republican leaders this way: "I couldn't have done better if I'd stood out on Campbell Avenue."
At Averill's announcement Saturday, her campaign treasurer, Roanoke County insuranceman Ron Adkins, said he and others had "talked" to Averill about watching what she says.
"There is a committee, and I am chairman of it, and we will make sure Trixie performs as a candidate for the House of Delegates," Adkins says. "You will not hear that statement [about Campbell Avenue] again."
He says most candidates have to be trained to rev up their speaking style. Averill, he says, has to learn how to tone hers down.
So is Averill being muzzled? No, she says, but she agrees she can't be as flip as she once was. "They can certainly try to mold me, and I'm certainly amenable to constructive criticism," she says. "But sometimes I do tend to be a little impulsive."
Thomas draws crowd
Republicans didn't bother to challenge Del. Victor Thomas, D-Roanoke, for a decade or more.
Now, Republicans may have to fight each other for the right to run against Thomas.
GOP leaders were surprised enough last week when Jeff Artis, a Roanoke teacher and publisher of the Black Conservative Newsletter, said he was thinking about running. Now, they're astonished to learn that there may be a second candidate.
Herb Krebs, a 31-year-old worker in the parts department at Homestead Materials Handling, notified party leaders Friday that he, too, wants to run.
Krebs admits he's never been involved in politics before. But he says he's "100 percent" committed to running and may make a formal declaration as early this week. If he runs, Krebs says he'll be a voice for "the middle class."
"I'm basically just a middle-class American and we have to get the government back to the middle class," Krebs says.
The district covers Southeast Roanoke, most of Williamson Road and Northeast Roanoke, and four precincts in North Roanoke County.
Doctor to announce
If there's a fight for the right to run against Thomas, that will make two contested GOP nominations for the General Assembly in the Roanoke Valley. The other one is in the district now held by Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum, D-Roanoke.
Roanoke physician Newell Falkinburg is scheduled to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination on Thursday at noon at the Jefferson Center.
Falkinburg is expected to face Roanoke engineer and lawyer Jim Lowe for the nomination. Lowe has yet to make a formal declaration, although both candidates have been busy seeking commitments from Republican activists.
The district covers Northwest Roanoke, South Roanoke, Raleigh Court and the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County.
Dates for mass meetings to select candidates haven't been nailed down yet, but likely will be either May 13 or May 20.
Keeping it short
Sixth District Republican Chairman Don Duncan's job at Saturday's campaign event for Trixie Averill was to introduce Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke. But in the interest of time, he wanted to keep his remarks brief.
"I can't think of anyone who has risen faster to leadership than Bob Goodlatte," Duncan said. "I could go on and on, but I won't."
From the sidelines, a beaming Goodlatte shouted out his encouragement: "Oh, go on!"
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by CNB