Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 14, 1995 TAG: 9504150032
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Newell Falkinburg has devoted his career to curing high blood pressure.
Now, he hopes to spend the next eight months raising it - at least among Democrats.
The Roanoke physician, who specializes in kidney diseases and high blood pressure, started Thursday, declaring his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the House of Delegates by blasting Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum as a "career politician" who "trusts the bureaucrats more than he does you."
That's language Woodrum hasn't heard on the campaign trail for 10 years; the Roanoke Democrat hasn't faced opposition since 1985.
But now they're fighting words Woodrum and other Democrats can expect to hear repeated over and over this fall, as Virginia Republicans gear up for a major push they hope will win them control of one or both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since the 19th century.
Falkinburg's announcement Thursday followed what's likely to be the standard GOP script - depicting long-time Democratic incumbents as out-of-touch, big-government elitists who obstructed Gov. George Allen's conservative agenda in the General Assembly.
Falkinburg harped on Woodrum's 16 years in the General Assembly. "Sixteen years. Do you believe it? Sixteen years is too long for anyone to serve. They lose touch with the people." Falkinburg promised to serve no more than eight years, and vowed to fight for term limits.
Falkinburg criticized Woodrum for not wanting to build enough prisons - namely, that Woodrum voted against Allen's proposal for a bond referendum to speed up prison construction. "Did Woodrum trust the people on this issue? No, he did not. He decided, as is the way with liberal incumbents who have just been there too long, that he knows best. Rather than keeping violent thugs behind bars, our incumbent voted for 'revolving door justice.'''
Falkinburg also lamented that he has seen "the moral fabric of our culture unravel before my very eyes" and that "the behavior of incumbent Woodrum clearly demonstrates that he is part of the problem rather than part of the solution."
Specifically, Falkinburg attacked Woodrum for voting against parental notification before a minor daughter seeks an abortion, for voting against elected school boards, and for voting against giving local schools more control over sex education programs.
"Government knows better on these matters than parents, this is Woodrum's vision for Virginia," Falkinburg charged.
Woodrum - who wags one of the sharpest tongues in the legislature - wasted no time defending his record, especially on prison construction. The debate over how many prisons the state needs, and how deeply the state should go into debt to pay for them, was one of many flashpoints between the Allen administration and the Democratic legislature this spring.
Allen wanted to issue more bonds than Democrats thought necessary. "I voted for pay-as-you-go financing," Woodrum said. "I voted against any plan to put Virginia into deep, terminal debt. We'll build the prisons that are needed, and we'll do it in a prudent, fiscally conservative way."
Woodrum also lamented the tone of Falkinburg's announcement, saying it appeared Republicans weren't interested in what he considers "a civil discourse."
"Partisanship is not leadership," Woodrum said.
Republicans, though, contend that it's Woodrum who's guilty of excessive partisanship. Woodrum emerged as one of Allen's sharpest critics this session, and GOP leaders hope that will make him more vulnerable in a district where Woodrum historically has won by landslide margins even in years when he was opposed.
"I think some of the particularly harsh partisanship that occurred on the part of the Democratic side will help Newell in this particular race," said 6th Congressional District Chairman Don Duncan. "The humor [Woodrum] attempted to convey, often I didn't think was very funny."
Other Republicans suggested that Woodrum has never had to face an opponent as well-known as Falkinburg. "Falkinburg's got a lot of stature in the community," said former Rep. Caldwell Butler.
First, however, Falkinburg must win the Republican nomination; Roanoke engineer and lawyer Jim Lowe also says he is "seriously considering" seeking the GOP nomination, which will be decided at a mass meeting May 13.
Falkinburg supporters are hopeful, though, that he'll be able to turn out a big crowd from the medical community to augment the commitments he has received from regular Republican workers. One party activist, Dave Sublett, noted Thursday that it already appeared to be happening.
"A lot of them I don't know," he said, appraising the crowd of 50 or so people who turned out for Falkinburg's announcement. "But that's good."
Age: 55
Occupation: Physician, specializes in nephrology, a kidney sub-specialty of internal medicine that deals with kidney dieseases and high blood pressure.
Education: Adelphi Universoty; California College of Medicine.
Military: Major, U.S. Air Force.
Civic: Chairman of New Century Council subcommittee on health and wellness.
Background: New Jersey native; moved to Roanoke in 1974.
Personal: married, two children, four grandchildren.
The 16th District covers Northwest Roanoke, South Roanoke, Southwest Roanoke and six precincts in the Cave Spring section of Roanoke County.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB