Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507310065
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DWAYNE YANCEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Even before they received $50,000 contributions last week from the heirs to the late Roanoke philanthropist Marion Via, Republicans Trixie Averill and Newell Falkinburg were running surprisingly well-financed campaigns.
Falkinburg, in fact, was the best-funded House of Delegates challenger in the state, thanks mostly to Roanoke doctors underwriting their fellow physician, who's taking on Democratic Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum.
Averill was the third best-funded House challenger. Political figures close to Gov. George Allen have channeled money to the former Allen campaign coordinator, who's taking on his chief nemesis in the legislature, House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County.
Now, with an additional $50,000 from brothers Peter and Edward Via in hand, the challengers' campaign treasuries have instantly doubled.
The Via contributions even appear to vault Averill and Falkinburg into the unusual position of having more money than the incumbents - at least temporarily.
Averill said she was under no illusions that she'd continue to outpace Cranwell in fund raising. Given his leadership position in the legislature's majority party, ``all he has to do is snap his fingers and the money can pour in,'' she said.
Still, all sides agree, the size of the donations will focus even more statewide attention - and money - on the two Roanoke Valley races, both of which pit Allen loyalists against two high-profile Democrats responsible for frustrating much of Allen's agenda.
``These campaigns were going to be prominent anyway,'' said Virginia Democratic Party spokeswoman Gail Nardi. ``When you have the governor gunning for specific members of the General Assembly, there's always going to be some scrutiny,'' although she called $50,000 contributions from a single family to a single House of Delegates campaign ``unprecedented.''
Her Republican counterpart, GOP legislative strategist Scott Leake, was in rare agreement. The money means the Falkinburg and Averill challenges ``move from being merely credible to full-scale total confrontation,'' he said.
One of the most honored political axioms holds that money attracts money - contributors like to go with a winner, and if donors see a candidate raising lots of money, it's more likely that others will follow.
The most recent campaign finance reports showing Falkinburg's and Averill's fund-raising strength already had gotten the attention of other big political givers in Richmond, Leake said.
``Falkinburg and Averill were already at the top of their lists,'' he said. ``This just puts it over the edge. If this were the first $50,000 they'd received, you'd say it was just an aberration. It's not. It's their second $50,000.''
Some Democrats think the Via contributions to Averill and Falkinburg could help Cranwell and Woodrum raise money, too.
``The fact that the Republicans are getting that kind of money just raises the visibility of those races,'' said former Roanoke County Democratic Chairman Warren Campbell. ``It gets people thinking - people who didn't think Chip or Dick had much trouble and would have given their money to someone else.'' Democratic donors won't be so confident now, he said.
But some Republicans question whether the Democrats will be able to match the GOP dollar-for-dollar. The Vias' contribution ``puts a lot of pressure on those guys to come up with money,'' said Roanoke developer Gilbert Butler Jr. ``In Chip's case, he's had such a safe seat, he's never had to go to the deep wells for that kind of money.''
Regardless, the Cranwell-Averill race and the Woodrum-Falkinburg contest appear destined to become the most expensive General Assembly campaigns ever in the Roanoke Valley.
Two years ago, Cranwell challenger Bud Brummit spent $36,858 to Cranwell's $193,655. Averill's fund-raisers expressed the hope that she could break the $100,000 mark. Now, with the Via money, she's already close to her goal.
``Never before has there been this level of activity in the valley,'' said Chris Nolen, the former Floyd County Republican activist who heads Allen's political action committee.
Money, though, isn't everything. ``You don't always need more money than the other candidate,'' Campbell said. ``Just look at Oliver North and Mary Sue Terry. Both of them had more money than their opponents and neither holds elected office today.''
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB