Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 21, 1995 TAG: 9510230032
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
The writing's been on the wall for months.
Now it's right out there for the public to see.
On U.S. 220 in Franklin County - between Rocky Mount and Boones Mill - is a billboard. It reads: "Elect Virgil Goode and Allen Dudley ... Now more than ever."
That Goode, a Democrat who's running unopposed for his state Senate seat, would allow his name to go up on a sign alongside Dudley's, who's a Republican, has infuriated several longtime Democratic Party leaders in Franklin County.
Meanwhile, Republicans are jumping for joy.
"If the Democrats nominated more Virgil Goodes, they'd be in better shape," said county Republican Chairman Carthan Currin, who also runs the company that owns the billboard space.
Currin said several county political independents paid for the advertisement. The billboard was authorized by Jim Wray, a Rocky Mount optometrist, and A.B. "Buck" Woody, brother of the late Rocky Mount Mayor (and Democrat) Allen Woody.
Currin says the Republican Party did not authorize or make a contribution toward the cost of the sign.
Goode and Dudley both said they were contacted about the sign, and neither voiced an objection, although Goode says he never endorsed the idea.
"The Roanoke Times can endorse whoever it wants, but it's The Roanoke Times that's doing it, not Virgil Goode," he said
To some Franklin County Democrats, the billboard is physical evidence of what has been rumored for months: Goode is unwilling to endorse publicly Dudley's opponent, Democrat Claude Whitehead of Pittsylvania County.
Asked point-blank about his position during an interview Thursday, Goode would not give Whitehead a thumbs up.
He said he'd stand on an earlier comment he made about the situation - a comment pertaining to the U.S. 220 billboard as well as some joint Goode-Whitehead signs authorized by the Franklin County Democratic Party.
Many reported that Goode was upset when county Democrats put up the signs.
But Goode says he told the county's party chairman, Eric Ferguson, the same thing he told those behind the billboard.
"As party chairman, I told him to do as he saw fit," Goode said of Ferguson. "But do those signs say that I authorized them? No."
Ferguson says Goode's attitude toward Whitehead is unfortunate.
He also says that Goode - whose popularity knows few bounds in Franklin and Floyd counties, the parts of his legislative district which overlap Dudley's - could swing the election 10 percent to 15 percent in Whitehead's favor if he publicly would endorse the candidate.
"This could cost Claude the election," Ferguson said. "I mean you're talking about a man [Goode] who is viewed as the spiritual leader of the Democratic Party around here."
Ferguson also said Goode has declined to participate in talks about how the local Democrats can help Whitehead.
"There's a lot of party members that aren't too damn happy about it," he said.
But Goode has shown up at several Democratic functions for Whitehead in the past few months.
"He gave the impression that he's supporting Claude - at least that's the impression I got," said Jim Echols, Whitehead's campaign manager.
Said Whitehead on Friday: "I don't know what's going on. I can't worry about stuff like that."
Rumors have emerged as to why Goode has taken his stance: He's a high school classmate of Dudley, both have lived their lives in Franklin County, and they have respect for one another; and it's made the rounds in Franklin County that Whitehead supported U.S. Sen. Charles Robb - something Whitehead disputes - when Goode was seeking the Democratic nomination for Robb's seat in June 1994.
Whitehead said he circulated a petition for Goode before the 1994 primary and then decided not to vote for either candidate.
Goode "has no reason to be mad at me," Whitehead said.
There are other rumors, too.
Those involve Goode's political future.
Currin said Republicans earlier this year discussed officially endorsing Goode for re-election in a move to make it easier for him to switch parties or to become an independent, if the GOP someday wins a majority in the state Senate.
But Goode has never indicated that he's considering a change.
"We're Democrats," said his wife, Lucy.
Franklin County Sheriff W.Q. "Quint" Overton, a Democrat and a close friend of Goode's, summed up the situation this way: "Virgil is his own man. He does what he thinks is right. That's why people respect him."
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB