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

DATE: TUESDAY, October 24, 1995                   TAG: 9510240050
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

DEMOCRATS TO LAUNCH TV AD BLITZ

For nearly two weeks, television commercials featuring Gov. George Allen as a pitchman for Republican legislative candidates have been everywhere. Now it's the Democrats' turn.

The state Democratic Party will begin running spots this week promoting its candidates in the Nov. 7 General Assembly elections.

Party spokeswoman Gail Nardi said Monday that the ad blitz is not too late.

``People are just now beginning to pay attention,'' she said. ``It's about World Series time when people begin paying attention. That's the time we believe we need to have our message out there.''

Scott Leake, executive director of the assembly's Joint Republican Caucus, said the GOP is happy to have a two-week head start on the airwaves.

``Our message is just starting to penetrate,'' he said. ``It takes that long to get through. To go up this late, it's going to be very difficult for the Democrats to make an impact.''

Nardi said the Democratic Party and its Senate and House of Delegates caucuses will spend at least $100,000 on TV commercials in the two-week sprint to Election Day.

The Republican caucus spent a similar amount on TV ads, and Allen's political action committee last week began running another spot in which he urges voters to oust ``liberal, big-spending Democrats.''

Finance reports show Allen's PAC also contributed $180,000 to local candidates' advertising last month and had $390,500 on hand Oct. 1.

The ``vote Republican'' spots began running Oct. 11. They urge voters to install a GOP majority that will go along with the governor's agenda, which has been largely thwarted by Democrats. Republicans need to gain three seats in the Senate and four in the House to take control.

Nardi said Democrats targeted most of their advertising to individual races but decided they ``can't just let George Allen and the Republicans be the only voice on the airwaves.

``There's no question the climate this year is somewhat different in that Republicans have attempted to make this a referendum on George Allen rather than a referendum on Virginia's future. So we need to meet that challenge,'' she said.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB