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

DATE: TUESDAY, November 7, 1995                   TAG: 9511070027
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

RACES TO WATCH

"Gentlemen's race" turns tough: Commonwealth's Attorney Phil Keith and his challenger, Joey Showalter, went from discussing issues like trial experience and office management early in the campaign to slinging theft accusations in recent weeks. Keith is threatening to file a complaint with the Virginia State Bar after Showalter read a private letter addressed to Keith at a public forum held Oct. 23. The letter berated Keith for allowing a forfeited vehicle go back to a defendant.

Lucky six? Candidates for Giles County Treasurer include incumbent Rick Cook, who has compared his relationship with the Board of Supervisors to the gunfight at the OK Corral, and five other contenders. One of those, Bendy Shrader, is a former employee in Cook's office whom the treasurer has accused of subterfuge. Five candidates could split the vote to Cook's disadvantage.

Majority sway: If Montgomery County School Board member Bob Goncz wins the District B Board of Supervisors seat away from incumbent Nick Rush, the character of the board majority could potentially shift: From a fiscally conservative group skeptical of land-use planning to a majority more likely to appropriate more funds for schools and encourage long-range planning for county growth.

Diverse pickings: From the director of Straight Street, a Christian teen center, to a former state vice-president of the NAACP to a Virginia Tech professor of pathology, the Montgomery County School Board District B seat offers a diverse group to choose from. Bob Anderson, Oscar Williams or Bernard Jortner have offered differing plans of actions if elected, and the three-way race may be a close call.

Change? Both Pulaski County Commonwealth's Attorney's Everett Shockley and his Democratic challenger, Byron Shankman, agree that a new prosecutor would mean change. Shankman's campaign theme has been "It's time for a change" in making the office more accountable to the public. The Republican incumbent, who prides himself on being a tough prosecutor, claims the change would amount to an office that might be soft on crime.

Keywords:
POLITICS

by CNB