Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080045
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Cranwell, the Democratic majority leader in the House of Delegates, beat Trixie Averill 54 percent to 46 percent.
GOP leaders had pitched the race - perhaps more than any other in the state - as a referendum on Allen's "revolution" in state government. Allen campaigned hard for Averill and called Cranwell his "chief obstructionist."
As his victory became clear Tuesday night, Cranwell, a Vinton lawyer, talked of how "vicious" and "malicious" the campaign had been. But he said it was time to heal the wounds.
"We cannot govern with hatred and anger," he said. "Governor, if you're out there listening, I want you to look."
Cranwell extended his hand in front of the TV cameras, palm up in a gesture of conciliation. He said he wanted to work with Allen to reduce class sizes in kindergartens, put computers in every classroom and push through campaign-finance reform.
"I have laid the anger aside,'' he said, "and I'm willing and able to participate in the history of Virginia."
In Tuesday's voting, Cranwell did best in his hometown of Vinton, where he beat Averill by a nearly 2-to-1 margin.
Cranwell's partners in the Roanoke Valley's Democratic House delegation piled up big numbers almost everywhere.
Clifton "Chip" Woodrum beat physician Newell Falkinburg with 60 percent of the vote in a race that many expected to be close.
Vic Thomas beat grass-roots GOP challenger Jeff Artis with 75 percent of the vote.
Democrats attributed their victories to several factors - a well-organized "get-out-the-vote" effort, the time-tested popularity of the three legislators, and what Democrats described as Allen's ebbing popularity among voters worried about cuts in education, social services and other state programs.
"Let's just say Dick Cranwell has been a friend for 25 years. I like his views," said Dorothy Hodges, a retiree voting in Vinton. "And I definitely don't go along with a lot of the governor's views, and I'm glad we've got someone down there not afraid to speak up."
Her husband, Paul Hodges, agreed. "We've got to have someone to keep 'em straight."
But Donna Zebrasky, another Vinton voter, cast her ballot for Averill because "I just feel like it's time for a change. I go along with a lot of Governor Allen's ideas. I think he needs more Republicans to back him up."
Cranwell, who first went to the House in 1971, faced his toughest challenger ever in a district that voted 63 percent for Allen two years ago. Cranwell took the offensive, painting Averill as beholden to "her Richmond handlers."
Averill spent well over $200,000. She targeted TV attack ads on "liberal Dickie Cranwell," saying he had voted against Allen 95 percent of the time. She accused Cranwell of calling Allen "a goober," and compared Cranwell to "Boss Hogg."
Cranwell countered that he supported Allen when the governor had ideas Cranwell believed were good, such as ending parole. But Cranwell said he opposed Allen on "extremist" proposals to cut mental-health care and other state programs.
Averill declared her campaign a referendum on Allen's policies. The governor himself made at least three appearances for Averill; Cabinet secretaries and Allen's chief of staff raised money for her. She said even if she lost, she'd be "Saint Trixie of the GOP."
At 11:05 p.m. Tuesday, with three-quarters of the precincts reporting, Averill wasn't conceding defeat. "It's not over yet," she said.
Her fellow GOP challenger, Falkinburg, also struck hard at the incumbent. He said Woodrum had been in the General Assembly too long - 16 years - and was out-of-touch with voters. Woodrum touted his experienced and his opposition to Allen's funding cuts. Woodrum said, for example, that Allen's proposals would have taken nine police officers off the streets in the Roanoke Valley.
"I think he [Allen] was trying to drive an agenda, that he claimed the people wanted, that didn't exist," Woodrum said Tuesday night.
Falkinburg and Averill both had the advantage of unusually well-funded campaigns for challengers; each got $80,000 from the heirs to the Via family fortune.
Artis, the third Roanoke Valley GOP challenger, didn't enjoy the same cash flow. He was limited mostly to knocking on doors.
Thomas, who is best known for his advocacy of outdoor issues, vowed early on he would "run scared." But he ran a low-key campaign. "I know that I've been working and listening, and I've been getting things done," Thomas said at the Democrats' victory party.
Tuesday night, scanning the final numbers on the chalkboard outside the Roanoke voter registrar's office, Artis said, "I knew I'd get my a-- kicked, but I didn't know I'd get it kicked that bad."
He said Thomas "ran a very good campaign and a smart campaign."
Artis said he wouldn't run for political office again because he wouldn't want to "put my family through this again. My family is the most important thing to me."
Staff writers Kimberly N. Martin, Leslie Taylor, Sandra Brown Kelly, Dwayne Yancey and Dan Casey contributed to this story.
by CNB