ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 14, 1996 TAG: 9604150126
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES are vying for the seat vacated by retiring Rep. L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County.
State Sen. Virgil Goode of Rocky Mount isn't claiming victory in the race for the Democratic nomination for the 5th District Congressional seat, but mathematically, it would seem Goode already has won.
Even though only six of the 22 localities in the district have officially selected delegates to the party's nomination convention, Goode has enough delegates running unopposed in the mass meetings to win the race, according to his campaign.
Saturday, five of those six localities - Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, and Mecklenburg counties and Charlottesville and Danville - voted almost unanimously in favor of Goode, awarding him 106 delegates to professor Edwin Powell's 19.
Only in Mecklenburg county, Powell's home, did Powell have a victory. There, the count was Powell 12, Goode 1.
The remaining localities in the 5th District, including Bedford, Bedford County, and Franklin County, will conduct their mass meetings Monday.
"I'm more than sure Mr. Goode will get the nomination, from everything I've seen," said 5th District Democratic Chairman Carl Eggleston.
"We are extraordinarily gratified at the tremendous amount of support from grass-roots Democrats, and we look forward to victory on Monday," said Jim Severt, a spokesman for Goode's campaign.
Goode and Powell are vying for the seat being vacated by Rep. L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County.
To win the nomination, a candidate will need 154 of the 5th District's 306 delegates. Goode has at least 170 delegates running unopposed in the mass meetings, according to his campaign.
Powell could not be reached for comment.
The convention to confirm the nomination will be May 11 in Charlottesville. Republicans will nominate their candidate May 18 at a convention in Forest. Albemarle County lawyer George Landrith, Mecklenburg County Del. Frank Ruff and Campbell County businessman Ron Buchanan are seeking the GOP nod.
Unlike the Democrats, whose convention delegates are officially pledged to a specific candidate, the Republicans' are officially uncommitted. However, both Ruff and Buchanan have acknowledged that Landrith is considered the front-runner.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshot of Goode KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB