ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080069
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: PULASKI
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
The sixth time was the charm for Polly Mitchell, who won a seat Tuesday on Pulaski Town Council after five consecutive unsuccessful attempts.
She said she had not run as energetic a campaign this year as she had in earlier races, leaving it up to those who had urged her to run to drum up support. But she had said that, if she won this time, she had a number of issues she wanted to get before council.
Mitchell had served on council for one term, 1980-84. Tuesday, she got 575 votes - just enough to give her the last of four council seats up for grabs. She finished 49 votes ahead of 12-year council veteran Alma Holston who, along with first-term Councilman Roy D'Ardenne, lost in Tuesday's polling for four council seats.
Political newcomer Charles W. Stewart Jr. won a seat, and credited Mayor Andy Graham - who was re-elected to a second term without opposition - and several other council members with helping him.
``Even the folks who were in the race with me gave me a lot of support,'' he said after the results were known. ``Certainly they had a big impact.''
Stewart, who campaigned door to door, said people may have thought a new face would be good for council. He said his engineering and financial background also helped.
John Johnston, a retired educator, was the leading vote-getter with 878 in his re-election, followed by another retired educator who had served previously on council, Jim Neblett, with 836 votes. Stewart was third with 835.
Barry Buckner withdrew from the race after learning he could not continue as a member of the Pulaski Police Department under the town code if he won a seat on council. It was too late to get his name off the ballot, however, and, even though he asked people not to vote for him, he got 209 votes.
Of the 4,351 voters registered, 1,228 cast ballots - 28 percent.
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines KEYWORDS: ELECTIONby CNB