ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, May 19, 1996 TAG: 9605200079
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: FOREST
SOURCE: RICHARD FOSTER STAFF WRITER
ALBEMARLE COUNTY LAWYER George Landrith won the GOP nomination for the 5th District seat in Congress for a second time, but some Republicans worry the nomination has left them splintered.
As soon as George Landrith concluded his nomination speech at the 5th District Republican convention Saturday, the refrains of a familiar song boomed from the loudspeakers: The Monkees' "Take the Last Train to Clarksville."
The song was a jab at Del. Frank Ruff, a furniture-store owner from Clarksville who was Landrith's chief opponent for the congressional nomination.
"Take the Last Train to Clarksville ... I've made your reservation. Don't be slow!'' the music intoned as Landrith's wife and four children joined him on stage. Colored confetti poured out overhead. Landrith supporters danced down the aisles holding "Vote No for Ruff!'' signs aloft, and beach balls bounced through the crowd.
Ruff hadn't even had his turn to speak, and the vote hadn't been taken, but already Jefferson Forest High School's gymnasium had been turned into a victory celebration for Landrith, and many Ruff supporters thought it was rude and premature.
"When you don't have rules, this is what happens," Ruff staffer Ray Allen said.
Rules were a key concern on the minds of Ruff backers at the convention. Many were upset when Landrith nominated Paul Steube of Halifax County as convention chairman, then took an oral vote and declared Steube chairman. Convention rules state that the chairman should be elected by a two-thirds vote.
Ruff's choice for convention chairman, state Sen. Charles Hawkins of Chatham, was never considered.
Angry Ruff supporters held up a sign reading "What a Railroad Job!''; others booed Landrith.
"The vote for convention chairman wasn't clear-cut," said Leo Racich, a convention delegate from Nelson County. "We didn't really get to vote, we just got to holler."
Said Leslie Osborn, a Ruff supporter from Lunenburg County: "I expected Landrith to win, but I think he's hurt himself by coming here and trying to take over the convention. He could've won without all this."
In the voting, in fact, Landrith overwhelmed Ruff, 253-153 - about 60 percent to 37 percent. Campbell County businessman Ron Buchanan received 12 votes.
Landrith, the unsuccessful GOP candidate two years ago, will now oppose Democratic state Sen. Virgil Goode of Rocky Mount for the seat that is being vacated by retiring Rep. L.F. Payne, D-Nelson County. The district runs from Charlottesville to Danville and includes Franklin County and most of Bedford County.
Tempers flared in the sweltering, crowded gym where hundreds gathered for the convention. When a Franklin County speaker spoke on behalf of U.S. Sen. John Warner, he was drowned out by a chorus of boos and catcalls from supporters of Jim Miller, who is challenging Warner in the June primary.
Not entirely successfully, Steube, the convention chairman, tried to break it up. "I'd like you to conduct yourselves, no matter what you think of the various candidates, as your momma and daddy raised you and mine did me."
The aggressive Landrith-Ruff race brought back reminders of a nasty Congressional nomination contest in 1988 that may have cost the party the seat that year. Republicans are hoping a replay of those tactics won't result in victory for Goode.
In the weeks before this year's convention, Ruff's campaign publicized a 1995 defamation lawsuit that Landrith lost to a school secretary he falsely accused of illegally looking at his client's school records. Landrith's campaign, in turn, accused Ruff's staffers of hurting the party with negative campaigning.
In his nomination speech, Landrith panned Ruff, and said he himself tried to maintain his integrity in recent weeks, "when I was being attacked with gross distortions and sometimes outright lies."
Landrith told the audience, "Back on February 11, my opponent and I pledged to run positive, non-negative campaigns, and I am proud to tell you I have kept my promise.
"If I had broken my promise, then I think you would have had the right to question whether George will break his promises when he goes to Washington, too."
As for Ruff's supporters' claims that Landrith played dirty at the convention, the nominee said, "I played the game hard, but I played the game fair." Landrith said the voice vote for convention chairman showed a clear majority, so "it doesn't really matter."
But even though party leaders talked about uniting and although Ruff endorsed Landrith after his loss, the damage may have been done. About the only things Landrith and Ruff supporters could come together on at the convention was prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, the Star-Spangled Banner, and the idea that the Republican Party has, in Ruff's words, "one solvable problem in our nation today'': Bill Clinton.
Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown earned big applause when he told the convention delegates that if the Republicans worked together, "The High Prince of Darkness will be removed from the Oval Office."
Former Franklin County Republican Chairman Carthan Currin said the angry feelings between Landrith and Ruff supporters may hurt Landrith's chances of beating Goode in November. Speaking before Landrith was nominated, Currin said, "in my view, whoever the nominee will be, there are a lot of bridges that are going to have to be built for them to be successful."
However, Landrith supporter and 5th District GOP Chairman Donivan Edwards countered that "if [the party] is divided, I would blame the [Ruff] mailings that went out last week."
Buchanan, the third-place finisher, hopes his fellow Republicans will now unite behind Landrith. "If they leave here divided, they're going to lose in November. That's the choice the membership is going to have to make."
LENGTH: Long : 110 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Landrith. color. KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB