ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 13, 1996 TAG: 9610140068
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
A FRANKLIN COUNTY contest is stealing some of the presidential election's thunder, pitting old powers against new upstarts.
Rarely does a circuit court clerk election grab the attention of a community the way the race in Franklin County has this year.
The county's favorite son, state Sen. Virgil Goode, is running for Congress, and there's also that race featuring Bill Clinton, Bob Dole and Ross Perot.
But they're sharing top billing with the clerk candidates.
The main roads and back roads of this sprawling county are filled with clerk candidates' campaign signs, and the race is the main topic of lunch-counter gossip.
It's a big deal because the election represents more than who will be the next clerk - a noncontroversial, $72,000-a-year job that involves managing court records, a budget and a group of employees.
It's also a test of political influence and will reveal who has the most.
It could be the Democrats, who have had strong control over the county for years.
It could be the upstart Republicans, who voted in Del. Allen Dudley three years ago and helped oust two Democratic incumbents from the Board of Supervisors last year.
It could be Sheriff W.Q. "Quint" Overton, whose son Bill, a Sheriff's Office captain, is the Democratic candidate for clerk. Quint Overton, whose popularity and political wit have made him one of the most powerful people in Franklin County, is campaigning as hard for his son as he would for himself.
Or it could be the Overtons' political opponents - none of whom were bold enough to state their opinions publicly. Many of them are backing independent candidate Alice Hall, the acting clerk, who's worked in the office for 43 years.
As Election Day nears, the pressure is building, and the race is getting testy.
Take, for example, the dispute over a recent letter written by Republican candidate Ben Pinckard Jr. to county Chamber of Commerce members.
Pinckard decided to get a list of chamber members and write each individually. His letter, sent to more than 400 people, explained his candidacy and asked for each person's support. Nowhere in the form letter - which began "Dear Chamber of Commerce Member" - did he ask for the organization's endorsement.
But a few Overton supporters who received the letter complained that Pinckard's use of the words "Chamber of Commerce" may have given the impression the organization was helping him in some way.
Other chamber members saw nothing wrong with Pinckard's letter.
Chamber Director Brian Duvall decided to write Pinckard a letter asking him to apologize. The chamber has a policy of political neutrality that states its name can't be used on campaign literature, he said.
Pinckard, who works as an auditor for Roanoke's Carilion Health System and is not a member of the chamber, said he stands by his decision to send his letter.
"The chamber list is public record," he said. "It's a good group of voting citizens, and I did everything the right way. This is simply politics rearing its ugly head. I'm going to keep working hard, and I'm going to ignore stuff like this."
Bill Overton says he hasn't let the flap over the chamber letter bother him, either. He said he's been impressed with the civility of the clerk's race so far, and hopes it stays that way.
"I'm just going to keep on knocking on doors," he said. "That's all you can do."
* * *
There's no doubt that if you're looking for good ol' backyard politics, the clerk's race is where you can find it.
The campaign is being waged over farm fences, at funeral home visitations, and at community barbecues and festivals.
There has been plenty to discuss. For starters, there are the issues of nepotism and old-line family influence.
The Overtons, of course, are father and son.
Hall's sister-in-law, Elaine Chitwood, is the county's elected treasurer.
Pinckard's father, Ben Pinckard Sr., served as county commissioner of revenue for 17 years and is now a member of the Rocky Mount Town Council.
Independent candidate Dan Boone hasn't ignored the family ties he's running against. Boone paid for an advertisement in the Franklin News-Post Oct. 4 that reads: "Some old bureaucrats and their aspiring litter are trying to 'hog' 60 percent of the elected courthouse jobs. You voters can put a stop to it. Voters are swinging to Dan Boone for clerk. No banners or road sign clutter. Just qualifications."
There's also been plenty of talk about Circuit Judge B.A. Davis III.
His part in the drama began the day last year that Clerk Bill Walker announced he was retiring. The winner of this year's clerk race will complete the final three years of Walker's eight-year term.
Many expected Davis to appoint Alice Hall, Walker's second-in-command, as clerk until the November election.
But an official hand-on-the-Bible appointment of Hall didn't happen.
Davis, citing a portion of state code, said Hall would become acting clerk, assuming the clerk's duties while being paid her deputy clerk's salary. Davis said nothing else about the situation.
As soon as the judge - who many believe has as much or more political influence than Quint Overton - made the decision, the speculation started: Davis didn't appoint Hall as a favor to the Overtons.
And the most recent scuttlebutt: Davis didn't appoint Hall because the judge supports Ben Pinckard Jr.
Davis said Friday that neither of the rumors is true, and he said he'll be making no public endorsement of any candidate.
The Overtons are keenly aware of perceptions surrounding Hall's situation.
Quint Overton says his son couldn't win either way.
"If Judge Davis appoints Alice Hall, then some people would say she has theO upper hand. And, if he doesn't, then some people would say he's showing favoritism toward us. So what do we do?"
Bill Overton says he did mention his interest in the clerk's position to Davis in the fall of last year, but later decided against asking for the temporary appointment. Overton says he hasn't spoken with Davis about the clerk's position since. And Quint Overton said that he's never talked to Davis about his son's stake in the clerk's race.
"I didn't feel asking for the appointment was in my best interest," Bill Overton said. "I didn't want anyone to perceive any outside support, and I really didn't want to put the judge in that position."
Hall hasn't commented on the matter.
And most voters aren't commenting publicly on the clerk's race because of the political ramifications.
But off-the-record lunch-counter chatter is filled with opinions.
Some say Bill Overton, who has taken an unpaid leave of absence from the Sheriff's Office to campaign, just wants a high-paying office job. Others say he's a proven leader who would bring a fresh approach to the clerk's position.
Some say Hall is simply running so she can increase her retirement benefits. Others say her 43 years' experience in the clerk's office speaks for itself and is the reason she should be elected.
Some say Pinckard, 25, is too young and can't win because he faces too stiff a challenge from Hall and Overton. Others say his accounting background is suited for clerk, and that he's worked hard on the campaign trail.
Some say Boone, a fiscal planner for a Roanoke financial services company, is a wild card who's trying to strike it rich by winning the clerk's election. Others say he's the only candidate without any coattails or political position to advocate.
And some say Amanda Davis, another independent candidate, who's not related to the judge, is unqualified and has a fringe philosophy. Others say Davis, who works for a Roanoke directory company, is committed to what she believes, which includes speaking out against abortion while she campaigns for clerk. In fact, Davis, at last month's Boones Mill Apple Festival, rode in a truck with a banner on it that read "A pro-life conservative for Clerk."
While the outcome of the race is in doubt, one thing is certain: All the talk and commotion surrounding it have upped the pot for whoever wins.
Hall would be able to say she beat the Overtons at their own game.
Bill Overton would be able to say he's moved out of his father's shadow and into a leadership position all his own.
Pinckard would be able to say that he pulled a colossal upset.
And Boone or Amanda Davis would be able to say he or she pulled an even bigger one.
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