ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611050004
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: VOTER'S GUIDE
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
VIRGIL GOODE
Party: Democrat
Residence: Rocky Mount
Occupation: Lawyer
Background: State senator since 1973; unsuccessfully opposed Charles Robb for Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in 1994
Campaign office: (540) 484-1996
GEORGE LANDRITH
Party: Republican
Residence: Albemarle County
Occupation: Lawyer
Background: Former school board member; unsuccessful candidate for Congress in 1994
Campaign office: (540) 237-1996
TEX WOOD
Party: Virginia Independent/Reform Party
Residence: Patrick County
Occupation: College instructor
Background: Unsuccessfully tried to get on ballot as an independent candidate for U.S. Senate in 1994
Campaign office: (800) WOOD-CAN
MANY thought this year's 5th District congressional race would be a rematch between Democratic incumbent L.F. Payne and Republican George Landrith of Albemarle County.
But Payne announced his retirement from Congress earlier this year so he can run for lieutenant governor in 1997 - a move that made the 5th District the only open congressional seat in the state.
Almost immediately, the Democrats found a candidate in state Sen. Virgil Goode of Rocky Mount.
Goode's experience - he's been a state senator for 23 years - and his strong name recognition in a large portion of the massive district were enough to make Democrats forgive several maverick stands he's taken over the years that haven't endeared him to many of his party-mates.
Goode is the most conservative Democrat in the state Senate; he's against abortion and gun control and he's pro-tobacco, pro-welfare reform and fiscally frugal.
But Goode's philosophy fits his Senate district, which covers Franklin County, Henry County, Martinsville and Patrick County, in the 5th District's southwestern corner.
Goode, with a few exceptions, has run the same people-oriented campaign for Congress that he's always waged: get to as many community events as possible, hand out colored pencils, don't mention your opponents, and stick to the issues.
Landrith, meanwhile, ran a strong campaign against Payne in 1994 before losing by 5 percentage points. Two years ago, Landrith spent a lot of time bashing President Clinton and the national Democratic Party platform.
This year, he's continued to emphasize a national slant. He says he's cultivated relationships with the national Republican leaders such as Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who Landrith says will help him get a seat on the influential Ways and Means Committee if the Republicans hold their majority in the House.
Gingrich, former U.S. Senate candidate Oliver North and former presidential candidates Steve Forbes and Alan Keyes have all made campaign appearances with Landrith.
Landrith says a vote for him is a vote for continued Republican reforms such as a balanced budget amendment and overhauling welfare. He says a vote for Goode will only help increase the power of liberal Democrats such as congressmen Barney Frank of Massachusetts and Henry Waxman of California.
The third candidate in the race is Patrick County's Tex Wood, a published poet, college instructor and decorated Vietnam veteran who is representing an offshoot of Ross Perot's Reform party.
Wood likes to end conversations by saying "Keep the faith."
His main campaign issue is reducing the U.S. trade deficit to create more jobs across the 5th District.
"I'm either going to win this thing or lose real bad," he says, "and I don't think it's going to be anything in between."
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 3 headshots. color. Graphic: Map. color. KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB