ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 1, 1996 TAG: 9612020062
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: STUART
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
VOTERS in the Blue Ridge foothills don't seem much interested in the race, or its implications.
There's going to be a special election for Virgil Goode's vacant state Senate seat on Dec. 17.
It's an election that could make history: Republicans could control the Senate for the first time since Reconstruction.
People all over the state are talking about the race. Gobs of money will be poured into the campaigns of Del. Allen Dudley of Rocky Mount, the Republican candidate, and Del. Roscoe Reynolds of Henry County, the Democratic hopeful.
The stakes are so high that Gov. George Allen has offered to campaign locally for Dudley.
Lt. Gov. Don Beyer already has visited the district and is helping to line up resources for Reynolds.
But, if you listen to people like Walter Scott of Patrick County, it's probably stirring up more interest elsewhere than it is here.
Scott, who works for Wood's Cold Storage and Supply near Stuart, a general store where conversation is part of the atmosphere, says nary a person has mentioned the Senate race.
Down the road at W&W Produce, a cashier said: "I didn't even know Mr. Goode had moved on."
Goode, of Rocky Mount, represented the 20th Senate District for 23 years. He was elected to Congress in November, and resigned his state Senate seat last week.
Over in Henry County, the reaction was the same.
When asked if there's a lot of local scuttlebutt about the race, a waitress at Charlie's Above Ground Restaurant in Bassett said: "I have no idea what you're talking about."
The lack of interest in the election backs up what registrars in the district anticipate - a low voter turnout.
A single-item special election one week before Christmas is a rare occurrence that could slip right by many voters, registrars say.
The timing of this year's election is so unique that there's not a local historical example that anyone could remember.
Henry County voters were involved in a special congressional election on June 14, 1988, which was held to fill the seat of former Rep. Dan Daniel, who had died.
Henry County Registrar Elizabeth Stone said 8,807 of the county's 25,050 registered voters went to the polls that day.
But a low turnout could help even the playing field and place a greater importance on which campaign is more effective in spurring people to vote.
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS GENERAL ASSEMBLYby CNB