ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 11, 1997 TAG: 9704110042
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER THE ROANOKE TIMES
Tommy Baker and Jim Shuler may have free rides for re-election to the House of Delegates.
It looks increasingly as if Del. Tommy Baker, R-Pulaski County, and Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, will be without challengers when they seek new terms in the House of Delegates this year.
"I have heard of no announced opposition," said Baker, a lawyer, who will be seeking a fifth term representing Pulaski County, Radford and the western part of Giles County.
Baker and Democrat Carole Pratt, a Pulaski County dentist, were the candidates when he first ran for the seat in 1989. Dallas Cox, a retired Army lieutenant colonel from Pulaski County, was his Democratic challenger in 1991. Baker had no opposition in 1993 and 1995.
Running unopposed would be a new experience for Shuler, a veterinarian who will be seeking a third House term.
He and Republican Nick Rush both sought the seat being vacated in 1993 by six-term legislator Joan Munford, a Blacksburg Democrat. Shuler won that race, and won again in 1995 over GOP challenger Larry Linkous.
"We never make any assumptions about any election until the final day of filing," said Jo Evans, the spokeswoman in Shuler's legislative office. "We always approach it as though there is opposition."
So far, however, there is none. And none of the party chairpersons in Shuler's district see any on the horizon.
"No, at this stage, there really isn't," said Montgomery County Republican Chairman Dave Nutter. "While there is some interest out there, I think the timing wasn't right for some people." Lindsay West, the county's Democratic Committee chairwoman, agrees.
Shuler's district covers the northern two-thirds of Montgomery County and the eastern part of Giles County not included in Baker's district.
In Giles, neither Democratic Committee Chairwoman Nancy Farrier nor GOP Committee Chairman Herb Dillon foresee challengers to Shuler or Baker at this point.
In Radford, Republican Committee Chairwoman Joan Jett and Democratic Committee Chairman Richard Pennock know of no potential challengers for Baker from the city. "I'm not aware of any, but that's always subject to change," Pennock said.
The same is true in Baker's home Pulaski County, according to GOP Committee Chairwoman Sybil Atkinson and Democratic Committee Chairman Michael Barbour.
"At this point, I have not heard anyone express any serious interest in the Democratic nomination, and I think you're looking at a window of approximately another month," Barbour said. "I've heard some names mentioned, but very casually."
The filing deadline is June 10, but, given the requirement for parties in each jurisdiction to approve challengers at caucuses and then at a convention, with time requirements for public notices in each case, the time left for anyone to get into the race is closer to 30 days. And that window is being closed a little more each day.
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Baker, Shuler KEYWORDS: POLITICS GENERAL ASSEMBLYby CNB