ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, April 20, 1997 TAG: 9704210034
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
These are the four candidates for the Republican nomination for attorney general, which will be decided in a June 10 primary. The winner will face Democrat Bill Dolan, an Arlington lawyer who was an unsuccessful candidate for attorney general in 1993.
Mark Earley
Chesapeake state senator
Age: 42.
Personal: Married, six children.
Education: College of William and Mary, undergraduate and law school.
Public life: State Senate, 1987-present.
Promises/Priorities/Platform:
A leading social conservative in the General Assembly, Earley was the chief patron of controversial legislation approved this year that requires physicians to notify parents before performing abortions on patients under 18. He strongly supports efforts to ban late-term ``partial-birth'' abortions, keeping church-run day care centers free of state oversight and a ``parental rights'' amendment to the state constitution.
``Reverance for life'' is central to his campaign. He says his platform goes beyond his longtime opposition to abortion to encompass a number of ``pro-family'' programs.
Campaign headquarters: (888) VOTE-EARLEY
Gil Davis
Fairfax County lawyer
Age: 54.
Personal: Married, two children.
Education: Cornell College (Iowa), University of Virginia law school.
Public life: Represents Paula Jones in her sexual harassment suit against President Clinton. Former assistant U.S. attorney, Eastern District of Virginia.
Promises/Priorities/Platform:
Says he has more prosecutorial experience than other candidates. Says he would build on the work of the current administration in fighting crime. Supports the victims' bill of rights. Would fight the ``demand'' side of the drug market as well as the supply side.
Campaign headquarters: (703) 277-9600
Jerry Kilgore
Former secretary of public safety
Age: 35.
Personal: Married, two children.
Education: Clinch Valley College; William and Mary law school.
Public life:
Secretary of Public Safety, 1994-1996; former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Western District; former assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for Scott County. As Secretary of Public Safety Kilgore managed 11 agencies, including the Virginia State Police, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Juvenile Justice, with more than 16,000 employees and a $1 billion dollar budget.
Promises/Priorities/Programs:
Says he would expand the criminal justice changes initiated by the Allen administration and restore the public's faith in elected officials by strengthening ethics laws. He also wants to fight drug gangs by allowing prosecutors to jointly try gang members and toughen penalties on drug dealers.
Campaign headquarters: (888) JERRY-AG
Ken Stolle
Virginia Beach state senator
Age: 42.
Personal: Married, three children.
Education: Berry College (Georgia); Virginia State Bar Reading Law Program.
Public life: State Senate, 1991-present; former Virginia Beach police officer.
Promises/Priorities/Platform:
As a legislator, Stolle has carved out a niche on crime-related bills. He was the chief patron of the bill to abolish parole, ``three strikes and you're out'' for repeat offenders, truth-in-sentencing, bifurcated trials and mandatory sentencing.
Campaign headquarters: (800) 789-6751
For more information, go on-line at www.roanoke.com and look under "Campaign '97."
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshots) Earley, Davis, Kilgore, Stolle KEYWORDS: POLITICS ATTORNEY GENERALby CNB