
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994                    TAG: 9406240240 
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON                     PAGE: 21    EDITION: FINAL    
SOURCE: BY ESTHER DISKIN AND ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITERS 
DATELINE: 940626                                 LENGTH: Long

BIG MONEY SPENT ON CITY COUNCIL, SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS \

{LEAD} After the campaigns end, when the posters are collected, leaflets tossed away and slogans fade from memory, candidates take stock: How much did it cost to chase a City Council or School Board seat?

For the City Council winners, the totals ranged from a high of nearly $100,000, spent by newcomer W.W. Harrison Jr., to a low of $8,500 for unopposed incumbent Councilman Louis R. Jones. Harrison, backed by the city's political and business elite, touted economic development and creation of a downtown area in Pembroke.

{REST} In the five-way race for the Kempsville borough seat, Louisa Strayhorn spent nearly twice as much as incumbent Robert. W. Clyburn to bump him out of his seat. Strayhorn, who is chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, has pledged to hold a town meeting once a month.

For losers, the spending is more painful to tally. Dan Arris, who ran in the five-way Kempsville race, was the top spender among those who didn't grab a seat.

The School Board elections showed that a fundamental truth of

politics still stands: money gets votes.

Candidates with the most money spent on their behalf, the six candidates backed by the Virginia Beach Education Association, swept the balloting. The teachers' association reported spending a total of $73,056.66 over the course of the race, and reported receiving contributions totaling $75,066.54. Most of the money - $43,146.56 - was spent in the last few weeks of the campaign.

Big contributions came from the Virginia Education Association, which donated $22,326.24 over the course of the race, and from education associations in other parts of Virginia and other states. The Coalition for Quality Schools, a group headed by former School Board Chairman Greg Stillman, donated $5,430.72 to the Beach teachers association.

No one else even came close to spending what the teachers association did to elect its six candidates to the 11-member board. Elsie M. Barnes, Tim Jackson, Ulysses V. Spiva and Charles W. Vincent will join the board next month. James R. Darden and June T. Kernutt will remain in their seats.

The Kids First Team, a slate of five conservative candidates who were the primary rivals to the teachers association contenders, reported contributions totaling $16,408.54, and reported spending $12,988.43. The biggest contribution reported was $15,000 from local religious broadcaster Pat Robertson.

Several candidates did not turn in a final campaign expense report by the June 15 deadline. All contributions listed are over $100.

{KEYWORDS} SCHOOL BOARD ELECTIONS CITY COUNCILMANIC RACE CAMPAIGN FINANCING CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS

by CNB