THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 30, 1995 TAG: 9505300044
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALEX MARSHALL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 116 lines
The Rev. Levi E. Willis II said he was the one who asked his father about running for the House of Delegates, not the other way around.
``He had asked other people to be in the race, and they had turned him down,'' said the son of Bishop L.E. Willis Sr., a political powerhouse in Norfolk's African-American community for the past decade.
``Then one day, he and I were together, and I told him I was always interested in politics. He was excited. He thought I would make a good delegate. That was all I needed to hear.''
Now, ``the Bishop,'' as the elder Willis is often known, is the younger Willis' campaign manager.
``My father is involved in my campaign because that's my choice,'' said Willis. ``I wanted someone on my side who knew how to win.''
The younger Willis is challenging Del. Jerrauld C. Jones, who is running for his fifth term in the 89th District, in the Democratic primary scheduled for June 13. The Republicans have yet to nominate a candidate.
``We have until June 13 to fill it, but as far as I know we won't have an opponent in the 89th,'' said George Schaefer, Republican city chairman.
The son-and-father political team is carrying into the campaign a fight with Jones and other elected black leaders in the city that has been growing over the past year. It's a fight the reasons for which vary, depending on who is talking. But the same issues pop up in and out of the legislative political campaign.
One of those is riverboat gambling. Opponent Willis says Jones' support for riverboat gambling in the General Assembly is wrong. Jones unsuccessfully led the effort last session to legalize the boats.
Casino-style gambling, Willis said, would hurt the black community, which is particularly susceptible to the ills of crime, broken families, prostitution and drug abuse that Willis says gambling promotes.
``It would amplify the ills of this community to epic proportions,'' Willis said.
But Jones says the fight - and Willis' reason for being in the race - is about the elder Willis' attempt to hold onto political power after his time has passed. Several weeks ago, most of the city's black councilmen and General Assembly members, including Jones, stood on the steps of City Hall and announced they were leaving Willis' Rainbow Coalition. The coalition in the past had helped most of them get elected, including Jones.
``It has to do with time moving on, and a new generation of elected leaders coming into place,'' Jones said.
Jones and Willis, 40 and 41 respectively, grew up on Anna Street near Norfolk's industrial park, and used to play music together as teenagers. Jones played piano; Willis played the drums.
But they went in different directions in high school. Jones was the first black to integrate Virginia Episcopal School in Lynchburg, and went on to graduate from Princeton and get his law degree from Washington & Lee. In 1980, he became the first black to clerk for the Virginia Supreme Court. He then served as a Norfolk prosecutor before opening his own private practice.
Now, after eight years in the General Assembly, he says he can rightfully claim to be one of the leading legislators in the state of any color. He is chairman of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
``That makes me the leading spokesman for African-American interests in the legislature,'' Jones said.
Willis graduated from Crestwood High School in Chesapeake, and then attended Norfolk State, Virginia Union and Washington Bible College in Maryland without receiving a degree.
He has followed in his father's footsteps to become both pastor of a church and part of his father's radio empire. Willis is vice president of Willis Broadcasting and has spent 20 years deeply involved in the business, he says.
But last November, tired of the business, Willis said he withdrew from day-to-day operations and now derives his income only from his position as pastor of Good News Family Worship Center on Lafayette Boulevard.
The 89th District that Jones represents covers many of Norfolk's core neighorhoods. They include Berkley, Park Place, Huntersville, Coleman Place, Ballentine and Lafayette-Winona.
When Willis talks about why he is running, he uses the words ``grass-roots'' a lot. He says he wants to be a politician from the ground up. In that effort, he says that if elected he would start a newsletter, radio shows, hold town meetings, and find a person in every block in his district to be a contact person.
``I don't want to be a delegate living in an ivory tower, while my constituency lives in the basement,'' Willis said.
He says he would combat teenage pregnancy and substance abuse, and open a home for pregnant teenage girls. He would not say how he would accomplish such things legislatively.
``Right now, what I would like to do is keep that close to my chest,'' Willis said. ``I don't want to let too much out of the bag.''
Jones talks more about his growing clout in the General Assembly and his accomplishments.
Besides being chairman of the black legislative caucus, he is also a member of the Judiciary Committee, and claims credit for having eight African Americans appointed to judgeships during the last round. He is chairman of the Virginia Commission on Youth.
His issues go far beyond riverboat gambling, Jones said. On his wall is a framed photo of him standing next to Gov. George F. Allen as Allen signs into law Jones' juvenile crime bill, which generally strengthened penalties on juvenile crime. Over the years, he has pushed for more comprehensive coverage under the state's workers compensation laws. He notes he has won an award from the Virginia Crime Victims Network for his sponsorship of a victims' bill of rights, which passed.
``If you say Jerrauld Jones needs to be removed from office, I say Jerrauld Jones is doing his job,'' Jones said. ``He is representing his constituency on a broad range of issues.''
Jones questions Willis' authenticity as a candidate. He says Willis has never been involved in the Democratic Party. He notes that in order to run, Willis moved to Norview from Chesapeake. <:wq! ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
LEVI E. WILLIS II
JERRAULD C. JONES
by CNB