THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 10, 1995 TAG: 9509100041
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONY WHARTON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 104 lines
In every election, candidates line up to get the endorsement of teachers' and police officers' lobbies and other associations that put their names and money behind campaigns.
Why?
Is it just political one-upsmanship, hoping some of the teachers' and police officers' credibility rubs off on you and not your opponent? Or is it an opportunity to discuss the issues and convince someone that your ideas are better?
Those questions have come to the fore in Norfolk, where the Education Association of Norfolk has recommended endorsement of all the city's incumbent state delegates and senators in the November election.
The incumbents all happen to be Democrats, and the association didn't interview Republican challengers.
It is all the more important in this election, because Virginians have said they consider education one of the top issues that ought to be discussed by candidates and citizens alike.
In conversations held across the state this summer and in a statewide poll conducted for The Virginian-Pilot by Virginia Commonwealth University, education emerged consistently as a leading issue. In the poll of more than 1,000 Virginians, 99 percent called improving the quality of public education ``important'' or ``critical.''
``This is an important issue, and the teachers' union is sort of an opinion leader on this topic,'' said George E. Schaefer, a Republican running against Del. George H. Heilig Jr. in the 86th House District. ``They're certainly going to go out and make a big deal and tell the public they endorse these people.''
Schaefer is a former Norfolk teacher and member of the association which now has declined to interview or endorse him.
However, the education association's decision not to interview GOP challengers is not unusual for that group, nor does it necessarily indicate a partisan bias in the association.
Instead, it represents a bias in favor of incumbents who share their viewpoint, a preference for past performance over newcomers' promises.
Statewide, the education association tends to strongly favor incumbents of both parties. The local chapters do not always interview challengers first, either.
``If someone is delivering for you, you're reluctant to turn your back on a friendly incumbent,'' said Rob Jones, chairman of the Virginia Education Association Political Action Committee, which makes the formal decision on endorsements but rarely reverses a local recommendation.
While he did not have exact numbers, it appears that the group is endorsing challengers in 10 percent or less of the state's races. Jones said the group encourages local chapters to invite all the candidates to participate, but does not insist upon it.
If you're ready to endorse the incumbent, and make the challenger jump through hoops without a hope of being chosen, Jones said, ``Someone might be angry because they felt their time was wasted.''
Officials with the Chesapeake Education Association said they always send out questionnaires to both sides but do not always interview both candidates.
In Virginia Beach, the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 8 always invites both candidates, said President Dave Hewes.
``Regardless of someone's previous track record, they are expected to come in,'' he said. He said the group's candidate forums are helpful. ``Of course we have an idea what we're concerned about going into it. But the candidates do bring things out that shed light on our issues.''
How do they feel about incumbents?
``It's really hard to make a blanket statement,'' Hewes said. ``I think it depends on how good a job they've done. Being an incumbent doesn't say anything one way or the other.''
Vickie Hendley, president of the Virginia Beach Education Association, said that group used to arrange public forums during campaigns. But, she said, ``We found over time that they were poorly attended.''
The group now interviews candidates, and sometimes does not interview the challengers, she said.
The decision of the Education Association of Norfolk not to interview them upset the Norfolk challengers, who feel it eliminates an opportunity to explore different approaches to problems.
``I don't mind the fact that they say they like the incumbents,'' Schaefer said. ``Does that mean that we couldn't even look at potential new ideas?
``I would accept the fact that they just listened to us. If they listened to us and said, thanks, but we like those other guys better, that's fine. But what makes them think I don't have anything to offer?''
Schaefer and other candidates said they would like to have discussed school safety and academic standards, among other issues.
Dimitrios N. Rerras, a Republican running against Democratic Sen. Stanley C. Walker in the 6th District, said that parents and other voters do pay attention to the education association's endorsement.
``They are community leaders,'' Rerras said. ``Parents listen to them. We need as many people involved in the process and the solution as possible. We need new ideas. It's not like we just realized yesterday we have problems in Norfolk.''
Now that they've made their complaints, how will the candidates get their ideas out to the same audience paying attention to the endorsements?
Thelma S. Drake, who is running in the 87th House District against Democratic Del. Howard Copeland, said it might be worth asking the education association to hold a forum anyway, regardless of the endorsement.
``Otherwise, we're going to have to reach people through the forums we attend and through mailings and other media,'' she said. There is no other forum specifically focused on education, she said. by CNB