THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 13, 1996 TAG: 9606130378
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 51 lines
It sounds more like a divorce case than a political contest.
Warner v. Warner.
There will be plenty of room for confusion this fall in the U.S. Senate race between Republican incumbent John Warner and Democratic challenger Mark Warner.
The two candidates are responding with pitches that emphasize their first names.
The upstart Warner hands out bumper stickers that read: ``MARKNOTJOHN.'' Not to be outdone, supporters of the established Warner have taken up the chant, ``John not Mark.''
The Warner-Warner affair adds to a colorful tradition of same-name politics:
In Idaho, a 1974 GOP congressional primary pitted conservative George Hansen against liberal Orville Hansen. George Hansen won - only to face Democrat Max Hanson in the general election.
In Oregon, two brothers - Jim and Stan Bunn - ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in neighboring congressional districts earlier this year. Incumbent Jim tried to carry Stan, running as an underdog in a GOP primary, by airing radio commercials that emphasized his last name.
In Maryland, state Del. Murray Abramson ran afoul of the Baltimore city political machine in the mid-1960s. His enemies recruited another Abramson, this one a taxicab driver, and put him on the ballot to dilute the Abramson name recognition. The plan backfired somewhat, however. Both men were elected.
In Tennessee, Republican congressional candidate David Davis of Johnson City smelled a similar dirty trick earlier this year when an independent candidate - Dave Davis - jumped into the race.
Political analysts downplay the potential for mischief in the Warner-Warner race because both candidates will have plenty of money for television ads to cut through the confusion.
By Election Day, most folks will know that John Warner is the 18-year incumbent who will use his seniority to bring jobs to Virginia; that Mark Warner is the cellular telephone whiz who wants to put his high-tech vision to the Senate.
In fact, the upstart Warner launched a 60-second television spot on Wednesday that ends with the kicker, ``Mark Warner, the right Warner for Virginia's future.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
The veteran: GOP Sen. Warner
The newcomer:Democrat Warner
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATE U.S. SENATE RACE by CNB