THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 6, 1996 TAG: 9611060383
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: Decision 96
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 77 lines
When Congress convenes again after Tuesday's election, it will be time finally to grapple with problems that have been merely foreshadowed until now: a Medicare system exploding in cost; a Social Security system in danger of going bankrupt; a national debt that's on the decline but still not gone; an education system many say is in need of repair; and a national defense that still needs fine-tuning for a post-Cold War world.
Rep. Norman Sisisky says he will be prepared to fight those who favor making deep cuts in Medicare, Social Security, education and defense, especially if the cuts are used to pay for large-scale tax reductions.
That's what the voters in the 4th District say they are counting on.
Tuesday, they re-elected Sisisky to an eighth term. With a majority of precincts reporting, Sisisky defended his seat against Republican Anthony J. Zevgolis, an insurance salesman from Hopewell.
Voters said they trusted Sisisky, more than his relatively unknown challenger, to look out for their interests.
``He (Sisisky) has a good track record,'' said Luanne Whitley, 39, a Suffolk hairdresser. ``You don't want to mess with that.''
Many voters said they had experiences with Sisisky using his office to help them with personal problems. Stanley L. Watson, a 72-year-old retired military and civil service worker from Chesapeake, said Sisisky helped get his retirement benefits out of some red tape a few years back.
Edward W. Bain, 54, a Chesapeake resident and machinist foreman at Norfolk Naval Base, said Sisisky has helped his group, the Federal Manager's Association, on many issues. ``He doesn't run us around the block,'' Bain said. ``He tells us like it is and delivers what he promises.''
It was Zevgolis' second unsuccessful attempt to unseat Sisisky, a 14-year veteran he says epitomizes everything that's wrong with Congress - career politicians and liberal Democrats.
Zevgolis promised to push for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would force Congress to balance the federal budget and vote for tax reductions on the order of what unsuccessful presidential candidate Bob Dole promised.
Many voters said Tuesday that they never got to hear Zevgolis' platform. He ran a low-profile campaign with little money and few appearances.
Pamela K. Moseley, 46, a retail manager in Chesapeake, said she hadn't even heard of Zevgolis until Tuesday. She voted for Sisisky.
``If he (Zevgolis) is not going to put effort into (campaigning), he's not going to put effort into his job,'' she said.
William Boone, a 45-year-old Suffolk resident who works at Norfolk Naval Shipyard, said he did not like Zevgolis' tough talk about some social programs.
``I didn't like his stand on welfare reform,'' said Boone. ``He seemed to really be against welfare mothers. All of them aren't taking advantage of the system, and he didn't seem to have much sympathy for them.'' MEMO: Staff writers Terri Williams and Mac Daniel contributed to this
report. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN, The Virginian-Pilot
"I can walk through any room and meet people who I've been able of
help in some way. Just the fact that somebody is trying seems to
help. I just take special pleasure in doing that." - Rep. Norman
Sisisky on election night.
Graphic
SISISKY'S PRIORITIES
Education: Will vote for the proposal for a $1,500 tax credit for
students in two-year colleges; support tax deductions for families
paying college tuition; will vote to keep funding for educational
programs such as Head Start; oppose budget proposals that cut
educational funding.
Deficit: Oppose any proposal by Republicans for a general tax cut
that would increase the federal deficit.
Drugs: Continue funding programs such as Drug Abuse Resistance
Education and the Safe and Drug-Free Schools program.
KEYWORDS: CONGRESSIONAL RACE VIRGINIA FOURTH CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT RESULTS ELECTION VIRGINIA by CNB