DATE: Thursday, May 15, 1997                TAG: 9705150502

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   44 lines

LAWYER LAUNCHES TV BLITZ AIMED AT GOP BID FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL

Republican Gilbert Davis began a statewide TV advertising blitz Wednesday hoping to convince voters that he is the most experienced lawyer seeking his party's nomination for state attorney general.

Davis, a Northern Virginia attorney best known for representing Paula Jones in a sexual discrimination suit against President Clinton, is the first candidate in the four-man primary field to advertise on TV. In a 30-second commercial, Davis boasts of having more prosecutorial and a private practice experience from his 28-year law career than ``all the other candidates combined.''

He promises to promote mandatory jail time for pedophiles and ``zero tolerance'' of school violence.

Davis said he has purchased $170,000 worth of airtime across the state to broadcast the ad for the next week. He said he plans to be running television commercials constantly through the GOP primary June 10.

Davis has largely financed his campaign, personally contributing all but $40,000 of the $660,000 his campaign raised through March 31, according to reports filed with the state Board of Elections.

Davis said he has donated more money to his campaign recently, but did not reveal the amount.

Spokesmen for two of his rivals - state Sen. Kenneth W. Stolle of Virginia Beach and Jerry Kilgore of Gate City - said they will begin television advertising soon.

Another candidate - state Sen. Mark L. Earley of Chesapeake - does not plan to advertise on TV.

Davis, at a news conference, criticized a proposal by Kilgore that the state should try to stop violence at interstate rest stops by selling the facilities to private businesses.

``It's grandstanding,'' said Davis, arguing that Kilgore's proposal was fraught with ``legal complexities'' for the state.

Kilgore, meanwhile, proposed legislation Wednesday that would allow families harmed by drug dealers to sue them for damages. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Gilbert Davis KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL RACE CANDIDATE

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