DATE: Monday, November 3, 1997              TAG: 9711030051

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: DECISION 97

SOURCE: BY LARRY O'DELL, ASSOCIATED PRESS 

DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                      LENGTH:   69 lines

CANDIDATES BEGIN FINAL PUSH; EARLEY LEADS DOLAN

About 200 boisterous Republicans chanted, ``Ax the tax!'' and cheered Sunday as gubernatorial candidate James S. Gilmore III exhorted them to work for an unprecedented GOP takeover of state government.

``This race is now in your hands,'' Gilmore shouted to supporters at a rally in a Newport News hotel ballroom.

The GOP ticket was energized by a new statewide poll showing Gilmore and attorney general candidate Mark Earley comfortably ahead, and lieutenant governor candidate John Hager in a dead heat in his race against L.F. Payne.

``The rout is on,'' said Republican Gov. George F. Allen, who joined Gilmore in a frenzied final weekend of appearances from Newport News to Fredericksburg to Annandale. ``History is going to be made if you all get your friends out to vote.''

Campaigning a few miles down Interstate 64 in neighboring Hampton, Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. said the talk of a sweep could backfire on the Republicans.

``It sounds to me like they're overconfident and complacent,'' he said.

Republicans are gunning not only for a sweep of the three statewide offices, but also a net gain of five seats to put them in control of the 100-member House of Delegates.

Senate power also would shift to Republicans if Hager is elected. The lieutenant governor casts tie-breaking votes in the Senate, which has 20 Democrats and 20 Republicans. The GOP has never controlled either chamber of the General Assembly.

Democratic legislative leaders have vehemently opposed Gilmore's plan to virtually eliminate the widely despised local car tax, which has become the top issue in the campaign.

Gilmore glanced over his shoulder at three Republican legislative candidates who joined him at the rally, and he told the crowd: ``It's going to help us an awful lot if we elect these folks to the House of Delegates.''

In an interview, he said he is optimistic but not overconfident about a Republican sweep. ``We are not taking one vote for granted,'' he said.

Several recent polls have shown Gilmore breaking open a previously deadlocked race. The most recent, a Richmond Times-Dispatch poll published Sunday, showed Gilmore leading by 12 percentage points and Earley ahead of Democrat Bill Dolan by 9 points. Hager trailed Democrat Payne by 1 point, a statistical tie because the poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

A day after telling supporters at six southwest Virginia rallies to ignore the polls because he can still win, Beyer began Sunday by visiting black churches in Hampton Roads.

``The only thing political I'll ask you is to vote,'' Beyer told the Gethsemane Baptist Church congregation in Hampton. ``I hope you will vote for me, but even if you don't, please vote.''

He added: ``Please pray for wisdom for each of us who would serve you, because God knows we need it.''

After stopping by three other black churches, Beyer flew back to the coalfields to complete a weekend tour of southwest Virginia. The tour is a tradition for Democrats.

Beyer said he did not consider it unwise to spend the final weekend before the election in the rural southwest when a third of the state's voters live in northern Virginia.

But Del. Joseph Johnson, D-Abingdon, wondered how long the tradition can survive.

``I'm not questioning their decision, but if I were running for statewide office, I think I would want to be where there are more voters,'' he said. KEYWORDS: CANDIDATES ELECTION POLL GUBERNATORIAL RACE

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