
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, June 19, 1990                   TAG: 9006190075
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHILHOWIE                                LENGTH: Short

COUNTS TO WAGE WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN AGAINST BOUCHER BY SOUTHWEST BUREAU

Charles D. Counts, a retired Smyth County farmer and radio preacher, has decided to pursue an independent write-in challenge against Rep. Rick Boucher, D-Abingdon, following a rejection of his candidacy by a 159-94 vote at the 9th District Republican Convention in Wytheville June 9.

Counts, 75, ran unsuccessfully against Boucher in 1979 for the Virginia Senate and against former Delegates W.L. "Bill" Lemmon and James P. Jones for the House of Delegates. He was the only person offering himself as a candidate against Boucher at the GOP convention, but a majority of the delegates decided not to challenge Boucher for a fifth term.

Counts says he will base his campaign on the need to raise moral and spiritual values in the nation. If that can be done, he said, "everything else will fall into place." He also criticized the federal income tax and said it should be paid only by those making $50,000 or more a year.

The only other year that Republicans mounted no candidate against Boucher was 1986.

by CNB