Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992 TAG: 9203140246
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS
DATELINE: BRISTOL LENGTH: Medium
Wampler, who lost his seat in Congress to Boucher in 1982, cited business and personal reasons for his decision not to run.
"I'm not a wealthy person and I do have to work," Wampler said. There is no way, he said, he could take the six months off from work a run for Congress would require.
Wampler is working with a business that is promoting a new method of reclaiming strip-mined land, which was developed by researchers at Virginia Tech.
Republican congressional hopeful Lew Sheckler of Radford said that if Wampler had wanted the party's nomination it would have been his for the taking. "He has earned the respect and loyalty of Republicans," Sheckler said.
Sheckler, a Radford University music professor; George Bell, a business consultant in Blacksburg; and Gary Weddle, a Radford businessman, are the announced candidates for the Republican nomination.
"On the one hand, I'm sad he's out of the race," Bell said of Wampler's decision. "On the other hand, for my own personal race, I'm happy he's out." Bell said he hoped and was sure Wampler will support the party's nominee.
Wampler, 65, said he was comfortable with the three announced candidates and was glad to see some new blood coming into the party. He said he will work for the nominee to be picked at the party's district convention in Wytheville in May but will not take sides before then.
Boucher can be beaten, Wampler said, if Republicans challenge his record. Although Boucher is a master of public relations, there are a dozen votes that he is vulnerable on, Wampler said.
Wampler said Boucher has to be classified as one of the big spenders in Congress. While Democrats attack President Bush on the economy, the whole issue of spending and the deficit lies in Congress' lap, Wampler said.
Boucher could not be reached for comment Friday on Wampler's announcement.
Wampler said other candidates still might announce for the Republican nomination.
One potential candidate who has been mentioned is Jerry Kilgore, a Scott County lawyer and former assistant U.S. attorney. An attempt to reach Kilgore on Friday for comment was unsuccessful.
However, any candidate hoping to get into the nomination race had better hurry. Republican organizations in the 19 counties and four cities in the 9th District are starting to hold mass meetings to select delegates for the district convention.
Bell said he believes that at the first mass meeting Thursday night he captured all 11 of convention votes allotted to the 9th District precincts in Roanoke County.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB