DOLAN AIDE SAYS UPDIKE CAN'T WIN

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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 9, 1993                   TAG: 9303090249
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: BONNIE V. WINSTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium
DOLAN AIDE SAYS UPDIKE CAN'T WIN
Arlington lawyer William D. Dolan III stopped short of claiming the Democratic nomination for attorney general Monday night, five days before the party's caucuses are slated to begin.
In an unofficial tally, Dolan's campaign claims to have 1,690 supporters who are committed to him and whose selection as delegates to May's statewide Democratic convention will be uncontested.
A candidate needs 1,751 delegates to win the nomination.
According to Dolan's figures, his rival, Bedford Commonwealth's Attorney James Updike, garnered only 605 committed delegates in the pre-filings, while 301 filed as uncommitted.
"While we don't have the numbers mathematically to win, it is now politically impossible for [Updike] to win," said Kevin Burke, Dolan's campaign manager.
The Updike campaign released no tallies of its own Monday night, but was not admitting defeat.
"When we get all the numbers, we can look at all the options and make decisions at that time," said William E. Sublett, Updike's campaign manager. "We won't know what's feasible until we get all the numbers."
Sublett alleged that many local party chairman helped Dolan's slate in violation of party rules that require local party officials to remain neutral. He said the campaign will evaluate whether to file official complaints on Updike's behalf.
State Democratic Party officials were not keeping tabs on the numbers Monday night. Those who have pre-filed have declared their intention to support either Dolan or Updike, or remain uncommitted, if they are selected as convention delegates at local caucuses. The local caucuses will be held at either noon Saturday or 7:30 p.m. Monday, depending on the local Democratic committee.
"The numbers speak for themselves," Dolan said Monday night. "I am very happy with the results from across the state at this point . . . I'm just the beneficiary of a lot of hard work."
Keywords:
POLITICS

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB