Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 9, 1993 TAG: 9305090181
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Long
Rush defeated Blacksburg businessman Pat Cupp for the nomination at a Saturday morning mass meeting at Christiansburg High School by a narrow 107-96 margin.
The 12th Legislative District encompasses northern Montgomery County and eastern Giles County. For the past 12 years the district has been represented by Del. Joan Munford, D-Blacksburg, who announced her retirement on March 20.
The key to Rush's victory was a strong showing from the precincts in District B, where he is a Montgomery County supervisor. Rush beat Cupp in the district by a 72-12 margin.
Graduation ceremonies at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg at the same time as the mass meeting may have worked to Rush's benefit. Cupp said he knew of at least 50 supporters from Blacksburg who would have been at the mass meeting if it hadn't been for the Tech graduation.
The fact that it was Mother's Day weekend also worked against him, Cupp said. Some who would have supported him had left town to visit their mothers.
Cupp said he had expected more supporters for both him and Rush to show up at the meeting.
"I don't know who picks the dates, but I'm going to suggest that they don't allow that to happen again," Cupp said about the scheduling.
One of the biggest topics of gossip Saturday was the presence of county Supervisor Larry Linkous as a Cupp supporter. Linkous also served as a member of the meeting's resolutions committee.
Linkous was elected to the Board of Supervisors as a Democrat in 1991. He even considered seeking the Democratic nomination to replace Munford until conversations with party workers convinced him that he was too conservative to win the Democratic nod.
People who attended the meeting to vote on the nominee were asked to take an oath that they would support the Republican candidate in the fall election.
Asked if his participation Saturday means that he is changing political parties, Linkous declined to comment. If he does switch, it will give the GOP a 4-3 majority on the Board of Supervisors.
Jim Shuler, a Blacksburg veterinarian, will be Rush's likely Democratic opponent this fall. Democrats pick their candidate next Saturday, but Shuler has Munford's endorsement and no announced opposition.
"I know I'll be outspent by my opponent," Rush said, when asked how much he thought he would need to raise to beat Shuler. "I know he'll outspend me 10-to-1, but I'm going to outwork him 100-to-1."
Rush said he plans the same type of door-to-door grass-roots campaign that he used to upset incumbent Democratic Supervisor Ann Hess in 1991.
"[Shuler] will have billboards," Rush said. "My Dad will make my signs."
Education, economic development and the responsiveness of government to the desires of the people will be among the issues that he will stress in the general-election campaign, Rush said.
Rush told those attending the meeting that he believes he can bridge the gap between young and old, rich and poor.
Rush, 25, is the youngest GOP candidate for the General Assembly from the New River Valley in recent memory. While Cupp, 53, and his supporters stressed his experience, Rush said in his speech to mass meeting delegates that he was the only one of the two candidates who has experience winning an election or serving in local government.
Rush was elected to the Board of Supervisors when he was 23. He said he doesn't plan to resign from the board to wage his campaign.
A former Army paratrooper and member of the Army Reserve, Rush has worked for Federal Express as a driver for four years, is a director of the Straight Street Teen Center and owns the Dance Dreams Dance Studio in Christiansburg.
He and his wife, Amy, have two sons.
Republicans passed the hat and, after Rush's win, gave him part of the proceeds - $70 - to kick off his campaign.
Also offering a different kind of support was Jack LeDoux of Blacksburg, chairman of the Montgomery County Christian Coalition. He told Rush that he would work to see that he has the coalition's support this fall.
Montgomery County Treasurer Ellis Meredith, who nominated Rush, said Rush had paid his dues to the party and was owed a chance at a General Assembly seat. Helen St. Clair seconded Rush's nomination, describing him as "having an unquenched zeal for public service."
Former Montgomery County GOP Chairman George Bell nominated Cupp, with Blacksburg Councilwoman Joyce Lewis and Sam Obenshain offering seconding speeches. Lewis said Cupp would be the best candidate to oppose Shuler because he would dilute the vote in Blacksburg and enable the GOP to win the open seat.
Later in the morning, Montgomery County Republicans from Districts A, C and D gathered at the county courthouse to pick candidates for this fall's Board of Supervisors races.
Nominated to run again were incumbents Joe Stewart of Elliston and Henry Jablonski of Christiansburg in Districts C and D. A challenge to Stewart by Virginia State Trooper Steve Fijalkowski of Shawsville did not materialize because he was denied permission to run by his state police superiors.
No candidate came forward to challenge Democratic incumbent Supervisor Jim Moore in District A, but the county GOP committee was given permission to pick a candidate.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB