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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 3, 1993                   TAG: 9311030255
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: LARRY O'DELL ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

GOP ENJOYING VOTERS' MOOD SWING

Del. G.C. Jennings, D-Marion, was the first incumbent to fall as voters cast ballots Tuesday to decide 69 contested House of Delegates races.

In unofficial returns from 32 of 37 precincts, Republican Barnes Lee Kidd had 59 percent of the vote to 39 percent for Jennings, a 12-year veteran legislator. Independent Thomas I. Linville had 2 percent.

Republicans, hoping to shrink the Democratic majority in the 100-member House, also won the open seats of retiring Democratic Dels. Ford Quillen of Gate City and Alson Smith of Winchester.

With all 39 precincts reporting, Republican Terry G. Kilgore had 57 percent to Democrat George F. Cridlin's 43 percent to win Quillen's seat. The GOP's Beverly J. Sherwood had 62 percent to Democrat Raymond "Buzz" Sandy's 38 percent in Smith's district.

Democrats retained the seats of four other retiring members of their party, and three seats vacated by Republicans remained in GOP hands. The race for another open seat formerly held by a Democrat was tight with just a few precincts reporting.

Democrats had outnumbered Republicans 57-41, with one independent and one seat formerly held by a Democrat vacant.

Del. Robert Ball of Richmond, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, survived a scare. With all 32 precincts reporting, Ball defeated Republican Gordon Prior, 52 percent to 48 percent.

GOP candidates challenged 30 Democratic incumbents, and Democrats tried to unseat 16 GOP incumbents. Ten seats were open because of retirements, and nine of them were contested by both major parties. The other opposed incumbents faced independent challengers.

Republican officials began the campaign hoping to gain a couple of seats. But their optimism grew as GOP gubernatorial candidate George Allen erased Democrat Mary Sue Terry's huge lead in the polls and took a double-digit lead of his own.

Kevin Mack, director of the Democratic Caucus, said he did not believe the statewide GOP ticket's momentum in the polls would have any effect on the House races.

Keywords:
ELECTION

by CNB