Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, April 22, 1995 TAG: 9504240029
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: TODD JACKSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT LENGTH: Medium
Dudley said he will be in front of the Pittsylvania County Courthouse at 9 a.m., the Franklin County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m. and the Floyd County Courthouse at noon.
Dudley's House of Delegates seat has been targeted as a priority by state Democrats as both parties compete for majorities in the House and Senate this year.
The Democrats have pinned their hopes to unseat Dudley on Claude Whitehead, a Pittsylvania County dentist and tobacco farmer, after four possible candidates in Franklin County declined the opportunity.
Whitehead, 56, plans to hold a news conference next week to announce his candidacy. He is a Pittsylvania County native and a former chairman of the county's Board of Supervisors.
The district includes Floyd County, most of Franklin County, a slice of Pittsylvania County and the Moneta precinct in Bedford County.
Franklin County accounts for more than half of the district's voters and historically has been the home of the district's representative.
But while Dudley, 47, was born and raised in Franklin County and has spent the majority of his life there, he's a Republican, the first from that party to hold the seat in 25 years.
Dudley's victory over Democrat and fellow Franklin Countian Wes Naff in 1993 shocked many.
But this year Dudley isn't the hunter, he's the hunted.
``I really haven't thought about that one way or the other,'' said Dudley, who is vice president of commercial lending and personnel at First Virginia Bank-Franklin County. ``All I know is that we've made some progress in the past two years, but there's still some things that need work.''
Leaders in both parties agree that Franklin County Democrats will be one of the key factors in a campaign between Dudley and Whitehead.
Will they hold the party line, or will they vote for Dudley because he's the hometown boy?
Eric Ferguson, the county's Democratic Party chairman, said he believes Whitehead will be a solid candidate whom Franklin County Democrats will be ready to support.
But one longtime county Democrat said recently that Dudley will pull more Franklin County Democratic votes than he did in 1993. That year, Naff won Franklin County, but lost the the race to Dudley by fewer than 200 votes.
``Bottom line is that Allen Dudley hasn't done that bad of a job in Richmond,'' the longtime Democrat said.
Franklin County Republicans also have wondered aloud about state Sen. Charles Hawkins, R-Chatham, and his effect on a Dudley-Whitehead race.
Hawkins has known Whitehead for years, and some Republicans feared he may steer clear of endorsing either candidate.
But Hawkins, who lives in Republican Del. Joyce Crouch's voting district, said Friday that he stands behind Dudley.
``Allen has done a fine job in Richmond,'' he said. ``He supported sending lottery funds back to localities, and he took some other strong stands. If this race was left up to Pittsylvania County, then I'm sure Dr. Whitehead would do well. But it's not, and I think it's going to be an uphill battle for anyone to unseat Allen Dudley.''
Pittsylvania County is split among six house districts. None of the county's house representatives - Dudley, Crouch, Whitt Clement, Ted Bennett, Ward Armstrong and Roscoe Reynolds - live in the county, although Clement does live in Danville.
But Whitehead is a Pittsylvania County resident, a fact that hasn't escaped Ed Motley, that county's Democratic Party chairman.
``It sure would be nice to have someone who lives here to represent us in the House,'' he said.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB