ROANOKE TIMES

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

DATE: MONDAY, September 18, 1995                   TAG: 9509180104
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DAN CASEY, BRIAN KELLEY AND KIMBERLY N. MARTIN STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium


BELL FINDING FUNDS FASTER THAN EDWARDS

With less than two months to go in the campaign for the Senate seat representing Roanoke and part of Roanoke County, GOP incumbent Brandon Bell is maintaining a wide fund-raising lead over his Democratic challenger, Roanoke Vice Mayor John Edwards.

Campaign finance reports filed Friday showing contributions received in July and August show Bell with $110,000 cash on hand - more than four times the $23,500 balance that Edwards reported as of Aug. 31.

For the two-month period, Bell raised $29,679, bringing his total fund-raising take to $156,000.

Exclusive of loans he made to his own campaign, Edwards raised just over $22,466 in the same period, bringing his fund-raising total to $57,000.

The reports show that Bell continues to receive money from fellow Republican senators who are unchallenged in the November election. Sen. Tommy Norment, R-Williamsburg, chipped in another $1,000 to the Bell campaign, bringing his total in contributions to $2,000. Sen. Steve Martin, R-Richmond, also gave $1,000.

Edwards' campaign, meanwhile, garnered the interest of some heavy hitters, namely unions and teachers. The state chapter of the AFL-CIO gave him $3,000, by far his largest contribution to date. The Virginia Education Association, a statewide teachers organization, chipped in another $1,500.

Marye out-raising Republican Pat Cupp

CHRISTIANSBURG - State Sen. Madison Marye showed renewed fund-raising vigor this summer while his Republican opponent, Pat Cupp, kept close, but only by using $10,000 of his own money, newly filed campaign finance reports show.

The reports are good news for the Shawsville Democrat, who in July had the unpleasant distinction of having raised less money than any other Senate incumbent with major party opposition.

They also answer at least one point raised by many Republicans: that Marye was pulling in the bulk of his early money mostly from fellow Democratic politicians from outside his district, which includes Montgomery, Smyth and Grayson counties, Galax and parts of Pulaski and Carroll counties.

This time around, Marye drew all but 15 of his 51 contributions of more than $100 from addresses inside the district. Most of the 15 came from Richmond-based political action committees.

In total, Marye raised $55,208 for the campaign and had $29,344 left to spend as of Aug. 31. Cupp had raised a total of $32,958 and lent himself $10,000. He reported $22,221 on hand.

The numbers represent a significant turnaround for Marye, a cattle farmer who is facing his first opposition in 12 years. Through the end of June, Cupp led in overall fund raising, numbers of contributors and spending. At that point, Marye had taken in just $13,585, compared with Cupp's $17,565. To put Marye's early-summer total in perspective, by that same date, the average raised by state senators facing opposition stood at $75,810.

The reports also show that Cupp has brought in expert help. He paid Tim Phillips, an aide to Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, for political consulting work beginning last month. Phillips is on leave from his job with Goodlatte.

Thomas leads Artis by wide margin

Del. Vic Thomas, D-Roanoke, maintains a considerable fund-raising advantage over Republican challenger Jeff Artis.

The latest campaign finance reports show Thomas has raised a total of $46,984 while Artis has taken in only $7,840.

Roanoke Valley developer Elbert Waldron's $5,000 contribution was the largest gift Thomas has received for his campaign. Thomas' other large contributors were a Democratic Party fund, which gave $2,685.71, John Kimbrough of Scottsville, who gave $1,000, and the Virginia Sheriffs Association Political Action Committee, whose two contributions totaled $1,000.

In the campaign financing arena, Artis is inching closer to his goal. A former in-school suspension teacher at Patrick Henry High School, he has said he only needs $10,000 for the type of grass-roots campaign he's running.

His largest contributors for the period were T.E. and Ann Beck of Glasgow, who gave $1,500.

Thomas and Artis are running for the House seat that covers Southeast Roanoke, Northeast Roanoke, part of Northwest Roanoke and the Peters Creek Road section of Roanoke County.

Citizen calendar

Want to hear the candidates speak? Here's where some of them will be this week:

BLACKSBURG: Tuesday, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Blacksburg Municipal Building.

Scheduled to appear are State Sen. Madison Marye, D-Shawsville, and his Republican challenger, Pat Cupp, and Del. Jim Shuler, D-Blacksburg, and his Republican challenger, Larry Linkous, plus Del. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, who is unopposed.

Registered to vote?

A reminder: If you're not already signed up, the deadline to register is Oct. 10.

Keywords:
POLITICS



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