Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510270103
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: G6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
\ DEL. TOMMY BAKER
Republican, Pulaski County
Represents:
Radford; Pulaski County; and the Giles County precincts of Glen Lyn, Narrows, Pearisburg, Rich Creek, Staffordsville, Sugar Run and White Gate.
Office: 674-4081
Tommy Baker, first elected in 1989, would be in line to chair the prestigious House Courts of Justice Committee, which handles legal issues, if Republicans win a majority in the House this fall. Baker has earned a reputation as one of the more independent-minded Republican legislators. A study by The Roanoke Times and its sister paper in Norfolk found that, on 50 key votes that generally went along party lines, Baker broke with Republicans 14 times - more times than any other Republican delegate except Clinton Miller of Woodstock, with whom he tied. Baker is also among a handful of GOP candidates who didn't sign on with the party's statewide campaign "pledge."
\ STATE SEN. VIRGIL GOODE
Democrat, Rocky Mount
Represents:
Franklin County; Floyd County; Henry County; Martinsville; Patrick County; and the Carroll County precincts of Fancy Gap, Gladesboro, Hillsville B, Lambsburg, Laurel Fork, Mount Bethel, Oakland A, Oakland D and St. Paul.
Office: 483-9030
VIRGIL GOODE, first elected in 1973 and only challenged once since then, is one of the last conservative Democrats in the legislature, so much so that he's occasionally mentioned as a candidate for switching parties, something he strongly denies. In the last session, Goode led the fight to make it easier to obtain a concealed weapons permit. He's also a fervent backer of smokers' rights. On both issues, he found himself fighting his own party, while winning support from Republicans. Nevertheless, Goode, who also styles himself as a populist equally skeptical of big business and big government, holds several leadership positions. He's chairman of the Democrats' Senate caucus. He also chairs the Local Government Committee and sits on the Senate Finance Committee. In that position, he was a key obstacle to efforts to move the Virginia Museum of Natural History out of Martinsville.
\ DEL. MORGAN GRIFFITH
Republican, Salem
Represents:
Salem; the Roanoke County precincts of Bent Mountain, Castle Rock, Cotton Hill, Green Hill, Oak Grove, Poages Mill and Windsor Hills; and the Montgomery County precincts of A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, E-1, E-2, F-1, F-2, G-1, G-2, and part of C-2, roughly all of the county west of downtown Christiansburg.
Office: 389-4498
MORGAN GRIFFITH, elected in 1993, made a name for himself as a spunky partisan during his freshman term. When Republicans believed they were being treated roughly by the majority Democrats, Griffith shot back that "they're teaching their future masters well." Later, he openly predicted that, if Republicans take control, they'll kick Democratic leaders off key committees and assign them to menial ones. He specifically mentioned House Majority Leader Richard Cranwell of Roanoke County as one of the main targets. Legislatively, though, Griffith's record is more nonpartisan than his record might suggest. He was the first public figure in the region to take notice of Interstate 73 and has been a vocal champion of routing it through the Roanoke Valley.
\ DEL. TOM JACKSON
Democrat, Hillsville
Represents:
Bland County; Wythe County; and the Carroll County precincts of Dugspur, Gladeville, Hillsville C, Hillsville D, Hillsville E, Laurel, Sylvatus, Vaughn, Woodlawn D and Woodlawn E.
Office: 728-9545
TOM JACKSON, first elected in 1987, has become of the Democrats' rising stars, and one of Western Virginia's most prominent spokesmen in Richmond. Whenever the subject turns to regional issues, such as disparity in school funding, Jackson is usually one of the main speakers. He also was especially critical of Disney's America, raising questions about the incentive package the governor was offering. Some mention Jackson as a potential candidate for statewide office.
\ DEL. LACEY PUTNEY
Independent, Bedford County
Represents:
Bedford; the Bedford County precincts of Big Island, Boonsboro, Chamblissburg, Cove, Forest, Goode, Hardy, Huddleston, Jefferson, Kelso, Liberty, Mountain View, New London, Otter Hill, Sedalia, Sign Rock, Staunton River, part of Stewartsville, Thaxton, Waltons Store and White House; the Botetourt County precincts of Buchanan, Courthouse, Eagle Rock, Mill Creek, Oriskany, Roaring Run, Springwood, Town Hall and Troutville; Buena Vista; and the Rockbridge County precincts of Ben Salem, Glasgow and part of Natural Bridge.
Office: 586-0080
LACEY PUTNEY is the longest-serving member of the General Assembly. First elected as a conservative Democrat in 1961, the same year Albertis Harrison won the governorship, Putney left the party in the early 1970s and has been an independent ever since. He's rarely been challenged at election time since. Putney's independence carries a price, though. If the Bedford lawyer were a member of the majority party, Putney's seniority would make him chairman of Appropriations Committee, which handles the state budget. But independents don't get a chance to chair committees.
\ STATE SEN. MALFOURD "BO" TRUMBO
Republican, Fincastle
Represents:
Bath County; Alleghany County; Covington; Clifton Forge; Botetourt County; the Roanoke County precincts of Bennett Springs, Bent Mountain, Botetourt Springs, Catawba, Glenvar, Green Hill, Mason Valley, Peters Creek and Poages Mill; Salem; Craig County; Giles County; Radford; and the Pulaski County precincts of Belspring, part of Dublin, Massie, New River, part of Newbern, Robinson, Walker and West Cloyd.
Office: 472-2781
MALFOURD "BO" TRUMBO served two years in the House of Delegates before winning election to the state Senate in 1991. Despite his "aw shucks, I'm just a country boy" demeanor, Trumbo has emerged as a wily, behind-the-scenes operator and his party's chief parliamentary expert in the Senate. Trumbo also has a reputation as something of a maverick, openly criticizing some of Gov. George Allen's budget policies. If Republicans win control, Trumbo would be in line to win a seat on the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee, plus has a chance to become the chairman of the Senate Rules Committee, two posts that would vault him into the Senate leadership.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB