ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220075
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: HARRISONBURG
SOURCE: Associated Press
Mark Obenshain has supported U.S. Sen. John Warner ever since Warner replaced Obenshain's father as the GOP senatorial candidate after the senior Obenshain died in a plane crash in 1978.
But on Wednesday, Obenshain said he was backing Jim Miller against Warner in the battle for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. Republicans will select the nominee in a June primary.
``Jim Miller is the kind of Republican that is going to go to Washington and vote his conscience. Jim Miller is going to go to Washington, and he's going to vote for lower taxes. He's going to vote for a balanced budget,'' Obenshain, a lawyer and a former Rockingham County GOP chairman, told a meeting of county Republicans.
In 1978, Richard D. Obenshain defeated Warner for the Senate nomination. When Obenshain died, Republicans selected Warner as their standard-bearer. Warner was elected and has been re-elected twice.
Virginia Republicans consider Richard Obenshain the founding father of the state's modern GOP. The state party headquarters in Richmond is named for him.
His widow, Helen Obenshain of Richmond, and daughter, Kate O. Griffen of Winchester, also support Miller.
In 1993, Warner angered some Republicans by refusing to endorse the party's candidate for lieutenant governor, Mike Farris. In 1994, Warner again broke with the party and promoted the independent candidacy of Marshall Coleman over the party's senatorial nominee, Oliver North.
Mark Obenshain supported North over Miller in 1994 for the Senate nomination, but now says that Miller would have been a better candidate.
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICS CONGRESSby CNB