THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 6, 1994 TAG: 9406060048
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JEFF HOOTEN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940606 LENGTH: NORFOLK
About 100 residents who gathered to hear city officials discuss a proposed downtown mall took little notice of Jim Chapman sitting in the back, sipping lukewarm Hi-C orange drink in an attempt to keep cool.
{REST} About 45 minutes into the meeting, people began drifting out in ones and twos. As they walked past his chair, Chapman offered his hand and smiled.
What a way to run for the House of Representatives.
This is Chapman's second candidacy in Virginia's 2nd district, which consists of almost all of Virginia Beach and a large part of Norfolk. Chapman, a Republican, garnered 45 percent of the vote in 1992 against Democratic incumbent Owen B. Pickett, who has held the seat since 1986.
Before he can get a second shot at Pickett, Chapman has another hurdle: Virginia Beach Del. Frank W. Wagner. Chapman has until the June 14 primary to convince voters that he - not Wagner - has a better chance to unseat Pickett.
``Jim has the assets that you look for in a candidate,'' said former 2nd district Rep. G. William Whitehurst, currently the Kaufman lecturer in public affairs at Old Dominion University.
``To go through a campaign once, lose, and come back again shows a lot of ambition,'' Whitehurst said.
``As for who's going to win the primary, I wouldn't want to make a guess.''
The Ocean View meeting over, Chapman began to work the room. His first contact, with Norfolk resident Jewell Shalhoup, was not promising.
``I'm Jim Chapman, and I sure would appreciate your vote,'' Chapman said.
Shalhoup answered that she was not a Republican.
``You can vote in the Republican primary,'' Chapman said. ``There's no party registration in Virginia.''
``If you change your ideas about the abortion issue, then I'd vote for you,'' Shalhoup offered.
``I'm sorry,'' said Chapman, who is against abortion. ``We just have to agree to disagree on that one.''
Undeterred, Chapman soldiered on.
He fared better the next day at a meeting of the Republican Women's Club of Norfolk. There his main target was President Clinton.
Bemoaning plans to downsize the military, Chapman attacked Clinton's record on defense.
``We were on our way to a 600 ship Navy when Ronald Reagan was president, and now Bill Clinton thinks we need a 300 ship Navy. Do you feel the world is twice as safe?'' Chapman asked.
``We need to at least return to the level of defense spending in this country that we had before Bill Clinton was elected.''
This time Chapman's audience needed little convincing.
``He has a wonderful charisma,'' said Edna Coates of Norfolk. ``He hit a lot of nails on the head.''
``He said the things that I would've said if I could make a speech,'' said Norfolk resident Nell Stimac.
And so it went for Chapman, a 37-year-old lawyer who lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Sue, and two daughters. A graduate of Washington and Lee University Law School, Chapman was lured to Hampton Roads in 1986 by his desire to practice maritime law. He is a partner in the Norfolk firm of Crenshaw, Ware & Martin.
Family and faith are important, said Chapman, who as an ``Army brat'' moved 13 times in 17 years. ``When you move that often, the only folks you seem to know are your family,'' he said. He's an active member of Old Donation Episcopal Church in Virginia Beach.
``I'm proud of my faith,'' he said. ``It is what guides me in life.''
As for the backing of the religious right, Chapman said he is working to get support from every element of the Republican Party.
When no Republican challenged Pickett in 1990, and when it appeared as if no one would step forward in 1992, Chapman said that 40 years of Democratic control in the House convinced him that he needed to run.
In his first bid for political office, Chapman had the best Republican showing ever against Pickett. Republicans were aided by redistricting prior to the election, which moved more than 60 percent of Norfolk's black population to the black-majority 3rd district.
Wagner has called attention to the fact that Chapman has never held elected office. ``Obviously, he doesn't have any kind of track record to run on, good or bad,'' Wagner said.
Chapman has countered by saying that Wagner is not a ``true conservative.''
Chapman cited Wagner's support of abortion rights and his opposition to school choice as areas where Wagner is out of step with conservative Republicans.
``It's not that I'm opposed to public education,'' Chapman said. ``But we need to empower parents to make the best educational decisions for their children. They've got the interests of their kids at heart.''
Wagner also has described Chapman, a former prosecutor, as ``another lawyer who wants to get into elected office.''
``Let's not forget in this country that Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln were lawyers,'' Chapman responded.
``Ninety percent of the founding fathers - the folks who wrote our constitution and the Bill of Rights - were lawyers. I think that in terms of dealing with the complexities of federal legislation, it's actually an advantage to have legal training.''
Billing himself as ``The Right Republican,'' Chapman is no stealth candidate. He openly embraces conservative views such as cutting taxes and opposes ``government over-regulation of small businesses.'' He has a 10-point plan for combating violent crime.
Chapman is just as forthright on social issues, supporting policies such as increased tax credits for families with children, ``back to basics'' education and welfare reforms that ``help those who can work find jobs.''
A strong critic of the president's health care plan, Chapman has tapped into the anti-Clinton sentiment by linking Pickett to the current administration.
``Gays in the military, outcome-based education - all the things that are classically wrong with America - Bill Clinton is trying to jam down our throats,'' Chapman said.
``In the first year of Mr. Clinton's presidency, Owen Pickett voted with Bill Clinton over 80 percent of the time. As long as Owen Pickett represents this district, we're going to get Bill Clinton's agenda.
``If we want to stop Bill Clinton's agenda, we've got to replace Owen Pickett.''
Though Chapman won't appeal to liberals, he said he hopes to attract the same voters that elected George F. Allen in 1993.
But first he has to beat Frank Wagner.
``In distinguishing between the two, Jim appears to be enjoying support from the more conservative wing of the party, whereas Frank is enjoying support more from the moderate wing of the party,'' said Walt Brudzinski, Virginia Beach Republican Party chairman
Nevertheless, Brudzinski said, either one would make a great candidate against Pickett.
{KEYWORDS} CANDIDATE REPUBLICAN PRIMARY SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL RACE PROFILE
by CNB