THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 26, 1994 TAG: 9406270050
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MASON PETERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940626 LENGTH: ELIZABETH CITY
``I served with the late Walter Jones Sr. in Congress and I served with his son in the General Assembly,'' Lancaster told a Democratic rally in Elizabeth City.
{REST} ``I think all educated people know that Walter Jr., is not Walter Sr. When he loses this 3rd District race he'll probably try again in the 2nd District or the 1st District.
``He's really more interested in the title than serving the district,'' Lancaster said.
The younger Jones is the son of a revered 1st District Democratic congressman who died in 1992. The younger Jones switched to the GOP before the 1992 Congressional elections when party leaders failed to nominate him to fill out his father's unexpired term.
Jones lives in Farmville, and his residence is still in his late father's old 1st District. But Jones decided to challenge Lancaster in the 3rd District this year as a result of the N.C. General Assembly redistricting in 1992 that changed the balance of voting power in the 3rd and 1st Districts.
Under the U.S. Constitution, any state resident may run for any Congressional seat from that state.
The new 1st District now has a black voter majority, and in the last Congressional elections the District sent Rep. Eva M. Clayton, D-Warrenton, to the U.S. House as the first black and the first female from North Carolina in this century.
Jones is counting on the help of many white 3rd District conservatives who faithfully supported his father when their home counties were in the old 1st District.
When the younger Jones came to Camden County for a Republican rally earlier in the week, he confidently predicted victory because of help from the former 1st District voters.
Lancaster conceded on Saturday that he had a major battle ahead.
``I'm still largely unknown in the 50 percent of the 3rd District that used to be in the 1st District,'' he said. ``Because of the fragmentation of the district, this is going to be a difficult campaign.''
Neither Jones nor Lancaster drew notable crowds during their campaign visits.
Before coming to Elizabeth City, Lancaster pressed the flesh at the Wanchese Seafood Festival on Roanoke Island.
Top Albemarle Democrats turned out to greet Lancaster when he arrived for the open-air fund raiser at the Waterworks on the Elizabeth City riverfront.
Following the reception, Lancaster presented a $15,000 check from the Phillip Morris tobacco company to the Albemarle Food Bank.
``They asked me to arrange the gift and I did,'' said Lancaster, who often reminds listeners that he was ``born and raised on a tobacco farm.''
Lancaster recently tangled with President Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton over what he said was a broken pledge on health care from the White House. Lancaster said the president promised him that the tobacco industry would not be the sole tax target for financing health care.
Lancaster said the President agreed to spread the health tax among other industry sources besides tobacco manufacturers.
``But he (Clinton) let me down,'' Lancaster said. When the Clinton health plan was presented, tobacco carried the major tax burden, Lancaster said. by CNB