THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, December 2, 1994 TAG: 9412020583
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
Michael Farris' decision not to run for the U.S. Senate in 1996 will help unite conservative Republicans in their bid to unseat GOP Sen. John Warner, a likely Senate candidate and a political analyst said Thursday.
``This does winnow the field,'' said Jim Miller, who lost the 1994 Republican Senate nomination to Oliver North. ``And it certainly complicates Sen. Warner's outlook because I think his best chance for getting the nomination would be to have a divided vote between other candidates.''
Miller, Farris and North, who lost to Democratic Sen. Charles Robb in the November election, all have been mentioned as possible challengers to Warner. The incumbent angered many Republicans this year when he refused to endorse North and instead supported independent Marshall Coleman.
Warner also refused to support Farris, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor last year. Some in the party are eager to punish Warner for what they view as disloyalty by denying him renomination.
Farris, a homeschooling advocate and Christian conservative, told reporters Wednesday that the demands of raising his nine children were too great for him to run for Senate.
Mark Rozell, a political science professor at Mary Washington College and co-author of a forthcoming book on the religious right in Virginia, said that with Farris out of the picture and North still uncertain about making another run, conservative Republicans are likely to unite behind Miller.
``I think it is fair to say that Farris understands the chance of defeating Warner would be less if the conservative faction of the vote was split,'' Rozell said.
Miller said Farris' decision was personal and not the result of any political maneuvering against Warner.
``There was no conspiracy here,'' Miller said. ``In personal conversations, he has conveyed his great concerns about how he could balance the complicated demands of political life and his responsibilities to his young family. I have great respect for the decision that he made.''
Miller also said the decision did not involve any party rejection of Farris' conservative Christian principles.
``If you look at the polls, you see that the positions taken by Oliver North had a lot more support than those taken by Robb,'' he said.
But according to Rozell, Democrats should be happy about the unification of conservative Republicans against Warner.
``If this helps the conservatives to defeat Warner, that's good news for the Democrats,'' Rozell said. ``Democrats clearly would rather run against a movement conservative than against a three-term incumbent with broad-based political appeal.''
Mark Warner, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said he was concentrating on the 1995 General Assembly elections and could not guess the possible impact of Farris' decision.
``I think it's understood that there is going to be bloodbath between John Warner and whomever the conservative wing of the party supports,'' said Mark Warner, who also has been mentioned as a likely Senate candidate in 1996. ``We're all anticipating a big battle.''
In a telephone interview Wednesday, John Warner said he respected Farris' decision and will take on all challengers in an open primary.
Farris, meanwhile, said he will remain active in politics and is determined to work toward Warner's defeat.
``If Jim or someone else runs, I will support them,'' Farris said.
North aide Mark Merritt said Wednesday that North would not make any decisions about his future at least until the new year. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Michael Farris' decision could unite conservatives against Warner,
say observers.
KEYWORDS: U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA 1996 by CNB