THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510280108
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ANGELITA PLEMMER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
GEORGE E. TALBOT JR. needs a new pair of shoes.
The first casualty - a $55 pair of black penny loafers - boasts a hole in each sole the size of a quarter.
And a gap the size of the tip of his pinky finger is making fast gains in his other pair of $70 brown Florsheim wingtips.
But two pairs of worn shoes are a small price to pay, Talbot said, in order to win voters during his walking campaign for clerk of Circuit Court.
``I'm not going to have them repaired until after the elections,'' said Talbot, who has a solo general law practice in downtown Portsmouth.
Walking two hours a day and three hours on the weekends, the Portsmouth native has journeyed through most of the city's sprawling neighborhoods.
``I think there are probably only about three neighborhoods in the entire city that I haven't gotten into,'' he said. ``. . . If I can get my message across, folks will realize it's time to have a change.''
The 50-year-old Republican challenger is counting on his daily campaign constitutionals to provide voters with the name and face recognition that his opponent, Democrat Walter M. ``Square'' Edmonds, has acquired.
The Nov. 7 election will be the first time, according to some local political experts, that a Republican has ever challenged the incumbent Democrat for the office that pays $85,479 a year.
``We're loosening up the Democratic stronghold on the city and I think a two-party system is healthy for the community, for the state and the country,'' said Jay Oliver, past chairman of the Portsmouth Republican Party. Winning the clerk's race ``actually would be a significant gain for us.''
Talbot, who filed at the last minute to run in the Nov. 7 general election, ran unopposed in the June Republican primary. He announced his candidacy during an election kickoff in August at Jimmy's Steak House on Chowan Drive.
``I really think getting George elected to Clerk of Court is the beginning of a real wind of change in the city of Portsmouth, period,'' said Caroline Barnes, current chair of the local Republican Party. ``There's a lot of dissatisfaction with the status quo.''
``As a lawyer, I think George is going to bring a lot more insight and expertise to the office that hasn't been there.''
A lawyer for more than two decades, Talbot is also no newcomer to local politics.
In 1982, Talbot ran as an independent against now Circuit Court Judge Johnny Morrison for the office of commonwealth's attorney.
Talbot who worked as an assistant commonwealth's attorney from 1971 to 1973, lost by about 3,500 votes to Morrison.
Less than a year later, he ran on the Republican ticket for the 79th district House of Delegates seat against Billy Moore. During the campaign, he even had former Republican Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton come down and campaign on his behalf.
But Moore won all of the district's 16 precincts with 8,180 votes compared to Talbot's 3,314.
Now, more than a decade later, Talbot is pounding the pavement for voters in an effort to secure a victory this time around.
``I decided to throw my hat in the ring one more time,'' Talbot said. ``I just felt that we needed some kind of a change.''
The 12-year sabbatical from politics also gave him time to save money, align supporters and surround himself with an eager crew of young, Republican campaign volunteers.
``It's going to be an uphill fight,'' Talbot said. ``Politics is a funny game.''
In his platform, Talbot advocates cross-training more employees for different jobs, Saturday hours or longer weekday hours achieved through flex-time or staggered work shifts, increased efforts to ensure timely filings and notices, upgrading computer hardware and software, and providing notary services at no fee.
``But the most important thing is the clerk be there, because, when problems arise in that office, it's the clerk's responsibility to make corrections to ensure that they don't arise in the future,'' he said. ``If I did a poor job, it would reflect on me.''
Talbot, who is married to Beverly ``Teresa''' Barnes Talbot, is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School and Hampden-Sydney College. He has a law degree from T.C. Williams Law School at the University of Richmond. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MARK MITCHELL
KEYWORDS: ELECTION CANDIDATE PORTSMOUTH CLERK OF COURT PROFILE
BIOGRAPHY by CNB