THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 16, 1996 TAG: 9604160303
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL SIZEMORE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Hampton Roads' congressional representatives appear to have a relatively smooth start on keeping their jobs for another two years.
Only one of the area's four congressmen, Peninsula Republican Herbert H. Bateman, faces an opponent within his party. The only opposition for the other three, all Democrats, will come in the general election in fall - if at all.
The three incumbent Democrats filed for renomination by primary. No one else filed by last Friday's deadline, so the incumbents will be certified as their party's nominees.
If the opposition parties choose to put up opponents, they will do so at congressional district conventions in May.
Here's the outlook by district:
1st District (Peninsula, Eastern Shore and north to Stafford County): Bateman, a seven-term Republican incumbent, faces intraparty opposition from David Caprara of Spotsylvania County, who resigned as Gov. George F. Allen's director of housing and community development to enter the race.
The two candidates will face off in a primary June 11, the same day that Republicans statewide will choose between incumbent U.S. Sen. John Warner and his opponent, former federal budget director James C. Miller III.
Caprara acknowledged to a Fredericksburg newspaper last week that he requested an FBI investigation 15 years ago after reporting that his parents had him kidnapped.
Caprara, then 26, said he was held for 11 days while his captors tried to persuade him to leave the Rev. Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church.
Democrats in the 1st District will hold a convention May 11. No candidates have yet announced.
2nd District (Norfolk and Virginia Beach): Rep. Owen B. Pickett, a five-term Democratic incumbent, is unopposed within the party.
John F. Tate, 33, said Monday he will seek the Republican nomination at the district convention May 18.
Tate, a Virginia Beach resident, runs a Virginia Beach branch office of the National Right to Work Committee, a lobbying group that works to outlaw compulsory union membership.
He said three-quarters of the GOP delegates have committed themselves to his candidacy.
3rd District (portions of localities from Hampton Roads to Richmond): Rep. Robert Scott, a two-term incumbent Democrat, has no intraparty opposition.
Republicans will hold a convention May 18, but 3rd District GOP Chairman Don Moon said he knows of no candidates seeking the nomination so far.
4th District (from Chesapeake west and north to Louisa County): Rep. Norman Sisisky, a seven-term incumbent Democrat, has no opposition within the party.
It could not be confirmed Monday whether anyone is seeking to be nominated at the Republican convention May 18. ILLUSTRATION: Bateman
Pickett
Scott
Sisisky
by CNB