Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Virginia candidates have 3 days to run 'firehouse primary' Date: Sat, 14 Nov 92 16:22:11 EST Message-ID: \SE A;METROPOLITAN \HD Virginia candidates have 3 days to run 'firehouse primary' \BY Laurie Kellman \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES Candidates for a vacant seat in the Virginia House of Delegates have three days to conduct whirlwind campaigns before Democrats and Republicans pick their nominees Monday night. The 72-hour primary campaign was sparked by Gov. L. Douglas Wilder's decision to set a Nov. 17 deadline for the parties to name candidates to fill Delegate Leslie Byrne's seat from the 38th District. Mrs. Byrne, a Democrat, was elected to Congress from the 11th District on Nov. 3 and resigned her legislative seat Wednesday. A special election will be held Dec. 15, the governor said Thursday. Democrats, who will hold a "firehouse primary" Monday night, complained loudly yesterday about the short notice Mr. Wilder gave the candidates. Some said they would spend the weekend scrambling about the district soliciting votes. The 38th District includes Falls Church and the Annandale area. Robert Hull, the only Democratic candidate to announce formally, will spend the weekend canvassing neighborhoods, said his campaign manager, Paul Ferguson. "We'll just do the best we can," he said. "I won't say we're upset, but we would have liked to have had more time." Sidney Savage, another Democratic contender, said she "didn't plan to rest at all" this weekend. "The time is a crunch, but this is the way it came down and I'm going to work with it and deal with it," she said. "It's kind of driving everybody a little bit crazy, but I find it pretty exciting." MacKenzie Canter III, a Washington lawyer who lost a 1990 bid to unseat Rep. Frank Wolf, said he would not waste his time canvassing for votes. He called Mr. Wilder's decision "inherently disgraceful." "To participate in that is to condone it," Mr. Canter said. "This is a secret primary. Voters won't know who we are. They won't even know to go vote." Republicans will decide on their candidate in a convention Monday evening. Mr. Wilder issued a statement saying he wanted to fill the empty seats of Mrs. Byrne and state Sen. Robert Scott well before the legislature convenes in January. Mr. Scott, a Newport News Democrat, was also elected to Congress. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM