Evening star., 1949-06-15
Virginia Voters
Elect Mayors,
CityCounci|s
Alexandra Names
Democrats; Price
Drops Contest Plan
By Robert e. RoIIinas

In ba1loting which saw q recort
turnout for city elections. but M
upsets. residents of Alexandria ant
Falls Church yesterday selected
Mayors and members of theil
City Councils.
A number Of other Virginia mu.
inequalities also named Mayors
council members or both.
Alexandria, which saw its first
two-party contest for the tradi.
ally-Democratic City Council
had 1862 votes cast.
In Falls Church, where the bal.
loting was the first since the mu.
nicipality was advanced to the
status Of a second-class city last
August. the progressive, expan-
sionist group retained control OF
the government as 873 voters went
to the polls.
Mr.. Price, chairman of the Fair
fax County Planning Commission
had objected that the ballots had
been improperly printed through
the addition Of boxes and lines for
write-in candidates. He said the
procedure encouraged such ballot
ing.
He also protested that three per-
sons handing out campaign litera-
ture were too close to the first
ward polling place at city Hall.
Mr.. Price charged, In addition, that
q city mimeograph machine was
used to prepare literature for q
candidate.
Democratic Ticket Wins.
The Democratic slate chosen In
the April primary was elected to
the Alexandria council, but the
low man, r. Samuel Luckett, in.
cumbent had q margin of only 70
votes. according to the unofficial
tally, over his nearest opponent
Mayo Edwin Barrett, Independent
A second Independent In the race
for the seven seats, r. Clinton
Knight ran ninth, 10 votes behind
MIR. Barrett.
The two Republicans. Nathan J.
Paulson and Clyde ]. verkerke
trailed Mr.. Barrett and Mr..
Knight. but ran ahead Of the
third Independent In the contest,
Lesley B. Mayer. Mr.. Mayer re-
ceived 823 votes.
Franklin p. Backus, q political
newcomer, will be the new Alex
andria mayor by virtue Of receiv-
ing the highest number. Of votes.
MIR. Backus, a law partner of State
Senator Andrew w. Clarke. polled
3,l13 votes. ~ ~
Ex-Fire Chief WINS. m
Another first-time. general elec-
ton candidate was one OF the
seven successful aspirsnts. he IS
James M. Duncan, jr.. who poIledi
2.913 votes to run third. Mr..
Duncan. 81. was city fire chief
for q number of years before re-
signing after q row with the City
Council last year.
Other members Of the Council,
which will take office In Septem-
ber, and the votes they received
are Albert A. Smoot, 2.952; Roy
c. Bragg. 2,757; lie Roy 8. Bend
helm. 2.687. and Marshall J. Bev-
erley, 2.472. All are incumbents.
Elected without opposition were
". Floyd Williams as city attor-
ney and c. Page Waller as city
collector. Mr.. Waller is the in
cumbent.
In Falls Church the strength
of the incumbent faction led by
Mayor Albert M. Orme and City
Attorney LaRue Van Meter, sur
prised many experienced observers
The election was on o nonparti-
san basis without party labels
Administration Wins.
In the second ward. administra-
ton forces were swept into Office.
with j. H. Mccarthy receiving, l3s
votes, Samuel +. McCrary, 10l,
and Mrs. Jenness Writ Myer. Ito.
Mr.. Mccarthy and Mr.. McCrary
are incumbents. Mrs. Myer is
wife of Dillon 8. Myer, president
of the Institute Of Inter american
Affairs. Defeated were j. Hen
bricks Marr, SO votes. and Albert
K Hovey-King. IS.
An anti-administration candi-
date. Mandley T. Rust. was elected
In the third ward. receiving 215
votes. and an incumbent. Boyd A.
Case, was defeated with 116 votes.
Mr.. Case, however. is not con-
sidered an administration sup
porter. The ticket In the third
ward was led by Lee M. Rhoads.
an incumbent. with 231 votes.
The third elected was John C..
McRae. an incumbent who gen.
orally Is considered an independ-
ent. who got 400 votes. w. David
Brewer. an administration candi-
date, got 199 votes.
In the first ward. James e.
Durant, q former councilman, re-
ceived 244 votes: Sherman Wells.
an incumbent, received 205. and
d. K. Grille. an anti-administra-
ton candidate. got ITO,