Evening star., 1951-08-01
Harriisonburg
P'artyConc|ave
Called Friday
Democrats to Pick
Candidates; Page
To Hold Primary
By Alex R. Preston
Stor Stoff Correspondent

Stor Stoff Correspondent
HARRISONBURG, Va, Aug. l..
Democrats of Rockingham
County and the city of Harrison
burg will nominate candidates at a.
convention here Friday instead of
by primary.
Neighboring Page County will
hold a primary Tuesday along
with most other localities where
contests for Democratic nomina-
ton have developed. In Rappahan-
mock County, the Democratic
Committee made the nominations
without opposition.
Harrisonburg and Rockingham
County Republicans already have
nominated a nearly complete slate
and will convene again after the
Democratic primary to select can
didates for two additional Offices:
Race for Sheriff's Post.
Pricipal conteSt-and it may be
the only one-iS for the nomina-
tion for sheriff. The incumbent.
Sheriff Sam H. Calender, Dem
ocrat, does not seek denomination.
Running for the Office, accord
ing to Porter r. Graves, Demo-
cratic committee chairman, are
A. L. Strawderman and Buffin L.
Kiser. both deputy sheriffs who
live in the county; Aubrey J. Bell,
former deputy fire marshal of
Harrisonburg, and Daniel O.
Thomas, former Harrisonburg po-
liceman.
Rockingham is one of the few
counties in Virginia where Re-
publicans have a strong foothold.
Of the five major county Offices,
three are held by Democrats and
two by Republicans.
Party Balance of Power.
There are approximately 5000
qualified voters in the county and
about 5000 in the city. Normally,
the county is preponderantly Re-
publican while the city is Demo-
cratic. OF the five county Offices,
the treasurer and commissioner of
revenue are elected solely by the
county voters and usually are Re-
publicans. But there is enough
margin of Democratic votes in the
city to place Democrats in the Of
fees of sheriff. clerk and COM
monwealth's attorney.
Democrats are expected to
nominate candidates for all posts,
including the two local Offices now
held by Republicans. These two
are Russell Harrison. treasurer, re-
nominated at the Republican con-
vention, and Frank Meyers, COM
missioner of revenue, who did not
run again. The Republicans nomi-
mated Lowell Miller to succeed
him.
An interesting Sidelight on the
Republican-Democrat balance of
power here is that the last census
gave Harrisonburg a population of
more than 10000, elevating it to
flrSt-claSs city status. Democrats
in the county are concerned about
this.
Better Chance for G. o. P.
Under Virginia law a firSt-class
city elects its own local Offices in
dependently of the county. There
fore, the Republicans stand bet
ter chance of electing all five local
county officers hereafter.
At present j. Robert Switzer is
unopposed for denomination as
clerk at the Democratic conven-
tion and so is George D. Conrad
for denomination as Common
wealth'S attorney. Also without
opposition are the Democrats,
Delegates George S. Aldhizer and
j. o. Stickley and State Senator
Raymond Guest of Bayard, for
denomination. Al
Republicans have nominated
John j. Myers for the House of
Delegates and will reconvene
August Is to select second House
candidate. A Republican candi-
date to oppose Senator Guest in
the district which also includes
Warren, Page and Rockingham
Counties, will be selected later,
according to Carl jenkins of
Stanley, 7th District Republican
chairman.
Other Republican nominees be-
side Mr.. Miller for commissioner
of revenue and Mr.. Myers for the
House are Carson D. Meyers for
sheriff; Julian K. Hickman for
Commemorative attorney and
Russell M. Harrison for re-elec-
ton as treasurer.