Evening star., 1953-02-05
Stanley Visits Fairfax
Seeking Vote Support
In Fenwick Territory

Former Representative Thomas
B. Stanley has invaded territory
Of his principal opponent, State
Senator Charles R. Fenwick, for
the Virginia gubernatorial nomi-
nation with a tour of the Fair
fax County Courthouse area.
Robert J. McCandlish, jr., for
mer member of the Virginia
House of Delegates, escorted Mr..
Stanley. who resigned from the
House Tuesday, around lawyers
square" yesterday.
1T appears" Mr.. Candlish said,
che will receive a larger vote in
Northern Virginia than we
thought at first"
Senator Fenwick, Arlington, is
chairman of the 10th District
Democratic Committee which in
cludes Fairfax. He will be given
a campaign kickoff dinner in
the area at $3.50 o'clock tonight
in the Lyon Village Community
House, 1920 North Highland
street. sponsored by the Arling-
ton County Democratic Club.
Delegate Robert Whitehead Of
Nelson County, meanwhile, said
he already has received encour-
aging response from his an
nouncement yesterday that he
would run for Governor if he
obtains sufficient financial back
ing.
Would Oppose Machine.
Mr.. Whitehead would run as a
candidate opposed to the domi-
nant party organization headed
by Senator Byrd. Mr.. Fenwick
and Mr.. Stanley are identified
with that organization.
The third candidate is w. Rus
sell Hatchett. of Virginia Beach,
another anti-organization Demo-
crat. who thus far has not won
heavy support from liberal wing
leaders such as Francis Pickens
Miller of Albemarle and Martin
A. Hutchinson of Richmond.
Mr.. McCandlish said Mr..
Stanley plans to return to Fair
tax soon. No public meetings
have been scheduled as yet.
Yesterday Mr.. Whitehead told
reporters at his home in Low
ingston that several hours after
his announcement was published
the response was already en-
couraging."
Whitehead Praised.
Both Mr.. Hutchinson, who un-
successfully opposed Senator
Byrd for reelection in 1946. and
Mr.. Miller. who was equally un-
successful in trying to unseat
Senator Byrd last year. called
Mr.. Whitehead's statement
"heartening. candid" and "in
keeping with his character and
expressed the hope he will run.
The statement by the 55-year-
old Mr.. Whitehead, whose pun
gent phrase-rnaking and agility
in rough and tumble debate is
respected by even his most out
spoken political foes in the Gem
eral Assembly, produced q sub
Stantial buzz Of speculation
around the State Capitol.
Several organization figures
who felt that Attorney General
J. Lindsay Almond jr.'s decision
against running last week meant
that Mr.. Whitehead probably
wouldn't run either were revers-
ing these privately-expressed
views
Financial Primary.
Their new reasoning was that
Mr.. Whitehead wouldn't want
to decide against running after
putting his public appeal to the
test by way Of the new twist
the financial primary.
They profeSsed to see the state
ment as a good springboard for
the plunge carrying with it sug-
gestions Of a clamor for White
heads candidacy.
It looked to these political
prophets that the free-for-alI
that marked the 1949 primary
fight was coming again-but this
time the element of uncertainty
would be largely removed by a
new runoff primary law.