Evening star., 1960-08-01
Battle Starts
For Virginia
Electoral Vote
Democrats Awuit
Word From Byrd
On Their Ticket

| The presidential race picked
up an early head Of steam IN
Virginia over the week end Is
Democrats and Republicans
began battling TO win the else
Ecrsl votes that shifted to the
G, o. ?. eclslmn In the last two
presidential races
4 While the politicians fought.
Democrats we're anxice,Sfy
awaiting word from their chief
On his attitude toward the
Kennedy johnson ticket.
/ Senator Byrd. head Of the
State Democratic oryanlsa- :
ton. Is In ES,rope but is expect
ed back IN q few days. His re-
tlsal to support Stevenson IN
1882 and 1885 was one Of the
main reasons the State went
Republican those years.
Two Alexandria Democratic
once hclderS-cne Of them
close 70 Senator Byrd-rredies-
ed the State would 50 Demo
cratic this year,
with or without" Byrd
The predictions were made
BY State Senator ArmiStead
Soothe and State Delegate
James NJ. Thomson. erother-tn-
law Of Senator Byrd'S son.
State Senator Harry ?. Byrd,
lr.
In = telsviSion appearance.
Senator Bocthe said the Demo
Gratis Will carry the State with
or without" Senator Byrd.
Mr.. Thomson said he was
an early supporter" Of Senator
Kennedy, While he predicted
the State would so Democratic
in the presidential election. he
said that the 10th district race
between Republican incumbent
Joel T, Broyhin and Democrat
Ralph Kaul likely viii be very
close"
Smack in the middle Of the
var Of words that broke out
cvsr the week end was Gcv
Almond. and aetive-and vocal
supporter Of the Kennedy
johnson Democratic ticket.
The Governor said Saturday
il was beyond my comprehen-
sion" how anyone could re-
gard the civil rights plank in
the Republican platform as
more moderate than the civil
rights plank adopted by the
D EN- oerat& the Associated
Press reported,
This comment brought sharp
" worded rejoinders yesterday
from two State Republican
leaders y Walter Gambill Of
Richmond and State Senator
James c. Turk Of Radford.
Both termed the Democratic
platform thoroughly social
iStic" and Senator Turk. in par
ticular. had harsh words for
Gov, Almond.
Challenge 20 Byrd Seen
The Radford Senator sus-
gested that Gov. Almond.
through support Of Kennedy
and his platform" could be try
ing to take away from Sem
ator Byrd control Of the Demo-
cratic party in Virginia."
Gov, Almond. Senator Turk
said. Is taking q tack that OBJ
viouSly lis designed to confuse
the voters"
Gov. Almond had told re-
porters Saturday that so far
as he was concerned the two
parties civil rights planks ARE
just about tweedledee and
tweedledum" but that the
@. o. P. plank Is worse.
Virginia Republicans were
utterly. diSmayed." Gov. Al
mond said. when they found
that Vice President Nixon. the
Republican nominee for Presi-
dent. was neither moderate
nor conservative that he is
q liberal far to the left"
Campaigns Being Planned
The weekend exchanges lit
a small fire under a political
pot that wasn't expected to boil
until after the middle Of next
month.
The State Democratic Cen
tral Committee has been sum-
moned to meet in Richmond
August 10 to plot presidential
campaign strategy. name a
State campaign chairman and
establish q State headquarters.
State G. o. p. Chairman I.
Lee Potter says he will call the
Republican State Central Com
mittee together about mid
August to launch All aggressive
campaign for the Nixon-Lodge
ticket.