Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-07
Virginia Primary Vote Seen
Keeping State Conservative
BY ALEX r.. PRESTON
Star Staff Writer

The predominantly conserva-
tive makeup of Virginia's Gen.
eral Assembly is expected to
remain virtually unchanged as
q result of Tuesdays Demo-
cratic primary, despite the fact
this is the first since the 1862
reapportionment act.
Only about one-fourth Of the
'140 seats in the State Senate
and House of Delegates are be-
ing contested and very few of
these have stimulated sufficient
interest to get voters to the
polls in substantial numbers.
Voting will begin at 6 am.
and end at 7 pm.
Virginia enacted token reap
portionment in 1862 In a law
which a Federal court already
has found to discriminate
against urban areas and which
the Supreme Court now is re-
viewing.
: Although still numerically
represented in proportion to
population, in urban areas
Tuesdays primaries will bring
Democratic nominations for
three House and two Senate
seats in the Fairfax Falls
Church district compared with
two House and one Senate seats
formerly.
New Member Vote
Alexandria, for the first time,
will nominate a second HOUSE
member but keeps its single
Senate seat. Arlington remains
unchanged with one Senator
and two Delegates, for which
there are no primary contests.
outcome of Tuesdays Demo-
cratic balloting throughout the
State virtually determines the
results in November despite in
tentions of Republicans to en-
ter some of the races. At pres
ent, the @. o. P. holds only Z
seats in the 140-member Legis-
lature.
In addition to contests for
the legislature, a number of
communities see races in prog
ress for county boards of SUI
pervisors, Commemorative at
torneys, sheriffs, commissioners
Of revenue and treasurers.
The most significant local
race is in Prince Edward
County where results could
show community sentiment on
whether public schools should
remain closed next fall for a
fifth consecutive year
Schools an Issue
e. M. Pairet, an appliance
dealer, is openly campaigning
to reopen public schools: He
said he believes in segregation
but that only Negroes, who
have been without formal edu-
cation for four years, would at
tend public schools while the
white children would continue
to 60 to private schools. But
the reopening of public schools
would unfreeze State tut
ton grants to help pay for
white children's private educa-
ton. he argues.
Mr.. Pairet is challenging
John C. Steck, managing edi-
tor of Prince Edwards semi
weekly Farmville Herald, for his
seat on the board. Mr.. Steck
and a third man in the race,
G. H. Lafoon, q real estate
agent, want schools to remain
closed until Federal courts
finally resolve the issues.
The few legislative races get
ting attention are in the areas
Of Alexandria, Fairfax, Lynch
burg, Norfolk and the Northern
Neck.
In House contests, the city of
Richmond, as usual, has the
bumper crop Of candidates. Six
teen are running for the eight
House seats which Richmond
shares with Henrico County.
Six of them are incumbents.
Contests Listed
An Associated Press summary
Of the races indicates tn csc
State Senate contests have gen.
Grated the most interest:
Fairfax. Fairfax City and
Falls Church William G. Dow
ney, jr., Robert C. Fitzgerald,
former Delegate Omer L. Hirst
and John X. Lally are seeking
nomination for the two seats.
Senator John A. K. Donovan
did not run to represent the
district which won an additional
Senate seat in reapportionment
Alexandria - Former Mayor
Leroy 8. Bendheim and the
vice-mayor, Eugene w. Zim-
norman. are contesting for the
seat left vacant by the retire.
ment of Senator Armistead l.
Boothe.
Norfolk City = Former Del
egate John p. Harper and In
cumbent Senators Edward l.
Breeder and Robert F. Baldwin