POLITICS ’88 : Virginia Elects Democrat to House Seat

Virginians chose Democrat L. F. Payne Jr. as their newest congressman Tuesday, while a conservative heiress to the L. L. Bean fortune sought nomination to the U.S. House from Maine.

Payne, developer of a ski and golf resort, defeated former Reagan White House aide Linda Arey in a special election in the south-central 5th District. He succeeds Rep. W. C. (Dan) Daniel, a conservative Democrat who died of a heart attack in January while serving his 10th term.

With 64% of the vote counted, Payne had 37,689 votes, or 59%, to Arey’s 25,879 votes, or 41%.

In Maine’s southern 1st District, Linda Bean-Jones met senatorial aide Edward S. O’Meara for the GOP nomination to oppose Democratic Rep. Joseph E. Brennan, a former two-term governor.

South Carolina Contests

South Carolina also had congressional primaries, with three-term Democratic Rep. Robin Tallon expected to easily turn back a challenge from retired postal worker Luther Lighty in the 6th District.

Voters in North Dakota, meanwhile, had the last-in-the-nation presidential primary Tuesday. But because of its late date and the fact that Democratic delegates already had been selected in party meetings, no Democrats filed. On the Republican side, the ballot listed only Vice President George Bush--who long has had the nomination wrapped up--and Mary Jane Rachner, a retired teacher. Sixteen GOP delegates were at stake.

North Dakotans also voted for the second time on a lottery. The lottery was defeated in November, 1986, the first time a state had failed to approve a state-run lottery. Twenty-six states and the District of Columbia have lotteries.

Backers said a lottery would raise $7 million in new revenue for the state, which is struggling through a depressed economy.

Bean-Jones, granddaughter of outdoors outfitter L. L. Bean and founder of a defunct conservative publication known as the Maine Paper, tapped her personal wealth for her first political race, spending $455,000 out of her own pocket. O’Meara, a longtime district aide to Sen. William S. Cohen, spent about $60,000.

Bean-Jones stressed her business background as a real estate agent and entrepreneur, contrasting it with O’Meara’s years as a government insider.

In Virginia, neither Arey, 43, nor Payne, 42, was well known, and neither had sought elective office previously.

Vice President Bush came to campaign for Arey on Sunday in Danville, a textile and tobacco center. Payne stressed his ties to the state’s Democratic Party and received backing from Gov. Gerald L. Baliles.

In South Carolina, Tallon beat Lighty two years ago with 90% of the vote. Former Rep. John Jenrette, convicted in the Abscam scandal, had considered entering the race but later decided to sit it out.