The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, November 4, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

Independent candidate Henry E.
Howell Jr. won the race for lieutenant
governor of Virginia Tuesday, carrying a
decisive margin over his Democratic and
Republican opponents.

With 132 of the state's 1,842
precincts not reporting, Mr. Howell took
40 per cent of the vote, defeating
Democratic candidate George J. Kostel, who
gained 37 per cent. He defeated Republican
contender George P. Shafran, who trailed with
only 23 per cent of the vote.

Democratic candidates enjoyed success in
both races for the State Senate and the House
of Delegates, with only one seat in the House
still uncertain.

Incumbent Democrat J. Harry Michael Jr. in
the race for the 25th district Senate seat, won
by a two to one margin over Republican
challenger John T. Camblos.

In the race for the House of Delegates seat
for the 26th district, Daniel G. Van Clief and
Thomas J. Michie Jr., both incumbent
Democrats, lead at latest report over
Republicans Joseph W. Wright Jr. and Darden
Towe.

But with only a few county precincts not
reporting Mr. Michie maintained a narrow lead
over Mr. Wright, staying ahead by only about
250 votes. But Mr. Van Clief held a constant
lead in the voting, ensuring at least one
Democratic seat in the House from the 26th
district.

But the Democrats have lost the lieutenant
governor's position to a 51-year-old Norfolk
attorney and former Democrat State Senator.

Mr. Howell, who ran unsuccessfully in the
Democratic gubernatorial primaries two years
ago, nevertheless gained statewide familiarity,
which his two opponents in this election
lacked.

Running on a platform of protecting
consumer interests, Mr. Howell received
338,294 votes at latest report, as compared to
Mr. Kostel's 307,079 and Mr. Shafran's
191,152 votes.

Although he carried only four of the ten
congressional districts, Mr. Howell received a
large percentage of the vote in populous
Tidewater areas.

Hailing the election as "the people's
victory," he stated after his election that he
hoped the General Assembly and Governor
Linwood Holton would comply with the
opinion of the voters as voiced in his selection.

Mr. Howell has acknowledged that he
intends to run for governor in 1973.

Mr. Howell took a plurality of the votes cast
in Charlottesville gaining 3,703 of the 8,552
ballots cast. Mr. Kostel received 2,971 votes,
and Mr. Shafran obtained 1,641 votes.

In the local election for the representatives
in the House of Delegates, Mr. Van Clief
received 4,608 of the votes cast in
Charlottesville, Mr. Michie 4,334 votes, Mr.
Wright 3,822, and Mr. Towe 3,202 votes.

Mr. Michie acquired a 500-vote margin over
Mr. Wright in the city, although county results
allowed him only a razor-thin edge in the total
tallies.

Unofficial totals for the entire 26th district
gave Mr. Michie 9,228 votes, compared to
8,954 votes for Mr. Wright.

In the race for Albemarle County sheriff,
George W. Bailey, the Democratic incumbent,
won easily with 70 per cent of the vote over
independent candidate Thomas M. Whitten,
former deputy sheriff.

As a result of the election Virginia will have
in the top three state jobs men of three parties.
The governor is a Republican, the Attorney
General is a Democrat, and now the lieutenant
governor, who reportedly hinted that he may
have a full inaugural ceremony, is an
independent.

Sources stated that, in their attempt to
increase its majority voice in the 140-member
General Assembly, the Republican party failed
to win the eight or nine additional seats that
they had confidently predicted to win.

In the 40-member Senate the Republicans
held their margin of strength to seven, while
they did pick up at least one seat to add to
their 24 in the 100-member House.