University of Virginia Library

Battle To Address Young Democrats
At Monday Campaign Gathering

By Rick Pearson
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

William C. Battle, Charlottesville
attorney and Democratic candidate for
Governor of Virginia, will be the guest of
honor at a rally Monday night at 8:30 in
the South Meeting Room of Newcomb
Hall.

The rally, which is sponsored by the
University Young Democratic Club, will
be the formal opening of the
gubernatorial campaign at the University.
With the election to be held November 4,
both the Young Democrats and the
Young Republicans plan a number of
activities during the fall.

Mr. Battle will appear at the
University Monday night with his two
running mates,' State Senator J. Sargeant
Reynolds, the nominee for Lieutenant
Governor, and Andrew P. Miller,
Democratic candidate for Attorney
General. The rally will also mark the
Charlottesville appearance of the Youth
Squad, a group of college students from
around the state, which is touring
Virginia as part of the Battle campaign.

The Youth Squad members will also
be of honor at the Monday rally. They
will talk about their statewide tour, and
after the rally they will leave for other
schools. At this point William Hosp, YD
president, will join the Squad and
continue the tour.

Mr. Battle's talk will be the rally's featured
event, but Messrs. Reynolds and Miller will also
address the gathering in order to present their
views to the University community. For the
candidates, it will only be a brief rest on the
long campaign trail.

For the three men, the work began last
spring, when they first announced their desire
to seek state office. Since then, they have run
in a primary, two have participated in a run-off
primary, and now they are beginning the
campaign against their Republican opponents,
led by Linwood Holton.

The Republican ticket, consisting of Mr.
Holton running for Governor, State Sen. H.D.
"Buz" Dawbu for Lieutenant Governor, and
Richard Obenshain for Attorney General, was
nominated at a party convention in March.

Meanwhile, the Democrats were involved in
their primary campaign, which was a three-way
scramble between Mr. Butti, State Sen. Henry
Howell, and Lt. Gov. Fred Pollard. As the
campaign reached a climax, the fight became
bitter, and all the July 15 primary solved was
the narrowing of the race to Mr. Battle and Sen.
Howell.

Therefore, on August 19 the Democratic
party held its first run-off election ever for a
state office, and Mr. Battle proved to be the
narrow winner. Also chosen in August was Mr.
Miller, who had barely missed the required
majority of votes in the July primary.

State Sen. Reynolds proved to be a
formidable vote-getter, for he won the party
nomination in the original primary. The
candidate received 65 per cent of the vote in a
four-way campaign, and this eliminated the
necessity for a run-off.

Mr. Battle, a University alumnus, is the son
of former Virginia Governor John Battle, and
served as United States Ambassador to
Australia in the Kennedy Administration. He
was the Virginia campaign manager for Ada
Stevenson in 1952, for John Kennedy in 1960,
and was the organizer of Senator William
Spong's 1966 campaign.

Mr. Battle spoke at the University last
winter, and this will be his first address to
students here as the party's nominee. The three
candidates will also be present at the official
opening of the Democratic campaign
headquarters on Main Street Friday evening at
5:30.