Dear George:

You asked for opinions on the Democratic primary candidates. I would like to give you my general read on the field.

I will be voting for Jerrauld Jones and John Edwards, but I will say that I think almost any of the other candidates would make a solid nominee and a solid officeholder.

Lieutenant Governor:

The Lieutenant Governor should be more than just a Governor-in-waiting; he or she should be the Governor's legislative leader. One of the lessons that Jim Gilmore should have taught us is that if the Governor is not a veteran of the General Assembly, he or she needs someone who is intimately familiar with the General Assembly as the person who carries the Governor's legislative agenda. This will be particularly true under Mark Warner. Mark has many strengths, and will be a great governor, but he will need help and guidance in getting his plans through a General Assembly that will be controlled by the Republicans.

Both Jerrauld Jones and Alan Diamonstein have that legislative know-how. Although Tim Kaine has been a friend for years, and although I like what he has to say and what he has done in Richmond, it would not be wise to pair Mark Warner with another legislative outsider.

As between Jerrauld Jones and Alan Diamonstein, there are two considerations that cause me to prefer Jerrauld.

First, he is younger. I said earlier that the Lieutenant Governor is more than just a "Governor-in-waiting," and we are not electing a Lieutenant Governor solely for the purpose of anointing a successor to Mark Warner, but we cannot overlook the fact that the Lieutenant Governor is someone who will be a prime contender for the governorship in 2005. If we are to field a strong candidate in 2005, we should be looking for someone -- like Jerrauld -- who is young enough now to make a good candidate then. If I remember correctly, Alan Diamonstein is 70. He would be 74 when he finished his term as Lieutenant Governor, and I can anticipate that his age would be a problem in any race in 2005 -- he would be 78 when he would complete that term. Alan is by no means ready for the pasture, but I think we should be looking to Jerrauld, who is in his late 40's.

Second, the most balanced ticket, and the ticket that would be the strongest ticket in appealing to the most crucial constituencies, would have either John Edwards or Whitt Clement as the Attorney General nominee. As I will discuss in a moment, the ability that both John and Whitt bring of winning in conservative and rural areas outside the urban crescent is of vital importance. And it is essential that an African-American be on the ticket. Jerrauld, having been the leader of the Black Caucus in the General Assembly, is a natural.

In making this recommendation, let me say that I think that all three candidates are good people, with whom I agree on almost all issues of importance. They would all be effective candidates. They are all smart, they are all honest, and they would all do us proud, both as candidates and as Lieutenant Governor. However, I feel that Jerrauld Jones is the best choice.

Attorney General:

This race has 4 candidates whom I have known and liked for many years. Sylvia Clute is a woman of principle and conviction whose work on behalf of women and children has benefited all of us. Unfortunately, I don't think Sylvia has a chance to win in November. No matter how much I admire her past work, and no matter how much I may agree with many of her stands on issues such as alternatives to incarceration, she will do us no good if she can't get elected.

Don MacEachin, John Edwards and Whitt Clement are all candidates with a chance to win in November.

Don MacEachin has been a moderate Democrat in many ways. His biggest problem is the opposition from the pro-choice segment of the party, and his votes on choice have gotten him in trouble with some folks. He and Whitt Clement both get 30% ratings from pro-choice groups, whereas John gets a 100% rating. Don and Whitt both have said that they will continue to support Roe v. Wade, and that they would protect a woman's right to an abortion. They diverge from the pro-choice line on votes on partial-birth abortion and on parental consent. Had I been a legislator, I would have voted with John Edwards against those bills, but the choice issue is not a litmus test for me. I can say with confidence that either Don or Whitt would be vastly superior to Terry Kilgore, the likely Republican nominee, and the big question for me is simple -- "Who can contribute the most to the state-wide ticket?"

I think the answer there is John Edwards, though Whitt Clement is also an attractive candidate. It is essential that we not write off the rural areas, as we have in the last few state-wide races. I think John and Whitt give us the best chance to do better in southside and southwest Virginia, for two reasons.

First, John is from Roanoke, and Whitt is from Danville. They have represented those areas, they know what it takes to win in conservative rural Virginia, and they have won there. They will be effective ambassadors for Mark Warner into an area where we Democrats have to do better. Terry Kilgore, from the far Southwest, will be the Republican ambassador to the rural areas. We need an ambassador as well. Either John or Whitt could fill that bill.

Second, the issue that is seen as the talisman for southside Virginia and southwest Virginia is gun control. John and Whitt have not taken positions on gun control that are likely to anger many people. Don has made gun safety the primary issue of his campaign. I fear that the average Joes with the gun racks in the back of their pickup trucks are not going to pay attention to the subtleties of Don's positions; they'll hear that some city Democrat wants to make them put gun locks on all of their guns, and the NRA will tell them that is the first step on the road to confiscation and taking away the right to hunt, etc. So although I agree with Don's positions on gun safety, they concern me as a statewide candidate. I freely acknowledge that someone who agreed with me on gun control would have no chance of winning the state, and would likely be a drag on the ticket.

As between John Edwards and Whitt Clement, I prefer John Edwards. John has an impressive resume of service to Virginia, to the country, and to the legal profession. He graduated from Princeton and the University of Virginia School of Law. He served in the military as a JAG officer. Before he came back to Roanoke to practice law, he volunteered with the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. After he had been practicing in Roanoke for a few years, he was appointed by Jimmy Carter as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia in 1980, and was an excellent U.S. Attorney. He has been a prosecutor, a defense lawyer, and a civil rights advocate. He has an impressive record of community service in the Roanoke area. And I agree with him on more issues.

I know that the Democratic voters of Virginia will pick two people to complement Mark Warner whom I will be able to support with enthusiasm. But I think the strongest, most electable ticket is Warner-Jones-Edwards.

Lloyd Snook (electronic mail, May 25, 2001).