"Democrats and Republicans eyeing the race to succeed Del. Mitchell Van Yahres, D-Charlottesville, say they expect several candidates to follow former Mayor David J. Toscano into the fray.

Toscano, 54, said Tuesday that he plans to announce his intentions about running by Thursday.

He made no attempt to hide the fact that Payne Ross & Associates Inc., a city media relations firm, has prepared a mailing to go out to as many as 5,000 city and Albemarle County Democrats later this week.

Democratic Party officials meet today with Van Yahres to determine whether to hold a June 14 primary or a late May mass meeting or convention to pick a nominee in the Democratic-leaning 57th House District.

“An open seat in a Democratic district doesn’t come along very often,” said William B. Harvey, a former Albemarle County Democratic chairman also eyeing a bid.

“I’m not in and I’m not out,” said Harvey, an Ivy lawyer who works in publishing. “I want to see who else is in. I want to see whether it’s a caucus or a primary.”

Harvey said he was uncertain how many candidates may come forward in the district, which includes all eight city precincts plus eight county precincts. He said the latest voter registration figures show that 45 percent of those on the voter rolls live in Albemarle.

“If there are three or four city people going for the nomination, that is going to create a pretty weird split,” Harvey said. “It’s very enticing, but I also have to think I’m a realist and I have to look very long and hard.”

A primary would not cost any more, he said, because Democrats and Republicans already have statewide primaries June 14. “I have sort of come around to the notion that primaries are what the Democratic Party needs right now,” Harvey said.

Sheri Iachetta, Charlottesville’s voter registrar, said a couple of potential candidates picked up filing packets from her office.

“There’s a lot of interest out there,” Iachetta said. A candidate would need to pay the $352.80 filing fee and obtain 125 signatures by June 14 to gain the ballot as an independent. The filing fee for all candidates, which is set by law, is 2 percent of a delegate’s salary.

Iachetta said Democrats and Republicans have until March 16 to set their method for nomination. Candidates could file for a party primary, if one is chosen, until April 15.

Republicans appear to be leaning toward a mass meeting, said Tom McCrystal, a Charlottesville Republican considered very likely to seek the House seat that Van Yahres is leaving after 24 years.

McCrystal said Tuesday that he needs more time to make a decision.

“I wish David well, but I think the Democrats have a number of credible candidates,” McCrystal said. “The great thing about an open seat is everybody starts from the same starting point. If I’ve learned anything after 30 years of lacrosse, I know the game starts at 0-0.”

Meredith Richards, a former city councilor eyeing a bid for the House, said late Tuesday that she is still weighing her options.

“I am trying to talk to folks, talk to my family, and just gauge the level of interest in my candidacy,” Richards said." (Bob Gibson, The Daily Progress, March 9, 2005)

Contact Bob Gibson at (434) 978-7243 or bgibson@dailyprogress.com.