ment, said he wasn’t surprised that Mr. LaRouche headed

ment, said he wasn’t surprised that Mr. LaRouche headed south for signatures.

“He’s received a lot of negative press” in ■ Northern Virginia,«Dr. Sabato explained in a telephone interview Jan. 5 from (Charlottesville.

“There’s a large , block of votes in Richmond and he has low name recognition there.” Dr. Sabato said that the petition doesn’t translate into political support at the polls because “there are people who will sign anything to get it on the ballot and there are those who won’t sign anything, no matter what it is. ”

Of Mr. LaRouche, the political analyst added: “He has no power base whatever. None.”

Mr. LaRouche is the only presidential candidate who attempted to get on the ballot by way of petition, and he waited until Dec. 13, the day before the deadline, to submit the signatures. Ms. Fitz-hugh said she was surprised to get the petition since she was unaware Mr. LaRouche had been collecting signatures.

The Democratic candidates who qualified for the Virginia primary are: former Arizona Gov. Bruce Babbit, Massachusetts Gov. Michael S. Dukakis, Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (Mo.), Sen. Albert Gore Jr. (Tenn.), Jesse Jackson and Sen. Paul Simon (111.)

The Republican qualifiers include: Vice President George Bush, Senate Minority Leader Robert Dole (Kan.), Rep. Jack Kemp (N.Y.), former Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig, Marion G. “Pat” Robertson and former Delaware governor Pierre “Pete” Dupont.

To officially get their names on the ballot, the candidates must file a declaration of candidacy form with the state Board of Elections by 5 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Presidential candidates had any one of three ways to qualify for the Virginia primary, which was set up through legislation passed by the 1988 General Assembly. Their names could be placed on the ballot if they were recommended