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Gov. Gerald Baliles, who did well in that region in 1985, evoked the wrath of miners when he sent in more than a hundred state troopers to help keep order and to allow nonunion miners to safely cross picket lines.
Lt. Gov. Wilder, who at first expressed doubt the extra troopers were needed, later defended the governor’s action. As a result, some miners angrily confronted him when he visited the region, alleging he had sold out their cause.
Seeking to use the issue to his advantage, Coleman, in a speech to a graduating class of Southwest Virginia Community College, defended Gov. Baliles for his efforts to maintain law and order in the region and charged that Mr. Wilder had changed his mind for political expediency since he needs the help of the out-going governor.
In every gubernatorial campaign such emotionally charged issues arise that draw intense media attention. Often the way candidates handle themselves is the key to victory or defeat.
Some think Republican Wyatt Durrette was badly wounded four years ago when a couple of his top supporters made remarks about Mr. Wilder, who was then running for lieutenant-governor, that were interpreted in some circles as racist.
Mr. Durrette today, with the benefit of hindsight, admits he should have acted more forcefully to defuse the issue. But he notes when someone is caught up in the volatility of a gubernatorial campaign with dozens of issues swirling around, “you sometimes seem to be on automatic pilot.”
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