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By JOHN GOOLRICK
Rappahannock Nm Special Writer
In this so-called year of change, Virginia voters clearly showed they don’t mind changes so long as it doesn’t upset the status quo too much.
Despite the alleged “throw the bums out” mood of the nation, Virginians overwhelmingly elected all eight of their congressional incumbents while at the same time altering the political landscape by sending a black and a woman to Congress and returning Republicans to power in the 6th District, once a GOP bastion of strength.
The election results continued a state tendency to hang on to tradition while at the same time keeping up with the times.
It happened in 1989 when Douglas Wilder became the first black ever elected governor of any state, a radical departure from tradition. Yet while Virginia was leading the way for the rest of the nation, it kept in power a legislature dominated by moderate-conservative Democrats who have controlled the legislative branch for generations.
There was simply no anti-incumbent drive to amount to anything demonstrated in Virginia this year except, perhaps, for the 14 percent of the vote garnered by Ross Perot in the presidential race. Much of thatt vote was taken out of the hide oi President Bush who otherwise! would have won the state by more than the 45-41 percentage margin in which he prevailed over Bill Clinton.
Three members of Congress who serve parts of defense-laden Tidewater are members of the House Armed Forces Committee. The three, Herb Bateman, a Republican, and Democrats Norman Sisisky and Owen Pickett, were helped bv their ability to protect against defense reductions that might have severe economic consequences in Tidewater and elsewhere.
Democrat L.F. Payne of the 5th District is immensely popular and could win election as a Democrat, Republican and maybe e^«n independent. * Eighth District Rep. James Moran, a Democrat, and 7th
81.7%