In our Anecdotal Evidence column, movers and shakers share personal stories of how intriguing (and often odd) campaigning in their respective swing state can be.
Richard “Dickie” Cranwell – Former Chairman of Virginia Democrats
Richard “Dickie” Cranwell. Photo: Lars Gesing/CU News Corps
“When I ran for the state House in 1972, I won by 90 votes. I was the first Democrat to win a contested election in Roanoke County in about 16 years. That was because I was a Virginia Tech alumni and a former football player.
“The guy who was the editor of the sports page, Bob McLelland, wrote an editorial extolling the virtues of my campaign and how I and everybody in my family was working so hard. That hit the stands about two weeks before the election.
“All the Republicans were screaming bloody murder. But we won.”
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