"The [Virginia] Fifth District Committee met last Saturday, February 12, to decide how they would go about choosing the Democratic nominee [for the Congressional seat in the House currently held by Independent Virgil Goode]" (Amy Bennett, Nelson County Times, February 17, 2000).

"John Boyd, Jr., has expressed his desire to challenge [Nelson County Democratic Party Chairman Allen] Hale for the nomination although he has not officially filed his paperwork with the state yet" (Amy Bennett, Nelson County Times, February 17, 2000).

"At the meeting they decided that a convention would be held for the sole purpose of selecting a Democratic nominee. Every county and city in the fifth District will send a predetermined amount of delegates to the convention on May 20 in Rustburg where they will then cast their vote for either Hale or Boyd. There will be a total of 307 delegates from the Central and Southside Virginia area and the candidate which collects 154 votes will be selected" (Amy Bennett, Nelson County Times, February 17, 2000).

Allen Hale at C&O Restaurant in Charlottesville, Virginia

"Since he has not been in public office before, Hale will have to work harder at getting his name known across the district. He does not see this as a great challenge and says that the fact that he is also a small business man is one of his biggest assets and can help him relate more closely to those he is striving to represent" (Amy Bennett, Nelson County Times, February 17, 2000).

"Since the Fifth District is over-all a conservative district, Hale knows that he cannot win by just collecting the vote of Democrats. Compromise is a big issue for him and Hale says that if he were elected to the House and had to work with a Reppublican President, he could do it in a way that would be honest and sincere in striving to come to a compromise on issues" (Amy Bennett, Nelson County Times, February 17, 2000).