In the sweltering heat of a Richmond summer, the Democratic gubernatorial campaign in Virginia took a dramatic turn for the worse. The first face-to-face meeting between A.E.S. Stephens and Albertis S. Harrison Jr. had raised hopes for a more civil debate, but it was short-lived. The 50-minute discussion, held on June 6, 1961, ended with a tense handshake and a flurry of accusations. Stephens, flanked by his running mates, was visibly shaken by comments he claimed were made about him during the debate. ‘My blood literally boiled,’ he declared, ‘when I was charged in Richmond with downgrading the State, making statements that look bad in public.’ The implication was clear: Harrison had crossed a line. Stephens launched a scathing attack on his opponent, claiming that he ‘doesn’t live or has never lived that can accuse me of fostering the purpose of Gi Stephens in any vote in the General Assembly or in any ruling as presiding officer of the Senate of Virginia.’ The gloves were off, and the campaign for the governor’s seat in Virginia was heating up. Harrison, meanwhile, was on the campaign trail, opening a new headquarters in Fairfax, Northern Virginia. The stakes were high, and the tension was palpable. Only time would tell who would emerge victorious in the gubernatorial scrap that would end on July 11.
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Key Facts
- State: Virginia
- Category: Public Corruption
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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