Sprouse turns back challenge from Workman: Republican says win shows voters are tired of negative campaigning

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Senator Vic Sprouse saw more than re-election in his handy defeatof Democratic challenger Margaret Workman.

Sprouse said his 12-point, 10,906-vote win over Workman was also arepudiation of negative campaigning.

Late in the campaign, Workman raised issues from Sprouse's 2002divorce.

Using allegations made during the divorce, Workman produced adirect mail piece and television ads questioning Sprouse's values.

"The people of Kanawha County spoke louder and clearer thananything I could have ever said in my own defense," Sprouse said."They reject this type of personal, vicious attack. They wantpositive, optimistic candidates."

Sprouse said Workman's poor showing was largely a result of thelate-campaign attacks, noting that other Democrats, including StateSenate candidate Dan Foster, did much better across the county.

"You can't help but say that it blew up in her face," Sprousesaid.

Workman, who finished with 37,130 votes to Sprouse's 48,036,couldn't be reached for comment.

Sprouse said he hopes the Legislature will have a betterrelationship with the governor-elect than it had with the outgoinggovernor.

"We've got to change the direction of this state," he said Tuesdayevening at the Kanawha County Voter Registration Office.

Sprouse said he had a good feeling early on about his chances forwinning re-election to the 8th District Senate seat.

"I worked harder in this race than I ever have. We ran a nearlyperfect campaign," he said.

Looking ahead to the next four years of legislative sessions,Sprouse said he hopes Gov.-elect Joe Manchin is ready to fix thestate's structural problems in its tax, workers' compensation andtort systems.

"I want him to be willing to make some tough choices," Sprousesaid.

The Legislature revised the workers' compensation law in 2003 andmade some changes to malpractice laws. Nearly every session it makeschanges to the tax system.

Sprouse, however, said this "nibbling around what we've done inthe past" won't fix the fundamental problems the state faces.

"Until we fix these, it hard to move the state forward," he said.

Contact writer Brian Bowling at brianbowling@dailymail.com or 348-4842.