Del. Lionell Spruill Sr.: The man candidates want in their corner

Del. Lionell Spruill Sr. was more than 500 miles away from his Chesapeake home, working the room at the New Hampshire Democratic Party’s annual 100 Club Dinner last month.

The way others tell it, the Virginia delegate walked from table to table shaking hands, introducing himself, and explaining why he supported New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“You would have thought he was a celebrity in New Hampshire,” said Mame Reiley, head of the Democratic National Committee’s Women’s Caucus, who witnessed Spruill’s personal approach. “He’d just go up to people like he was running for office.”

It was an example of the Spruill machine in action. The legislator, who has a reputation for successfully delivering the votes for the candidates he favors, has been campaigning hard for Clinton in the days leading up to Tuesday’s Virginia primary.

He is organizing a rally Saturday morning in Hampton Roads that will be attended by former President Bill Clinton, although the time and place have not yet been worked out. He hopes it will be in Chesapeake.

Spruill, whose district includes South Norfolk and part of Suffolk, helped two Democratic governors carry his Hampton Roads precincts in their elections. Before the 2004 Virginia presidential primary, he managed to gather 2,500 supporters for Sen. John Kerry at a Chesapeake school.

His Sunday morning church barnstorms with favored candidates just before Election Day are well known. He said he visited about a dozen congregations in one morning with U.S. Sen. Jim Webb during his 2006 campaign, 14 with Gov. Timothy M. Kaine during his 2005 campaign, and 13 with former Gov. Mark Warner four years earlier.

“The word is in Democratic politics, if you’ve got Lionell Spruill, you’ve got his whole area,” Reiley said. “He’s a hot commodity for people running for office.”

Local organizers for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, Clinton’s rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Spruill’s influence isn’t a concern.

“We’re not worried about it,” said Roy Tatem, the Obama campaign’s regional grassroots coordinator . “In certain areas, there is a tremendous amount of respect for Del. Spruill. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Del. Spruill. I can’t say I agree with his candidate position.”

Officials with Clinton’s campaign knew of Spruill’s reputation before he joined them.

“We courted him,” said Mike Henry, deputy campaign manager for Clinton’s national campaign. “He’s going to have to get out there and start to turn out votes for us. And he will.”

This week, even after long hours at the General Assembly session, the legislator has been glued to his cell phone, talking to ministers and civic leaders across the state.

“Everywhere I go across the state, I’m known, pretty much,” Spruill said. “I work pretty hard at it.”

Those close to Spruill say he’s effective because he knows so many people and is not afraid to share his opinion. A legislator since 1994 and a former Chesapeake City Council member, he also is a past grand master for the Prince Hall Grand Lodge of Virginia .

“When Lionell Spruill decides he’s on your side, he puts his heart and soul into it,” said Susan Swecker, a former state director for Kerry who serves on the Democratic National Committee with Spruill. “He’s very passionate about the person and the issues.”

Spruill and Kerry became friends during the 2004 presidential campaign and swapped cell phone numbers. Spruill remembered he was on the golf course when the Massachusetts senator called him to say he would not try again for the presidency in 2008 .

“I was very depressed,” Spruill said this week. “I’m a die-hard Kerry person, I’ll say that right now.”

After meeting with Clinton last year, Spruill was quickly impressed with her leadership and experience in foreign affairs. He said he favored Clinton over Obama because the former first lady had more experience.

“A nice person,” Spruill said of Obama. “I wish him well. I didn’t look at color. I looked at what was best for Virginia and best for the country. I truly believe she is our best shot for November.”

Spruill has joked that he was Clinton’s good luck charm in New Hampshire, helping her pull out that victory even though polls didn’t predict it.

He also knows how much he helped politicians such as Kerry, Warner and Webb. Each ha s repaid him by making appearances at Spruill’s popular fundraisers.

“They all came through, and I worked hard for them across Hampton Roads and the whole state,” Spruill said.

Reiley agrees.

“He’s so important it’s not even funny,” she said. “People look to Lionell for direction.”

Mike Saewitz (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com