U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) has a case of the seasonal flu, prompting Virginia's junior senator to cancel several planned campaign stops with Democratic gubernatorial candidate R. Creigh Deeds.

Warner showed up to Deeds' first campaign event Friday, at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Woodbridge, but he was visibly ill and told Democratic supporters and Deeds staffers that he was sick and would be leaving early.

Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said the former Virginia governor visited a doctor Thursday and got the flu diagnosis, adding that Warner "regretted missing the events but he is contagious."

Hall said Warner's illness is regular seasonal flu, not H1N1, known as swine flu.

One sign-holding supporter at the Woodbridge event was overheard asking whether Warner had a case of the "bad-poll-number virus," referring to Deeds' underdog status in his race with Republican Robert F. McDonnell.

-Derek Kravitz

Updated: We just learned that Warner's illness will keep him from the rest of this weekend's events with Deeds. But Deeds still expects to campaign with Gov. Tim Kaine and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb.

Friday, Oct. 30, 2009
Good morning Virginia! Here's what's happening in politics across the Commonwealth today.

With just four days until Tuesday's election, we are now at the stage where there is nothing new for the candidates to say. Just many more people for them to say it to, and quickly.

Each have launched their final sweeps through the state, as Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds start multi-day, many stop stumps.

McDonnell's five-day, 25-stop "New Jobs, More Opportunities: It Starts Now!" tour began yesterday, with stops in Glen Allen, Danville, Martinsville and Rocky Mount. Deeds was in Richmond and Roanoke.

Both candidates finished their days Thursday greeting spectators tailgating at the Virginia Tech-UNC football game. The fans surely were eager to discuss issues of importance to the Commonwealth. Or, perhaps they were drunk and excited for the opportunity to hand their cellphones to a candidate, after shouting to their girlfriends/buddies/mothers, "Hey, talk to this guy! He's running for governor!"

Deeds's final tour is a four-day. 20-stop "All in for Virginia" tour, which will focus heavily on get out the vote efforts. The Democrat will hit Northern Virginia today. McDonnell today is in Lynchburg, Waynesboro, Culpeper, Ashland and Virginia Beach.

Ever wonder what Tim Kaine, Doug Wilder, George Allen, Jim Gilmore and Linwood Holton would say to each other if they were in the same room?

Well, you can find out.

The five men sat down with Charlottesville's NBC station for a 30-minute special that aired earlier this week, and is now available online. Check it out here.

The men, seated in the governor's mansion on Capitol Square in Richmond, talked about blogs, "groveling and begging" for money, being a lame duck and the possibility of serving two terms. Yes, Gilmore mentioned the car tax a few times.

Noticeably absent? The state's most recent former governor, Mark Warner, who defeated Gilmore for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Maybe the two men didn't want to be in the same room?

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D), who recent polls have suggested may not be just Virginia's most popular sitting politician but perhaps it's more popular in decades, is stepping up his efforts on behalf of fellow Democrat Creigh Deeds as Election Day approaches.

Already, Warner is featured in a television ad airing around the state. Monday, he campaigns with Deeds in Northern Virginia. Warner will greet the lunch crowd with Deeds at Busboys and Poets in Shirlington.

Also there to lend a hand will be the Moran brothers, U.S. Rep. Jim, as well as former delegate and contender for the gubernatorial nomination Brian, and state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple.

Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009

Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

Election Day is exactly five weeks away. And it feels like it. The campaigns are in full swing -- working around the clock, rolling out policy plans, airing new TV ads.

Democrat Creigh Deeds heads back to a metro station this morning -- this time, to unveil an endorsement from former Republican Gov. Linwood Holton. (Didn't we already know Holton supported Deeds? After all, he's Gov. Tim Kaine's father-in-law and he's endorsed Democrats in most recent statewide elections, including Barack Obama).

Deeds debuted a TV ad yesterday featuring U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, arguably the most popular politician in the state.

Republican Bob McDonnell rolls out another policy -- on mental health -- this morning on a conference call with reporters.

McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling released the second part of their good government plan yesterday. McDonnell also raised $350,000 at a pair of fundraisers with
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Virginia Business magazine takes a look at how Deeds and McDonnell plan to create jobs and boost the economy. And as part of his voter series, Joel Rubin of Cox1Hampton Roads has posted new interviews with Deeds here and here, and McDonnell here and here.

Governor-turned-senator Mark Warner stopped by Democrat Creigh Deeds' headquarters in Alexandria unannounced this morning.

The goal? Rally the troops as they head into the final six weeks of the grueling governor's race.

Warner came armed with a couple dozen donuts, a box of joe from Dunkin' Donuts and, of course, a pep talk for the 40 or so staffers who were present -- many of them who had worked for him last year (including campaign manager Joe Abbey).

Warner, arguably the state's most popular politican, told the crowd that they had all been through successful races before, and they could do it again. "There'll be plenty of time to sleep afterward,'' said Warner, in shirtsleeves.

Warner, accompanied by spokesman Kevin Hall who has been helping Deeds off and on, then raced to Capitol Hill, where he was helping to organize floor speches on healthcare by the 10 freshmen Democratic senators.

You can guess what happened next, right? Interstate 395 was backed up, much as it usually is at that time of the morning. Warner was late, but his colleagues stalled until he got there.

U.S. Sen. Mark Warner has been ranked the fifth-richest member of Congress, according to Roll Call, a newspaper covering Capitol Hill.

Warner, a wealthy venture capitalist who co-founded Nextel, is worth about $75 million, according to the newspaper's analysis of his financial disclosure reports. And like many of his colleagues, Warner reports he lost money in the past year.

No other Virginians are on the top 50 list, which you can view here.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts is ranked the wealthiest member of Congress -- for the second year in a row.

OMG, did you hear what Kanye West said at the MTV video music awards? Kidding, here's what's happening in Virginia politics today.

The candidates for Virginia governor stump in separate parts of the state today, with Republican Robert F. McDonnell addressing attendees at a rural summit in Lynchburg and Democrat R. Creigh Deeds in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, where he is planning to announce what his campaign has billed as a "major endorsement." The ad wars took a sharp turn late last week, and the two men will clash in person at their second debate of the season Thursday in Fairfax.

"Are you an asset or a liability for Creigh Deeds?"

That's the question Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine was asked today on his monthly call-in show on WTOP.

As we reported Sunday, much has been made in recent days about U.S. Sen. Mark Warner -- not Kaine -- appearing in Deeds' first TV ad. And privately, some Deeds staffers have said they realize it's not always politically beneficial for Deeds to be associated with Kaine because of his sagging approval ratings and tie to national politics.

But Kaine said today that he is "working my tail off for Creigh as an individual, as a governor and also as DNC chair."

"I'm around the country raisiing funds for him. I'm doing events for him,'' Kaine said. "I think it's great to have an ad with Mark in it...I've done radio ads for Creigh that are up and running...I'm sure he's going to have Jim Webb in ads...He's got a lot of assets on the field. He doesn't have to use me in every ad."

Kaine cited a recent Washington Post poll that showed he had a 55 percent approval rating -- considerably lower than where he was a year ago and considerably lower than Warner -- but higher than other governors during the worst recession since the 1930s. "There are governors who have had no scandals, no challenges that are at approval ratings of 19 percent right now," he said.

How does Mark Warner do it?

Despite an increasing national fatigue with Democrats and a more Republican-friendly electorate in Virginia, the Democratic governor-turned-senator continues to receive incredibly high approval ratings.

In a Washington Post poll released this week, 68 percent of registered voters approved of Warner's job performace (31 percent of them strongly).

By comparison, Virginia's two other statewide Democrats, Tim Kaine and Jim Webb, have approval rating of 55 and 51 among registered voters, respectively.

Aug. 10, 2009

Good morning everyone. Here's what's happening in politics around the state today.

It's Monday, the start of what promises to be a busy week on the campaign trail.

Democrat Creigh Deeds wrapped up his tour of the state's rural areas with a rare visit to his home county of Bath where he announced several proposals to improve government accountability.

Deeds is expected to roll out three other policy proposals this week. Today, he will talk about abortion in Northern Virginia as he tries to portray Republican Bob McDonnell as out of the mainstream. The effort is deemed desperate by some, mostly Republicans of course, and has led to a lot of chatter on conservative blogs. But Deeds hopes to energize his lackluster base, and the initial response shows it may be working.

McDonnell got a moment in the national spotlight when he delivered the response to President Obama's weekly radio address this weekend. (Okay, so it's not really a response). He kicked off his month-long "New Jobs, More Opportunities" tour at the Patrick County Peach Festival in Stuart. Check out the RV here.

McDonnell, too, plans to unveil four policy proposals this week. Today, he will hold a press conference to release his economic plan for rural Virginia in Martinsville before heading to Danville.

Tonight, a who's who of Virginia politics will attend a lavish party in honor of the soon-to-be ambassador to Switzerland, Don Beyer.

The garden party will take place at the Old Town Alexandria home of David Abshire, a former ambassador himself (to NATO).

Hope it doesn't rain. Two hundred people is a lot to have in your house. Unless maybe you are Abshire and have an undoubtedly large house that was featured in the 2000 Kevin Bacon movie Hollow Man.

Hosts include Sen. Mark Warner, former senator John Warner and former governor Chuck Robb and their wives.

Guest include Susan Eisenhower (yes, that Eisenhower -- granddaughter of the former president), Rep. Jim Moran, William Webster, former director of the FBI and CIA and Mack McLarty, former chief of staff to Bill Clinton. There will also be a few ambassadors in attendance: the ambassador to Liechtenstein, former ambassador to the European Union and former ambassador to the Dominican Republic.

Aug. 3, 2009
Good morning, Virginia. Here's what's doing in politics across the Commonwealth today.

It's a big week for the Creigh Deeds campaign. Thursday will find Deeds trying to jazz supporters at the side of the popular President of the United States in McLean. He's hoping that will put to an end discussions like this one suggesting he wants Obama's donors and excitement, but not his policies.But what will they talk about? We're betting not health care, if Deeds had his druthers. Maybe George Bush instead?

Before and after the NoVa Obama rally, Deeds travels through newly dubbed Deeds Country, southwest and western Virginia, kicked off yesterday in Charlottesville. Mark Warner won the state in part by making a credible play in such communities, long lost to Democrats, edging up in his numbers there and weakening the Republican base.

Of course, the last two Democrats to win state office have done so by concentrating on swing suburbs, areas that have only become more Democratic and populous since 2001. Does Deeds risk alienating the NoVa voters he desperately needs by a kick-off that suggests it is rural Shenandoah Valley that is Deeds country? Dem bloggers are concerned maybe yes. Campaign Manager Joe Abbey answers, via twitter, nope.

Bob McDonnell did some classic retail politics over the weekend. He'll have a hard time getting ink or links this week with Obama coming to town but is planning to start traveling the state soon in a Winnebago. People love a Winnebago.

Both camps keep getting bad press from state opinion writers about their transportation plans, but Deeds somewhat more so.

A new Public Policy Poll is out this week. The group's teasing tweets suggest it'll have the GOP up in Virginia.

Gov. Kaine was in Martha's Vineyard over the weekend for DNC business, but this morning sees Virginia National Guard troops off to Iraq in Virginia Beach, then meets with state budget officers in Norfolk and talks campus security in Richmond.

Sen. Webb and Warner join President Obama at George Mason this morning to sign Webb's new G.I. Bill for vets in a post Sept. 11 world.

Unemployment insurance is running out across the country. Can Dems use these numbers to restart the debate over benefits in Virginia?

Americans for Prosperity, an anti-tax group that supports limited government and free trade, started its second advertising blitz on TV across Virginia today to oppose the Democrats' healthcare plan.

The ads are part of a $1.3-million, one-week buy in a dozen states targeting senators, including U.S. Sen. Mark Warner.

Meanwhile, Organizing for America, an arm of the Democratic National Committee that is lobbying for President Obama's agenda, has moved into Virginia with the immediate goal of garnering grassroots support for his healthcare plan. Three staffers are based in Richmond and Northern Virginia.

Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds snagged a big name to head his "Business for Deeds" group today, joining Sen. Mark Warner on a perch overlooking the Capitals ice skating rink in Ballston to announce that Capitals majority owner Ted Leonsis has agreed to take the job.

Leonsis, a former AOL top executive who is also majority owner of the Washington Mystics is tight with Warner and has donated to both Democrats and Republicans (though, per the Virginia Public Access Project, more to Ds than to Rs). But as Warner joked at the event, Leonsis couldn't be persuaded to take on the same role for Warner's campaign, so it is something of a coup.

But Leonsis said he had met with Deeds and determined him he'd be good for business in the state, providing necessary improvements for education and transportation.

"He's someone who's listening and will follow the tradition that Mark and Tim [Kaine] laid out for us where this is a pro-business state," Leonsis said. "We know without jobs, without a strong economy none of the great programs that define the state are possible. I've agreed to chair this group, and we'll bring together a very broad base of people with lots of opinions."

President Obama came calling in Virginia today, hosting a forum on health care at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale. Gov. Tim Kaine was on stage for a portion of the event, and tons of Virginia Democratic luminaries were in the crowd, from Sen. Mark Warner to U.S. Reps Gerry Connolly, Bobby Scott and Jim Moran.

But Democratic gubernatorial candidate state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds was not around. Was he invited?

Deeds says yes. In an interview this afternoon, Deeds said he would have liked to be at the health care forum but had already agreed to address secondary school principals in Williamsburg this morning and then had other appointments in the Hampton Roads area.

The Post's editorial staff surveyed some of the top names in Virginia politics and punditry, asking what it will take for Creigh Deeds or Bob McDonnell to win the governor's mansion in the fall.

The results range the spectrum. Gov. Tim Kaine thinks the election is about continuing the governing approach advanced by he and former Gov. Mark Warner. So does top Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee. But analyst and blogger Bob Holsworth warns Deeds not to tie himself too closely to Warner and Kaine in an uncertain times; voters will want to see Deeds be his own man.

Author Garrett Epps and Republican strategist J. Kenneth Klinge agree the race will likely be won in the suburbs. Republican Del. H. Morgan Griffith says both candidates should master the policy details because voters are itching for substance.

The selections all make for some very interesting reading. They'll be published in tomorrow's paper, but you can get a sneak peak here.

So, which gubernatorial candidate is most like Mark Warner? Mark Warner would tell you it's fellow Democrat Creigh Deeds. But, increasingly, Bob McDonnell, with his business degree and his roots in Northern Virginia, would have you believe it's him.

Today, he rolls out another piece of his strategy to overtake Deeds' claim to the Warner legacy: Endorsements from a group of former elected officials, business leaders and other activists who have been Warner supporters.

The royal family of Virginia Democratic politics are busy this week crowning the man they hope is their heir apparent.

On Wednesday, newly anointed Democratic gubernatorial nominee Creigh Deeds appeared with his former rivals and Gov. Timothy M. Kaine at a big unity event in Richmond. Today's he's with former governor and now Sen. Mark Warner in Arlington. And tomorrow brings a family conclave--Deeds, Kaine, Warner and U.S. Sen. Jim Webb in Williamsburg, along with Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Jody Wagner and attorney general nominee Steve Shannon.

While most of us were at cookouts this Memorial Day weekend, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner jetted off to Baghdad to visit with Virginia soldiers and chat with the Iraqi prime minister, the U.S ambassador and top U.S. military commanders in Iraq.

"I understand how difficult it is to be deployed away from family and loved ones, especially on a holiday such as this one, and I wish each of you a safe and speedy return to the States," Warner told troops.

The congressional delegation -- which includes Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island -- spent Saturday and Sunday in Iraq, where temperatures reached 115 degrees They will make several other stops in the region before returning to the United States Friday.

U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner has tapped Eva Teig Hardy, a longtime executive at Dominion Virginia Power, one of the most influential companies in the state, to be his interim state director.

Warner (D) has been searching for a state director for months, but has not yet found the right permanent person for what he considers a key job on his staff. Instead, he asked Hardy, whose long years of experience make her an ideal, if perhaps overqualifed, candidate, to take on the job while he continues to search for a permanent director.

Hardy currently works part-time as a consultant to Dominion and a senior policy advisor at McGuireWoods law firm, but said she will resign from both companies before she starts the job for Warner.

Hardy will be paid about $70,000 a year. She will start in June.

Last week, Democratic gubernatorial Brian Moran blasted his rival Terry McAuliffe for attending a Washington fundraiser hosted by BGR Group, a lobbying firm founded in part by Republican Ed Rogers.

But it turns out BGR and Rogers hosted a fundraiser for another Virginia Democrat.

A fundraiser honoring U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia was held in October 2008 when the former governor was running for Senate. The invitation included Rogers, along with nine other lobbyists with BGR, including former Bush aide Eric Burgeson, Lanny Griffith, who worked in the George H.W. Bush White House and Bob Wood, chief of staff to former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.

Moran criticized McAuliffe last week for his relationship with Rogers, who helped carry the Republican message on TV last year with pointed references to President Obama's middle name, Hussein.

So what does Moran say now?

Republicans are considering lodging a complaint against Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who they say is violating state law by raising money during next month's legislative session.

Kaine, along with Sen. James Webb (D-Va.) and Sen.-elect Mark R. Warner (D), are hosting a Virginia inaugural ball Jan. 19 at the Westin Arlington Gateway. The 45-day session begins Jan. 14.

The black-tie event, which sold-out in hours, is a fundraiser for the Virginia Democratic Party and the Arlington Democratic Party. Tickets are $200 but donors can be listed as sponsors for a $10,000 contribution.

House Majority Leader H. Morgan Griffith (R-Salem) said Kaine is violating both "the spirit and the letter of the law."

"The event is taking place during session,'' he said. "They knew or should have known that this was a violation of state law."

Mark R. Warner (D) announced today that he hired Capitol Hill veteran Luke Albee to serve as his chief of staff in January after he is sworn in as Virginia's junior senator.

Albee has been a Senate aide for two decades, including 11 as chief of staff to Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, chairman of the Judiciary Committee and one of the Senate's most senior members.

"I am pleased to have someone with Luke Albee's experience working with us in the Senate," Warner said in a statement. "Luke has earned respect from both sides of the aisle, and he's widely known for his ability to bring people together to create common-sense solutions."

Albee, 48, left the Hill in 2005 to join the political consulting firm Ricchetti, Inc.

His campaign for U.S. Senate ended 10 days ago but former governor James S. Gilmore III is still fundraising.

Gilmore (R) is looking for donors to help him erase a $50,000 debt in his unsuccessful race against former governor Mark R. Warner (D). He also has another $140,000 in debt from his failed presidential campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission.

"I want to continue to play a role in restoring our party and adding to the public debate of the future,'' he wrote in a fundraising letter to supporters this week. "It will be difficult to play this role with this unresolved debt. If you can help me one last time with a contribution of $100, $75, or even $35 , I would be most grateful."

Gilmore raised more than $2-million during his campaign while Warner raised more than $12-million.

Text of the letter is below:

A small number of the hundreds of thousands of campaign brochures left on front doors across the state this morning by Democratic volunteers encouraging people to vote directed them to the wrong polling places.

The door hangers, which encouraged people to vote for Sen. Barack Obama for president and former governor Mark R. Warner for U.S. Senate, includes a printed address for the precints for each particular house.

Jared Leopold, a spokesman for the Virginia Democratic Party, said a small number of locations were wrong in some cases across the state, including a portion of the City of Richmond. Democratic volunteers plan to leave updated door hangers on the houses where they made mistakes.

State election officials said today they received reports from several locations across the state that automated calls are also providing incorrect polling place locations.

They warn voters to double check the information by contacting their local registrar's office or visiting the State Board of Elections website at www.sbe.virginia.gov.

The political action arm of the National Taxpayers Union announced today that the group has endorsed former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) in his U.S. Senate race against former governor Mark. R. Warner (D).

"When he held Virginia's executive position, Jim Gilmore time and again proved his commitment to fiscal responsibility," said Duane Parde, president of the National Taxpayers Union Campaign Fund. "He espoused pro-growth economic policies, chief among them a number of tax cuts, which inspired many similar platforms across the country."

Gilmore has pledged to work to cut taxes, including making permanent the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts permanent, reducing income tax rates, eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax, repealing the death tax and abolishing the marriage tax penalty.

The National Taxpayers Union, the nation's largest grassroots taxpayer organization, has 362,000 members. Campaign Fund endorsements require a unanimous vote on a nonpartisan basis by a five-member committee that includes two independents, one Democrat and two Republicans.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, a candidate for U.S. Senate, today signed the American Conservative Union's energy freedom pledge that confirms his opposition to a national ban on offshore oil and gas drilling.

Gilmore agreed to "support efforts to increase domestic energy production which will provide for American's future energy needs and make the U.S. less dependent on foreign sources of energy".

"During these tough economic times, never has America's need to tap into its vast resources of oil and natural gas been clearer," Gilmore said. "Doing so would not only set the course for energy independence, but would create thousands of jobs right here in the U.S and in Virginia."

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has recorded a series of radio ads for Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama that will begin airing around the state tonight.

In the ads, Warner talks about how Obama will take a bipartisan approach to restoring the economy, creating jobs, lowering taxes for middle-class families and providing affordable healthcare.

"This is exactly the kind of change our economy needs,'' Warner says in the ad while folksy music plays in the background. "So please join me, Mark Warner, in supporting Barack Obama for president. His steady hand, family values and common sense approach will help get our country back on track."

The 60-second ads will run across the state including Northern Virginia, central Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley and Southside and Southwest, rural areas that have traditionally supported Republicans but where Warner is extremely popular.

Warner, who is running for U.S. Senate against former governor James S. Gilmore III, will appear with Obama in Richmond and Leesburg tomorrow.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) has raised $1.9 million for his U.S. Senate campaign and has $121,000 in the bank to use for the final stretch leading to the Nov. 4 election.

He raised another $265,000 through a joint fundraising committee with the Republican Party of Virginia, and has $46,000 of that left in the bank.

Gilmore's campaign refused to give out his financial information to reporters last week, at the close of the reporting period. But his campaign released the figures to the Washington Post today.

Gilmore's opponent, former governor Mark R. Warner (D), announced last week that he has raised $12.3 million for his campaign and has $3.6 million left in the bank.

Warner raised about $3 million in the last three-month period that ended Sept. 30 while Gilmore raised $644,000.

Two veterans groups, Vets for Freedom and IFVPP, endorsed former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) today in his U.S. Senate bid against former governor Mark R. Warner (D).

"Jim recognizes and acknowledges the success of our current military strategy in Iraq, and has been a steadfast source of support for all the men and women who are winning the global war on terror,'' Vets for Freedom Virginia State Captain Coby Dillard said.

Vets for Freedom, a nonpartisan organization established by combat veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, has more than 600 members in Virginia.

IFVPP, a group of Iraqi veterans who strive to preserve the memory of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, based its endorsement on Gilmore's support of the surge, his experience chairing a national advisory committee on homeland security and his service as a veteran. The group has more than 250 members in Virginia.

"After meeting with both candidates it was crystal clear who best supported our interest as Iraqi freedom veterans," IFVPP chairman Rusty McGuire said.

Several mayors and other local elected officials from Hampton Roads today endorsed former Finance Secretary Jody W. Wagner for lieutenant governor.

"Local governments across Virginia are facing tough times in this economic climate," Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim said. "We need strong leaders in Richmond who can maintain the fiscal discipline and strong management we've grown accustomed to under Governors Warner and Kaine. Jody Wagner will be that kind of leader."

Wagner, a long time resident of Virginia Beach, served as Virginia treasurer under former governor Mark R. Warner (D) and as finance secretary under Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D). She resigned earlier this year to run for lieutenant governor.

Wagner's main opponent for the Democratic nomination is Jon Bowerbank, a wealthy businessman from Russell County. A third possible candidate for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor, state Democratic Party Chairman C. Richard Cranwell, is not expected to make up his mind on whether to enter the race until after the Nov. 4 election.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) is running for re-election.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's wife, Anne Holton, and former governor Mark R. Warner's wife, Lisa Collis, will headline a series of town hall meetings across the state tomorrow to try to attract women to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's campaign.

Holton and Collis will tout Obama's proposals that impact families and working parents, including plans to promote pay equity, provide tax cuts and lower health care costs, according to the campaign.

The tour marks Holton's fourth event for Obama and Collis' first event.

Details of the events are below:

Former governor Mark R. Warner will begin broadcasting new radio and television ads tomorrow in his U.S. Senate race against former governor James S. Gilmore III.

The 30-second TV ad, called "Fresh Approach," features Warner discussing the nation's economic crisis. A similar 60-second version will be broadcast on statewide radio.

"For too long, there were too many people both in Washington and on Wall Street asleep at the switch," Warner says in the ad. "We need a fresh approach where we don't allow CEOs on Wall Street to walk away with millions of dollars while their companies go into the ditch. We've got to have leaders in Washington who put our country's interest first, not partisanship. That's what I'll do if you send me to Washington."

Former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R), known for his opposition to higher taxes and earmarks, praised U.S. Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III this morning on a conference call with Virginia reporters.

Armey said the popularity of earmarks in Congress is "so far out of control" that only members who stand up and oppose them can halt them.

In recent weeks, Gilmore, a former governor, has come out against the $700 billion federal rescue package and earmarks. He signed a "no earmarks" pledge today.

Gilmore said that he opposed the bailout bill, party because it was filled with earmarks including money for rum manufacturers and a company that makes wooden arrows. He said the practice of securing earmarks is open to "fraud and abuse."

Armey, a former Texas congressman, is chairman of FreedomWorks, a group dedicated to "lower taxes, less government and more freedom."

Gilmore faces former governor Mark R. Warner for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring John W. Warner (R).

Former governors James S. Gilmore III (R) and Mark R. Warner (D) will square off at 7 p.m. tonight in Roanoke in their final debate in the race for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. Come back to the blog at 7 p.m. for the latest, as we live blog the event.

It is Gilmore's last chance to change the dynamics of the race and prove that he can compete with his popular rival. A month before the Nov. 4 election, Warner has a big lead in polls and fundraising.

The two are running to replace the retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R) in a race that could help determine whether Virginia's gradual shift toward Democratic statewide candidates is solidifying.

The 60-minute debate, sponsored by WSLS -TV in Roanoke and moderated by its anchor Jay Warren, will be held at the Taubman Museum of Art in downtown Roanoke. A three-person panel of journalists and political analysts will ask questions.

The pair have debated twice before, but tonight's will be their only debate televised statewide. It will not be picked up by any Northern Virginia station, but will air on CSPAN.

Virginia Democratic officials report that U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner's campaign distributed 10,000 yard signs today across Virginia.

Mike Henry, Warner's campaign manager, called it the "biggest one day sign blitz ever" conducted in the state.

Although there has been an ongoing debate in Democratic circles over the importance of yard signs in the presidential race, Warner (D) is well-known for his affinity for plastering his red, white and blue signs all over the state.

There is no way to verify, however, that Warner's efforts today actually set a one-day record. But it's safe to assume you'll be seeing Warner's name a lot in the coming weeks.

Jason Alexander, an actor best known as perpetually down-and-out George Costanza on Seinfeld , has weighed into Virginia's U.S. Senate race by helping former Democratic governor Mark R. Warner raise money.

"If you thought Seinfeld was a show about nothing, you should check out Congress,'' Alexander in a fundraising letter emailed to supporters today. "I can't remember such a lack of productivity since the summer of George."

The letter turns more serious after that. Alexander asks for donations, as small as $5, before Sept. 30, the latest filing deadline, and talks about why he is "throwing his full support" behind Warner in his race against former governor James S. Gilmore III.

"He hasn't just talked a good game,'' he wrote. "As governor, he actually walked the walk by working across the aisle to deliver results and turn Virginia's struggling economy around."

The two met when Warner was traveling the country to gage interest in a possible presidential run, Warner spokesman Kevin Hall said.

Alexander is not a Virginia resident. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

The full letter is below:

Several residents of Northern Virginia report they received an automated call last night that critcizes the Democratic Party and Sen. Barack Obama for wasteful spending. The caller asks voters to fill out an absentee ballot, which will be mailed in the coming days.

On one of the calls, a women named Kate accused Democrats in Congress of approving billions of dollars in unnecessary projects.

"I can't stand the billions of dollars wasted by corrupt politicians on pet projects," Kate says. "You should get an absentee ballot in the mail this week....If you are like me and ... think the 'Bridge to Nowhere is an outrageous waste of taxpayer money, you should fill out your absentee ballot."

The Republican Party of Virginia paid for and authorized the automated message.

"We are looking for some absentee ballot voters." said Gerry Scimeca, a spokesman for the Virginia Republican Party. "We are looking for people, especially in Northern Virginia where you have a lot of people who work really long hours, and don't make it the polls and are prime candidates to request an absentee ballot."

Republican Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III suspended his communications director, Ana Gamonal, for two weeks without pay because she allegedly sent a misleading email to Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner's campaign.

Dick Leggitt, Gilmore's senior strategist, said Gamonal sent an email to Warner's campaign under a false name and asked to be put on the Democrat's email list. Leggitt said Warner campaign officials confronted Gamonal after they learned her real identity.

Gamonal told Leggitt and other Gilmore advisers about the incident earlier today. Gilmore decided to suspend Gamonal without pay.

"Governor Gilmore is all about transparency," Leggitt said. "We don't deceive people. We don't pretend we are something we are not so it is not the kind of thing we want anyone on our staff doing."

It's not uncommon for staffers for one campaign, either knowingly or deceptively, to be on their opponents email list. But Leggitt said Gamonal should have identified herself in the email, which he said was sent from her home computer.

"Without the knowledge or consent from the Jim Gilmore for Senate Campaign, I sent an email message from my home email account using a name other than my own requesting the Mark Warner for Senate campaign add me to their press list," Gamonal said in a statement. "I apologize for my lack of judgment, and I also apologize to both former Gov. Warner and Gov. Gilmore for my inappropriate email."

Democratic Senate candidate Mark R. Warner, who is worth an estimated $200 million, isn't sure how he defines "wealthy" when it comes raising taxes.

In his debate yesterday with Republican James S. Gilmore III, Warner said he supports rolling back President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. Warner, who wants new revenue to reduce the deficit and invest in "infrastructure," has staked out a position similar to Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Gilmore is opposed to all tax increases.

Obama's plans calls for higher taxes on couples who earn more than $250,000. When asked after the debate who he considers to be rich, Warner couldn't give an answer. But he said he thinks Obama's $250,000 a year threshold is too low.

"I think $250,000 may be a bit low because for one or two income earning households in Northern Virginia that seems too low, but that is one of the things we will work through," Warner said.

Former governor Mark R. Warner received more endorsements from Virginia's law enforcement community this morning in his race against former governor James S. Gilmore III for U.S. Senate.

Sheriffs from across western Virginia and the Virginia Police Benevolent Association, a professional association made up of more than 20,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers, announced their support of Warner.

"Governor Warner always had an open door for local officials charged with protecting the public safety," said Norfolk Sheriff Robert McCabe, president of the Virginia Sheriffs Association. "Whether it was a natural disaster or a time of fiscal crisis, I was impressed by his leadership and his willingness to work closely with law enforcement to address the challenges facing Virginia in a bipartisan and responsible manner."

Warner, who was governor between 2002 and 2006, was credited with appointing the nation's first Cabinet-level state official with responsibility for homeland security; allowing the State Police to achieve its designated manpower goals for the first time in 30 years; initiating a statewide AMBER Alert System to notify Virginians about possible child abductions; and supporting tougher anti-drunk driving laws.

As reported in Monday's Washington Post, Republican Senate Candidate James S. Gilmore III has begun airing his first campaign commercial.

In the ad, which is airing in television markets downstate but not in Northern Virginia, a narrator criticizes Democratic Candidate Mark R. Warner and seeks to link him to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). Gilmore tries to associate himself with Arizona Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee for president.

The Virginia Republican Party is paying for the ad, but Gilmore authorized it.

Democratic strategists describe the ad, which won't be released to the media until today, as a meager $80,000 buy, but it still underscores the following eight points:

Bradley Hungerman, the William & Mary student turned political operative, has followed through on his promise to create a website that promotes both Democratic Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner and Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president.

The votebipartisan.com website argues Virginia voters should split their tickets this year by supporting McCain and Warner. The site is also selling McCain-Warner bumper stickers and yard signs. The website is funded by a political committee that Hungerman registered with the Federal Election Commission in June.

Bradley Hungerman is a senior at William & Mary. His father, Andrew J. Hungerman III, the registered agent of the Vote Bipartisan PAC, is a former vice-president at Colonial Williamsburg. Bradley Hungerman said in an interview last month his efforts are not connected to either the Warner or McCain campaigns. But he noted his family has a relationship with one of Warner's staff members.

The source of Hungerman's donors remain a mystery. As of June 30, the Vote Bipartisan political committee had no money in its federal account. Hungerman is not required to file another report until Oct. 15.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) will not participate in the only U.S. Senate debate this fall that was to be televised statewide.

Warner's opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore, had agreed to participate in the debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Virginia.

"Mark Warner apparently does not want the people of Virginia to have an opportunity to understand clearly where he stands on the issues,'' Gilmore said in a statement. "I believe the people of Virginia have a right to see and hear candidates for public office discuss the issues."

Warner and Gilmore participated in their first debate last month at the Homestead Resort but it was not televised and only a few hundred people traveled to western Virginia to watch it. The two have agreed to a Sept. 18 debate, sponsored by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce, that will be televised locally in Northern Virginia.

Hours before U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner delivers the keynote address tonight at the Democratic National Convention, his Republican opponent James S. Gilmore released a new video on YouTube.

The video, Notorious Politicians and Their Lies, compares Warner to "past U.S. politicians who have lied their way in or out of office, reminding voters of all the promises Warner made about not raising taxes and how Warner broke his word," according to a press release.

"Mark Warner broke a series of promises he made while running for governor,'' said Ana Gamonal, Gilmore's spokeswoman. "Now, liberal Mark Warner is telling the people of Virginia he is bipartisan. Mark Warner cannot be trusted and his keynote speech at the DNC Convention will be the beginning of the end of this false notion he has been working so hard to sell to the voters."

The video features former President Richard Nixon, former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama and background music from the movie "Liar Liar."

Kevin Hall, Warner's spokesman, declined to comment.

The Virginia Democratic Party will try today to localize the controversy over Arizona Sen. John McCain's (R) not knowing how many houses he owns by holding a press conference outside of McCain's Crystal City condominium.

Del. David L. Englin (D-Alexandria) and Peter Rousselot, chairman of the Arlington County Democratic Party, will speak at the event at McCain's condominium building, which the party said in a statement is "the most enviable address in Virginia."

"Englin, Rousselot and others will ask how McCain can represent middle-class families who are struggling with the rising cost of living, soaring gas prices and the foreclosure crisis," the state party said in a news release.

The effort is apparently part of a national strategy by Sen. Barack Obama's (D-Ill) presidential campaign to keep the pressure on McCain by localizing the house story, which sidetracked the GOP campaign yesterday. But efforts by Virginia Democrats to make the presidential contest about class holds potential risks for the party, especially in Northern Virginia, where residents are among the wealthiest in the nation. Some voters may be uneasy with Democrats' decision to take politics to McCain's front door.

Virginia Democrats' attack on McCain could also highlight the fact that the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia, former governor Mark R. Warner, is worth an estimated $200 million. Warner owns two houses, including a sprawling estate in King George County. Warner's Republican opponent, James S. Gilmore III, is also worth several million dollars. Gilmore also owns two houses, but has sought to make Warner's wealth an issue in the race, including referring to him as a "limousine liberal."

Virginia Republicans are stepping up their efforts to tie U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner to the national Democratic party and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

The strategy of linking Warner to liberals in Washington has long been a part of the GOP playbook. But Warner, apparently confident of his big lead in the polls, gave the GOP new ammunition by agreeing to be the keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention next week.

Privately, some GOP insiders have been frustrated that Warner's GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore III, has appeared curiously silent as it relates to Warner's speech next week.

Unwilling to wait for Gilmore to make the attack on his own, the Virginia Republican Party is taking the lead in trying to link Warner to national Democrats.

In a lengthy memo sent out Tuesday night to GOP supporters and reporters, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick, the chairman of the state party, noted that National Journal ranked Obama as the most liberal senator in 2007. (Obama and some independent analysts strongly dispute that ranking).

"This means that Obama is more liberal than an avowed socialist, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont," Frederick wrote. "Yet this is the man who Mark Warner chooses to honor in the form of giving his keynote address. For years the Democrats in Virginia said they were different from their national counterparts who were on the left. ...But the convention in Denver will once and for all dispel any myth to the contrary."

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) will campaign with U.S. Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner Wednesday in southern Virginia, Obama's presidential campaign announced today.

Obama and Warner, a former governor who takes credit for bringing more jobs to economically depressed communities in southern Virginia, will hold an invitation-only town hall meeting in Martinsville that focuses on economic issues.

It will be Obama's third campaign swing through Virginia since he clinched the Democratic nomination in June. Last week, Obama announced that Warner will deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month. Although Obama has yet to announce his running mate, Warner said in June under no circumstance would he be the vice-presidential candidate this year.

Warner's GOP opponent in the Senate race, former governor James S. Gilmore III, will also be reaching out to so-called working families on Wednesday. Gilmore will make 11 stops in central Virginia to promote his "message of lower gas prices, lower taxes and trust," according to his campaign.

U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner's decision to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention later this month means Warner's own political future this year can now be linked to the national Democratic party.

Ever since he announced his Senate campaign late last year, Warner has sought to put some distance between himself and Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president.

Warner appeared with Obama in June in Southwest Virginia, and has touted his candidacy in various interviews. But Warner has at times stressed he is running his own race as he tried to respond to efforts by his GOP opponent, former governor James S. Gilmore, to tie him to Obama and national Democrats.

At a debate with Gilmore last month, Warner mentioned Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, more than he mentioned Obama. Now, Gilmore will have images of Warner standing on stage in prime-time as the symbol of the national Democratic party.

If Obama's presidential campaign tanks in Virginia this fall - which is still possible given the conservative leanings of the state - Warner won't be able to distance himself from the national party.

Jody W. Wagner, secretary of finance, may not have officially resigned to run for lieutenant governor yet but several people close to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) say he has already picked her replacement.

Richard D. Brown, director of the Department of Planning and Budget, is expected to be named finance secretary after Wagner resigns next week to launch a bid for lieutenant governor in 2009.

Wagner said last week that she plans to consider her options while on vacation this week. But several people in the Kaine administration say she has already told the governor that she will resign.

Thousands of people withstood the 90-plus-degree heat today for the unveiling of a monument outside the state Capitol that commemorates those who helped bring about the end of school segregation across the state and nation.

They included NAACP Chairman Julian Bond, actor Blair Underwood, poet Nikki Giovanni, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, former governor Mark R. Warner, Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, House Speaker William J. Howell and several other members of the General Assembly.

But L. Douglas Wilder, the nation's first elected black governor, who now serves as Richmond's mayor, was noticeably absent.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is trying to undercut Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner's credibility as the two prepare to face off at their first debate Saturday at The Homestead resort.

Gilmore sent out a statement today reminding reporters that Warner, also a former governor, pledged during his 2001 gubernatorial debate with Republican Mark L. Earley that he would not raise taxes.

Warner, who faced a budget shortfall after he took office in 2002 that he says he inherited from Gilmore, ended up pushing for a $1.4 billion tax increase in 2004. Gilmore, who denies he left Warner a shortfall, sent out video today of Warner's promise not to raise taxes.

In 2005, Richmond lobbyist David Hallock spent weeks pretending to be Jerry W. Kilgore, the Republican nominee for governor, as a way to help Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) prepare for the first gubernatorial debate.

This year, Hallock is back to help his old boss, former Gov. Mark R. Warner.

Hallock, who had been one of Warner's top lawyers, is playing Republican nominee James S. Gilmore III as Warner prepares for his first debate in this year's U.S. Senate debate.

Democratic Senate candidate Mark R. Warner released a new television ad today that focuses on his plan for driving down gas prices and reforming the nation's energy policies.

Warner's 30-second ad, his second of the campaign, comes on the same day updated campaign finance reports are due at the Federal Election Commission. By unveiling the ad today, Warner is showcasing what is expected to be his sizeable cash advantage over his Republican opponent, James S. Gilmore III.

Republican Senate Candidate James S. Gilmore III had a testy exchange yesterday with a reporter from Roanoke over how quickly consumers would see relief at the gas pump if the United States opened up more areas to drilling.

Former Governor Mark R. Warner, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate this fall, tells our colleagues at washingtonpost.com that presidential hopeful Barack Obama could win the state of Virginia in November.

Warner also talks about his interest in national politics, saying he did not want to serve as Obama's running mate but he did leave the door open for a presidential bid down the road. "I would never rule it out," he says.

In an effort to contrast himself with his Democratic opponent, former governor Mark R. Warner, Republican Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III will be getting a bit dirty during his two-day swing down the Interstate 81 corridor.

Part of his "working families tour," Gilmore is trying to portray Warner as a liberal elitist who is out touch with the concerns of lower and middle class families. Gilmore has stops planned today and tomorrow at several construction sites in the Shenandoah Valley.

Gilmore has taken to calling Warner, who is worth an estimated $200 million, a "limousine liberal." Tomorrow, Gilmore will visit a BP station in Radford and a Chevron station in Bristol, where he will be pumping gas to highlight the high price of fuel. But Gilmore, who is also a millionaire, won't just be mingling with blue collar workers during his campaign swing.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has already spent $4.2 million on his bid for the U.S. Senate.

Warner has raised $9.3 million since he got into the race in September, and has $5.1 million left in the bank, according to his latest campaign finance report, which was first reported on by the Associated Press.

W. Gerald Massengill, a retired Virginia State Police superintendent appointed by former Republican Gov. James S. Gilmore III, today endorsed Democrat Mark R. Warner for U.S. Senate.

Massengill, best known for heading the panel that reviewed the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, was joined by five other law enforcement officials from around the state for a news conference in Richmond with Warner.

A self-described Republican who spent 37 years in the state police force, Massengill was appointed superintendent in 2000 and served until 2003. That meant he served under Gilmore and Warner, who was governor from 2002 to 2006.

Former governor Mark R. Warner and his wife, Lisa Collis, kicked in a lot of cash to get the Virginia Democratic Party's campaign efforts off the ground.

Some of Warner's biggest supporters aided in the effort, donating to a new Virginia Democratic fundraising committee after they gave all they legally can to Warner's Senate campaign.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) is urging Democrats not to take Republican Senate James S. Gilmore III for granted. In an email, Kaine urges people to donate to Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner because Gilmore will be formidable.

"Mark Warner is facing one of the fiercest, most aggressive campaigners in our state's history," said Kaine, who is asking people to donate $5 to Warner. "Before you know it, the polls will tighten, negative attacks will hit the airwaves, and Mark will need the resources to fire back and get his message out."

Ana Gamonal, a Gilmore spokesman, said she doesn't have a problem with Kaine calling her boss "fierce".

"They realize this race is not over as some folks have said," Gamonal said. "We absolutely believe as we move forward into the debates and we start talking substance and policy issues, and Mark Warner is forced to take positions, that Jim Gilmore will win the November election."

As part of the General Assembly's ongoing special session, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee will try Wednesday to push through proposals to increase Virginia's 17.5 cent a gallon gas tax to raise money for transportation.

Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) wants a 6 cent a gallon increase, which will be phased in over six years. Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William), chairman of the Finance Committee, wants the tax raised 1.6 cents per year for 10 years. Saslaw notes Virginia's gas tax is far below the national average of 28.5 cents a gallon. Republicans, along with Democrats in the House, argue its irresponsible to raise the gas tax because consumers are already being hit with record fuel prices.

Former Democratic governor Mark R. Warner, a candidate for U.S. Senate, appears to be siding with the GOP and House Democrats in this debate.

Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia professor known for his Election Day observations, today released his most recent take on the U.S. Senate races this November which includes the popular prediction that Virginia's open seat likely will go Democratic.

Sabato expects Democrats to pick up between three and seven seats to add to their razor-thin 51-49 margin in what is shaping up to be a tough political environment for Republicans across the nation. But that's still less than they need to reach 60, the number needed to shut down filibusters.

As the 2008 Virginia Democratic Party convention draws to a close, here are eight observations about the weekend's events at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.

1) If the Democrats' goal was to leave the convention united behind Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), they still have a lot of work to do. Surprisingly, numerous supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) said they weren't sure if they would vote for Obama in the fall.

Democratic activists gathered in Hampton Friday night to kick off the party's state convention, which will take place this weekend at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.

Sen. James Webb and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott were special guests at a pool party at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center while four prominent Democrats hosted a packed party at the Embassy Suites.

"This is energizing the base,'' said C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party.

Democrat Gerald E. Connolly of Fairfax County, the top elected official of the region's largest jurisdiction, won a decisive primary victory yesterday in Northern Virginia's 11th Congressional District against former representative Leslie L. Byrne.

But with less than 6 percent of registered voters participating in the election, the results don't say a whole lot about what could happen come November.

Connolly beat Byrne with nearly 58 percent of the vote to her 33 percent. In raw numbers, however, he won by just over 6,000 votes -- little more than 1 percent of the 11th Congressional District's 446,000 active registered voters.

Sen. John W. Warner (R), who is retiring, announced today he has contributed $2,000 to former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III's campaign to succeed him in the Senate.

Warner's announcement comes on the heels of a report in The Hill newspaper that speculated the state's senior senator may not support Gilmore, who secured the GOP nomination last weekend. Warner apparently made the donation to Gilmore sometime this week.

In a statement, Warner said he has also donated $2,000 each this month to GOP Reps. Frank R. Wolf, Thelma Drake, Eric I. Cantor, Randy Forbes and Robert Goodlatte, all of whom are seeking reelection.

GOP Senate nominee James S. Gilmore III said today he expects that U.S. troops will be in Iraq for years to come because they are central to the efforts to combat terrorism around the world.

"The Iraq war is part of a much larger problem and process that is underway," Gilmore said while being interviewed on The Politics Program on WTOP radio. "We have to define what American policy is going to be. I don't think there is any specific time that we are going to be there militarily, but I do know this, we are not going to do a precipitous withdrawal."

Gail Parker, a retired Air Force Reservist and Defense Department budget analyst, has secured a spot on the November ballot as an Independent Green candidate for U.S. Senate.

"We're been working very hard on it,'' she said. "We were just waiting for official word."

Bill Redpath, national chairman of the Libertarian Party, is still collecting signatures to get his name on the ballot before the State Board of Elections' June 10 deadline. They will be running against Republican James S. Gilmore III and Democrat Mark R. Warner.

Preston Bryant, a former Republican delegate, and Democratic Del. Shannon R. Valentine, are hosting a fundraiser for former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner (D) tonight in Lynchburg.

An email invitation from Valentine and Bryant, who now works in Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's administration, encourages supporters to attend "a fun, bipartisan evening."

"The crowd promises to have lots of R's and D's and I's,'' according to the invitation. "There will be good food and drink. And the setting will be spectacular."

Democratic Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner has reshuffled his schedule so that he can appear with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) tomorrow at a town-hall meeting in Bristol in Southwest Virginia.

Warner, who has stayed neutral in the presidential race, will not attend the Obama rally at Nissan Pavilion in Prince William due to a prior engagement tomorrow evening. But Warner's appearance with Obama in Bristol will be a symbolic pairing of the two men who will lead the Democratic ticket in the Virginia this year.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III narrowly won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a surprisingly close race today at the GOP convention in Richmond.

Gilmore, after squeaking past state Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William), now faces the hurdle of uniting a fractured party that in recent years has lost the governor's mansion and one of the state's two U.S. Senate seats.

The vote total announced at the convention was 5,222 for Gilmore and 5,156 for Marshall.

A handful of people voted for a third candidate, Bob Berry, who took his name off the ballot at the last minute. Though Berry's support was not enough to turn the contest, Marshall supporters shouted for a recount.

Gilmore's successor as governor, Mark R. Warner, is the likely Democratic nominee for the fall election. Incumbent Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), no relation to the Democrat, is retiring.

Several Republicans here predicted the party would rally behind Gilmore.

"The ones for Marshall will come around,'' said John Meyer, a delegate from Arlington who supported Gilmore. "Gilmore is a solid Republican, conservative leaning with accomplishments. All the people will come around."

As Republicans met in Richmond to pick a U.S. Senate nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner (D) announced his U.S. Senate campaign will launch a television commercial statewide starting Monday night.

The ad will feature his "bipartisan success in balancing Virginia's budget while responsibly addressing record revenue shortfalls that ultimately reached $6 billion,'' according to his campaign. It will feature former Senate President John H. Chichester, a Republican who was chairman of the the powerful Finance Committee.

"This initial positive ad spells-out governor Warner's track record in bringing all kinds of people together to find bipartisan, common-sense solutions, and that is the same approach he will take to the U.S. Senate," Warner campaign manager Mike Henry said.

Shortly after 11 a.m., thousands of delegates from around Virginia began the intricate, lengthy process of picking between the two leading U.S. Senate candidates, former governor James S. Gilmore III and Del. Robert G. Marshall of Prince William.

Each candidate was given 20 minutes to make his case for why he should be selected to oppose the likely Democratic nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner. The candidates gave impassioned speeches, played videos and had various supporters nominate them.

"I need Jim Gilmore in Washington,'' said U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, who represents Hampton Roads in Congress.

Marshall appeared to get more cheers from supporters in the crowd, but both had hundreds of people waving signs for them in the audience. "Go Bob go!'' the crowd chanted.

Patrick McSweeney, former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, called Marshall "a man who follows his conscience no matter how inconvenient or unpopular the results."

Almost 500 Republicans from across the state gathered in downtown Richmond tonight to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak at the party's annual fundraiser. Cheney, who plans to build a house in McLean after he leaves office in January, encouraged those in the audience to vote for Republicans in November, including Sen. John McCain for president in November.

"You and I belong to the party of limited taxes, limited government and free enterprise,'' he said to applause. "We understand that government exists not to be the people's master but rather their servant."

Thousands of party activists will converge on the Greater Richmond Convention Center this weekend for the state Republican convention.

Republicans will select their nominee for the race to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R). They will also elect a party chairman and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

The convention will offer insight into the future direction of the party and clues into upcoming state and federal elections. Here are 15 questions the convention might help to answer. You can check back next week to find out the answers

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, criticized yesterday's decision of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down Virginia's ban on partial birth abortions.

"This outcome shows how critical it is to have federal judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution," Gilmore said. "This unfortunate ruling by the 4th Circuit Tuesday was decided by two judges appointed by President Bill Clinton. If I am elected to the U.S. Senate I will support the selection of federal judges who do not try to rewrite laws that have been enacted by a duly elected legislature."

Likely Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner was governor when the General Assembly approved the ban on late-term abortions in 2003. He opposed the ban, but the General Assembly overruled him. Warner declined to comment on the court ruling, which will likely thrust the issues of abortion and federal appellate court appointments into the Senate race.

Virginia Sen. James Webb, ending a nationwide publicity tour, is fueling speculation that he will be on Sen. Barack Obama's shortlist for vice presidential candidates.

But don't start making Obama-Webb signs just yet.

Is former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year's U.S. Senate race, taking black voters for granted?

Maybe, according to the Richmond Free Press, the city's black newspaper.

In an editorial this morning, the newspaper warned Warner he does not have a lock on the African-American vote. Although the editorial board conceded Warner is heavily favored to win in the fall, it noted former senator George Allen (R) was also the front-runner a few months before he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat James Webb.

The legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action, of the Family Research Council, founded in 1983 to promote "marriage, family and the sanctity of human life," endorsed Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

"Delegate Marshall is the conservative candidate in this race," said Connie Mackey, senior vice president of the group's legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action. "There is a clear and significant difference between Bob Marshall's claim to the pro-life mantle and Jim Gilmore's."

Hundreds of supporters, including many local elected officials, greeted Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mark. R. Warner at an outdoor rally outside the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk on the second day of his four-state tour. A four-piece ensemble played music.

Jim Pierce, a financial adviser from Williamsburg who considers himself a Republican, said he will support Warner because he is impressed with his "common sense" approach and the way he reaches across party lines.

Warner, who calls himself a moderate Democrat, frequently talks of forming a coalition of 10-12 "radical centrist" senators from both parties to hash out compromises.

Eights months after he announced he would run for U.S. Senate, Democrat Mark R. Warner officially launched his campaign tonight in the small town of Abingdon in southwest Virginia.

"I believe that the American public doesn't trust either party enough to give them a blank check and what it's going to take is that both parties need to work together,'' Warner said.

More than 250 supporters welcomed Warner, his wife, Lisa, and their two youngest daughters at E.B. Stanley Middle School for an early dinner of barbecue, cole slaw and pickles. A band played bluegrass music, including a song about Warner from his days as governor.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III will not debate his rival for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), next month in an event sponsored by three Young Republican clubs in Northern Virginia.

"We're past the point of debate,'' said Ana M. Gamonal, Gilmore's spokeswoman.

Gamonal said Gilmore's schedule is packed between now and next month's convention when delegates from across the state will choose a nominee.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) agreed to participate in a U.S. Senate debate sponsored by three Young Republican clubs in Northern Virginia in the third week of May.

No word on whether his opponent for the Republican nomination, former governor James S. Gilmore III, will participate.

Gilmore turned down previous requests to debate Marshall. Instead, he is concentrating on a possible general election contest with the presumptive Democratic nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III said today that he has secured enough delegates to win the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate next month but his rival, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), disputed that.

"The race is not over,'' Marshall said.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) has raised $52,000 for his U.S. Senate bid in the first three months of this year, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission that were due this week.

His Republican rival, former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) raised $396,000. Probable Democratic nominee Mark R. Warner, also a former governor, raised $2.5-million.

Politicians from around the state will flock to tiny Wakefield on Wednesday for the 60th annual Shad Planking, a longtime Virginia tradition where politicians come to see and be seen.

Speakers include U.S. Senate candidates, Republicans James S. Gilmore III and Robert G. Marshall, and Democrat Mark R. Warner. It may the only time the three men share a stage before a Republican nominee is picked next month.

Democrat Sen. R. Creigh Deeds, who is running for governor next year, and his potential rival, Del. Brian J. Moran, both sent their staffs to Wakefield today to help Warner's team set up.

C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party, plans to step aside next year as party leader.

Cranwell, a 30-year fixture in the House of Delegates, said he pledged to former governor Mark R. Warner and current governor Timothy M. Kaine, that he would serve until his term expires in 2009. But he will not run again.

Former governor Mark R. Warner submitted the signatures of 29,146 Virginia voters to the State Board of Elections in Richmond Friday to get his name on the November ballot.

Friday was the deadline for all candidates to submit signatures to get on the ballot.

Republican candidates James S. Gilmore III and Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) did not have to submit signatures. Instead, they will compete for their party's nomination at the state convention in June.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who opposed the landmark transportation bill that the Virginia Supreme Court declared unconstitutional Friday, can't help but feel a little vindicated.

"Fours words: I told you so,'' said Marshall, one of the plaintiffs in the suit against the transportation plan. "I'm not going to say that. Look, last year when this thing was going on, I said I wanted an opinion that said this was constitutional. We never got it."

Marshall, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate this year, said there were 17 votes in the House against the bill last year but he was the only one who filed a lawsuit.

Is he the only political winner today?

"The people are the winners,'' he said. "I just stood up for them."

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) announced today that Mike Henry, who resigned earlier this month as Sen. Hillary Clinton's deputy campaign manager, will oversee his U.S. Senate campaign this year.

A graduate of Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Henry is a veteran of Virginia politics. After working for Virginia House and Senate Democratic caucuses in the 1990s, Henry led the state Democratic party's coordinated campaign effort when Warner ran for governor in 2001.

In 2005, Henry managed Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's (D) campaign for governor. Henry is widely credited with helping to revamp how Virginia Democrats win statewide elections by targeting new groups of suburban voters and perfecting the get out to vote effort.

Here are some winners and losers from the Virginia Democratic Party's annual Jefferson Jackson Day dinner Saturday night in Richmond. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) spoke to about 6,000 party activists and donors. Before the event, which also featured speeches from a elected leaders and party officials, hundreds of Clinton and Obama supporters faced off outside the Stuart C. Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Winners:

Barack Obama Virginia organizers: Obama supporters appeared to outnumber Clinton supporters by about 3 to 1. Before the dinner, about 300 Obama supporters paraded down one of Richmond's busiest streets to show their support for their candidate. The Obama campaign, aided by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's (D) trusted political aide Charlie Kelly, even brought in a marching band to lead the group. There was little doubt inside or outside the Siegel Center that Obama supporters appeared more energetic.

Former governor James S. Gilmore (R) praised the House of Delegates today for their efforts to stiffen regulations on payday lenders while taking a not-so-subtle jab at his potential rivial in this year's U.S. Senate race, former governor Mark R. Warner (D).

"It is no secret that payday lending stores opened under the leadership of Mark Warner and the bill he signed into law,'' Gilmore said in a statement. "Their loans are deceptive and they should at a minimum be held to the same standards as other small-loan lenders operating in Virginia. Mark Warner's decision to adopt this policy was wrong and ultimately the people of Virginia have rejected it."

Former governor James S. Gilmore's end-of-the-year campaign finance reports will show he has raised $348,000 for his bid for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate, according to his advisers.

Gilmore has raised far less money than the likely Democratic nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner, but Gilmore advisers say they are pleased with their effort. They note Gilmore didn't enter the race until late November and had to suspend his fundraising efforts over the holidays.

"We are looking to raise enough money to put our organization and our campaign in place so for three weeks of work during the holiday season. The governor is proud of what he was able to accomplish in a short period of time, said Ana Gamonal, Gilmore's communications director.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D), a candidate for U.S. Senate this year, will report today that he raised $2.7 million in the last quarter, on top of the $1.1 million he had already raised.
Former governor James Gilmore (R), a candidate for the GOP nomination, will announce his fundraising totals later today. He entered the race in November.

Get ready to be inundated with a series of potentially competitive elections.

Because of the Democratic resurgence in Virginia, voters are going to be facing more choices at the polls over the next two years than they have in decades.

It all starts Feb. 12, with the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries.

The Virginia Republican Party and GOP Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III are both beefing up their communications staffs in preparation for the fall elections.

State Party Chairman John Hager announced today that Josh Noland will be the party's new communications director.

Noland, who replaces Sean Kenney, used to work for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee came after Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner today on the issue of illegal immigration.

In a release titled "Marky Mark Flips on Immigration," the NRSC accused Warner of changing his position on the issue. The NRSC referenced comments Warner, who was governor between 2002 and 2006, made to a Virginia television station yesterday. Warner was quoted as saying he supports sanctions on employers who hire illegal immigrants.

NRSC Communications Director Rebecca Fisher said Warner's get-touch approach contrasts with his record as governor because he vetoed a bill to deny in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

Former Gov. Mark Warner has received more than 1,400 online donations totaling more than half a million dollars since he announced in September he was running for U.S. Senate next year.

In an email to supporters today, Warner asks for more contributions to reach his 2007 goal of 1,500 online donors before midnight Dec. 31.

"Trust me: that sends a powerful message that Virginians are ready for transformative change and a new approach in Washington,'' he wrote. "Let's make that message even more loud and clear."

Warner is the likely Democratic nominee in the race to replace retiring Republican Sen. John Warner. Former Gov. James S. Gilmore III is running for the Republication nomination while Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) said he is considering running.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) picked up more than a quarter million dollars last night for his U.S. Senate campaign at a fundraiser at the home of Northern Virginia financier W. Russell Ramsey.

Ramsey, president of Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co. Inc., is one of Warner's closest friends. The event was billed as a celebration of Warner's 53rd birthday, which takes place Saturday.

Warner's haul comes as he is trying to raise as much as possible before the Dec. 31 campaign finance reporting deadline for federal candidates. Last month, Warner spent a week on the West Coast raising money.

As of Sept. 30, Warner had already raised more than $1 million for his campaign. Former governor James S. Gilmore III, the likely GOP nominee for Senate, is also busy raising money. Republican sources say Gilmore's fundraising is going better than expected, although they don't anticipate he will be able to keep pace with Warner's national network of donors.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and former governor Mark R. Warner, both Democrats, have never been known to miss a good victory celebration.

Last year, Kaine and Warner took center stage at Sen. James Webb's (D) election night party. And last month, Kaine and Warner were partying it up in Tysons Corner after Democrats won control of the state senate.

But neither Kaine nor Warner plan to be with Democrat Philip Forgit tonight as he watches the returns in his race to replace the late U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-Va).

Forgit is running against Republican Del. Robert J. Wittman in a district that leans Republican. Despite some last minute help from Kaine and Warner, the race never attracted much attention from national Democrats.

To figure out James S. Gilmore III's campaign strategy in next year's U.S. Senate race, one only has to listen to him for a few minutes.

In an interview with reporters at the Virginia Republican Party retreat last weekend, Gilmore stressed that former governor Mark R. Warner, the likely Democratic nominee for Senate, won't be on the ballot by himself.

"My strategy is defeating a Clinton-Warner ticket," said Gilmore, who is assuming that Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York will be the Democratic nominee for president. "It will be Hillary Clinton together with Mark Warner, and at that point, people's opinion about the ticket will change."

A Fairfax County man has filed paperwork to challenge former governor Mark R. Warner for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, which could set up a potential June primary.

Julien Modica, of Fairfax, said he is running on a platform of securing more federal funding for veterans who return from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with brain injuries.

"These kids are 19 and 21 years old and they are going to be alive for another 50 years," Modica said in an interview. "These are celebrated veterans, but when they are back here in the United States, Americans have to realize these people need to be properly taken care of."

The annual Virginia Republican Party Advance is the ultimate venue for schmoozing, jockeying for attention and laying the groundwork for future bids for office. So here's my take on the winners and losers of this weekend's event, which drew about 650 party activists and leaders to the Hyatt Regency at Crystal City.

Advance Winners -

Attorney General Bob McDonnell - The attorney general hosted a party for GOP activists on Friday and Saturday nights. Both were well attended, and there were plenty of people throughout the weekend wearing "Bob McDonnell" stickers. There also was a strong sentiment from GOP activists that McDonnell should run for governor in 2009, even if former governor and senator George Allen enters the race.

George Allen - While Allen wasn't nearly as visible as McDonnell was, the former governor and senator gave what many considered to be a strong, inspiring speech in support of Fred Thompson's presidential bid.

This Week's Winners

Barack Obama - Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and his 17-year-old son, Nat, spent the weekend shuffling around Iowa, attending 10 small events for the Democratic presidential candidate. If Kaine worked that hard in Iowa for Obama, you've got to expect that the governor will pull out all the stops to help him win Virginia in the Feb. 12 Democratic primary -- assuming the nomination fight is still competitive.

Del. Christopher B. Saxman - The Republican delegate from Staunton sends out signals he may challenge former governor James S. Gilmore III for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate. Saxman's potential candidacy has created a buzz among party activists and conservative bloggers who fear Gilmore is unelectable in a general election. While Saxman faces an uphill challenge, it's noteworthy that a three-term delegate is even being considered as a possible credible challenger to a former governor.

For those who can't get enough of Virginia elections, time to look ahead to the governor's race in 2009.

Yes, there is a U.S. Senate and presidential election next November. But with former governor Mark R. Warner (D) an early favorite to win the Senate race, the election for governor will be the contest that will really decide whether Virginia is turning blue or if party gains this decade were caused largely of President Bush's unpopularity.

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has been a U.S. Senate candidate for two months. Former governor James S. Gilmore III (R) has been a Senate candidate for two days.

Who do you think has the better website?

You can find Warner's website here. You can find Gilmore's website here.

You may notice one distinction. Warner's website doesn't include a section outlining his views on the issues yet. But Gilmore's includes his positions on illegal immigration, energy independence, taxes, transportation, education and terrorism.

Will U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va) endorse former Gov. James S. Gilmore III''s bid for U.S. Senate?

It's difficult to tell from the statement the senior senator issued tonight.

Warner said Gilmore "has a record of extensive, credible public service." But Warner also hinted that some Republicans are looking for another GOP candidate to get into the race.

"Across the state there is a growing interest in putting forward a strong Republican slate of nominees - Senate and House - for the 2008 congressional elections," Warner said in his statement.

Del. Christopher B. Saxman (R-Staunton) said today he is "strongly considering" challenging former governor James S. Gilmore III for the GOP nomination for Senate.

In an interview, Saxman said the party "needs new leadership" and "new blood." Saxman said he's been hearing from a lot of Repubicans who say the GOP needs to find a Senate candidate other than Gilmore who can reach out to independents and voters in Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia.

Over the past week, Saxman has been meeting with several of his Republican colleagues in the House about making the race. He says he's also been in discussions with White House and national GOP officials.

Saxman, who had been angling to run for lieutenant governor in 2009, says he expects to make up his mind in a few weeks.

"I just think people want to break out of the direction that the party has been going in and make changes," said Saxman, 42.

Former Gov. Mark Warner's spokesman Kevin Hall sent out a press release about former Gov. Jim Gilmore's announcement on getting into the U.S. Senate race:

"Virginians will have an opportunity to make a clear choice between two starkly different records and two dramatically different styles of leadership.

Earlier today, I conducted a 20-minute interview with New York Public Radio about Virginia politics.

Amy Eddings, a guest host for the "The Leonard Lopate Show" on WYNC, wanted to know if Virginia really is turning blue? We discussed last week's state legislative elections and next year's presidential and U.S. Senate contests. I also took questions about the state's shifting demographics, illegal immigration and the role of military voters in state politics.

You can find an audio clip of the interview here.

Joseph Blackburn, a conservative who narrowly lost his challenge to Sen. Walter A. Stosch (R-Henrico) in this year's Republican primary, has stepped into the debate over whether House Speaker William J. Howell (R-Stafford) should replaced.

On Sunday, the House Republican caucus will meet to decide Howell's fate. Several conservative Republicans, including Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), are trying to unseat Howell because they blame him for straying from his party's core conservative principles, which they say cost the GOP support in recent elections.

Blackburn, whose been mentioned a possible candidate for House in 2009, has sent a letter to Del. John M. O'Bannon III (R-Henrico) calling on him to join the effort to unseat Howell.

You can read Blackburn's letter below.

Democratic Senate Mark R. Warner is on his way back to Virginia today after a weeklong fundraising tour on the West Coast.

Warner, who was governor between 2002 and 2006, hit up donors in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Phoenix.

Kevin Hall, a Warner spokesman, said he's not sure how much the former governor raised, but described the fund-raisers as "very successful events."

Former senator George F. Allen (R-Va.) and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell (R), potential rivals in the 2009 governor's race, joined this morning to reiterate their support for Fred Thompson's bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

At an event in Richmond, Allen and McDonnell praised Thompson's conservative credentials and said he is the Republican's best hope for unifying the party.

"It is very easy for me to advocate for Fred because we think so much alike," said Allen, who cited Thompson's views on abortion, taxes, national security, illegal immigration and trade.

McDonnell noted that Thompson won the endorsement yesterday of the National Right to Life group. "He has been a longstanding supporter of traditional values, a longstanding supporter of marriage and life," said McDonnell, who also noted that Thompson has a house in Northern Virginia.

Former governor Mark R. Warner, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2008, has launched a new campaign blog on his website.

Warner also sent out a statement this morning soliciting campaign donations. Warner said Virginia Democrats "are on a roll" because of their success in Tuesday's state legislative elections. In the statement, Warner says he and his successor, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), have a record that "speaks for itself."

Virginia Democrats are hoping to pick up at least four seats in the state Senate but word is they are worried about losing one of their own: Sen. Charles J. Colgan of Prince William.

To underscore how vulnerable they think Colgan may be when voters go to the polls next Tuesday both of the state Democratic party's superstars will be appearing with him this week.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) appointed Gordon Hickey, political editor of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as his new press secretary.

Hickey, 57, of Richmond, has been a reporter and editor for more than 25 years, working at the Waukesha (Wisc.) Freeman, the Progress-Index in Petersburg, the Richmond News Leader and the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Winners:
Mark Tate- All campaign finance fraud charges were dismissed against the former GOP Senate candidate from Loudoun County after the prosecutor said the case had been tainted by allegations of improprieties in the investigation.

Tim Kaine Two different polls came out during the past week showing Kaine's approval ratings remain strong, despite the summer-long controversy over abuser fees and illegal immigration. Kaine has also proved he's a prolific fundraiser. Kaine's political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, has $1 million in the bank to spend in the campaign's final days. With three weeks to go until the election, Kaine is popular and rich. What more could a politician ask for?

Jim Gilmore: The former governor scores a big victory by convincing the Republican State Central Committee to hold a convention over a primary to select its nominee in next year's U.S. Senate race. Gilmore also appears hungry to get back into the game. He showed up at the central committee meeting and was personally lobbying members right up to the vote. His chief rival, Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.), was campaigning for his wife, Sen. Jeannemarie Devolites Davis.

Sen. Henry L. Marsh III (D-Richmond) will be honored for his 41 years of service in public office tonight at what looks to be a very swanky reception at the Richmond Marriott.

Special guests include Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, former Gov. Mark R. Warner and U.S. Rep. Robert Scott. There will be a jazz ensemble, heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar.

Marsh faces an independent in next month's election and with it being just a few weeks before the big day, they have turned this event into a fundraiser. $500 to $1,000 buys you a ticket.

A new poll shows former governor Mark R. Warner (D) with a nearly 2 to 1 lead in next year's U.S. Senate race over either one of his potential GOP challengers.

The poll by Christopher Newport University shows Warner beating either former governor James P. Gilmore III or Rep. Thomas M. Davis III by a margin of 24 points. If the election were held today, 51 percent of voters would support Warner while 27 percent said they would favor either Gilmore or Davis.

The Christopher Newport University survey also found that voters have a negative view of the Republican-controlled General Assembly, but they support Democratic Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

As Virginia Republican leaders gather this weekend to decide whether to hold a convention or primary to select their nominee for the U.S. Senate, no one will be following the outcome more closely than U.S. Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.).

The Mark Warner for Senate campaign will be moving into a a new office later this week.

Campaign officials say the office, at 1029 N. Royal Street in Alexandria, is more than double the size of their current space on Union Street in Alexandria.

The new digs, which Warner plans to stay in through the general election next year, consists of a large open space and several smaller offices.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee isn't wasting any time going after Democratic senatorial candidate Mark R. Warner, who was governor between 2002 and 2006..

Even though the 2008 election is more than 13 months away, the RNSCC sent out a statement today challenging Warner to tell voters why he broke his 2001 campaign pledge not to raise state taxes.

If Republicans acted like Democrats, they wouldn't be priming for a clash next year over who their party's nominee will be for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by John W. Warner (R-Va.).

With former governor Mark R. Warner (D) now a Senate candidate, Republicans are bracing for a nasty primary or convention battle between Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Fairfax) and former governor James S. Gilmore

When he launched his bid for the U.S. Senate on Sept. 13, former Gov. Mark R. Warner (D) said the campaign wouldn't begin in earnest until after the Nov. 6 state legislative races.

But Warner apparently couldn't pass up the chance to promote his candidacy during his annual pig roast on Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Warner's staff had 10,000 blue and white 'Mark Warner 08" bumper stickers printed.

Mark Warner's campaign for the U.S. Senate is only three days old and he is already battered and bruised - literally.

On Saturday, Warner held his 15th annual pig roast at his farm in King George County overlooking the Rappahannock River.

The event attracted several thousand of people, many of whom were Democratic activists or elected officials, who traveled from Richmond or Northern Virginia to spend an afternoon eating pork and talking politics.

Former Gov. Mark R. Warner ended what little suspense was left yesterday by announcing he's in the U.S. Senate race. Now the attention turns on the Republicans to see what they're going to do. We want to know what you think about the 2008 Senate race. Click on comments. Here are a few reactions.