Breaking: GOP Senator Warner To Announce Whether He'll Retire Tomorrow, Report Says
Sen. John Warner will announce tomorrow at the University of Virginia whether or not he intends to seek a sixth term, according to two top Virginia sources. Warner is planning a 2 p.m. news conference on the grounds of the Charlottesville, Va., school, where he took his law degree over 50 years ago. The Virginian will give his speech near the statue of Thomas Jefferson on the steps of the school’s famous Rotunda, adding a fitting Warner flourish to the event.
A Warner retirement, obviously, would be huge news, potentially making the 2008 Senate map look even better for the Dems. Many analysts think that such a move would open a clear path to the seat for another Virginian named Warner -- this one a Dem named Mark.
If that were to happen, both of this southern state's Senate seats would have flipped from red to blue -- in the space of two years. Last year, of course, Dem Senator Jim Webb won a surprise victory over GOP incumbent George Allen.
We've got a call into Warner's office for confirmation. More in a bit.
Comments (11)
js wrote on August 30, 2007 1:32 PM:Does Mark Warner want to be a Senator? He could be a VP candidate and possibly a Prez in 4 years if a Dem win next year.
Greg wrote on August 30, 2007 1:36 PM:well, mightn't he be reluctant to pass up an almost certain shot at the senate on the off chance that he'd be picked as veep?
demwinger wrote on August 30, 2007 2:17 PM:of course Warner wants that seat... he ran 6 years ago and lost to the old warner so of course he wants the job
daniel wrote on August 30, 2007 2:39 PM:Mark Warner is incredibly popular here in the Commonwealth. He's seen as the man who saved Virginia from fiscal ruin after the disastrous Gilmore administration. Sound familiar?
Gilmore is still around. That would be a fun match-up.
manu wrote on August 30, 2007 3:06 PM:On top of that Warner (John) doesn't run, he will have no incentive to be a team player. That will be a huge (and well deserved) headache for the White House.
Unmitigated Audacity wrote on August 30, 2007 3:25 PM:manu, good point. Let's hope that's how it plays out. We are never going to get any sanity in foriegn policy until some Republicans come over from the dark side.
Anonymous wrote on August 30, 2007 3:32 PM:I hear he's definitely stepping down...
anonymous wrote on August 30, 2007 8:41 PM:Well, if Mark Warner does run then a likely opponent would be moderate Republican Congressman Tom Davis from Northern Virginia. Warner has immediate name recognition as does Gilmore but Davis would have to work a bit for that statewide. He'd be a very credible choice for the Republicans to keep that seat.
Mike wrote on August 30, 2007 9:25 PM:demwinger,
It wasn't 6 years ago...it was in 1996. The 2008 U.S. Senate election will be 12 years later. M. WARNER 2008!!!
DEms pick up more than one way.
We could have a Senate seat and a Congressional set - I am active in VA-11 and we could take that seat in 08 with the trends in Northern VA.
Anonymous wrote on August 30, 2007 11:35 PM:"Well, if Mark Warner does run then a likely opponent would be moderate Republican Congressman Tom Davis from Northern Virginia. Warner has immediate name recognition as does Gilmore but Davis would have to work a bit for that statewide. He'd be a very credible choice for the Republicans to keep that seat."anonymous wrote on August 30, 2007 8:41 PM:
You obviously have not been paying attention to VA politics. First off - he would not win a State wide Republican primary. Second - DAvis is so tied to the era of Republican corruption that a state wide race with money will smoke him out.
He is barely going to have a fighting chance at his 14 year encompacies seat the way trends are showing in VA - 11. A unknown with $330,000 against his 2.5 mil got 44% of the vote.
Ask Karl Rove - this was a race he was having people violate the hatch act over.
