U.S. Sen. Mark Warner ended months of speculation about a possible run for governor in 2013, releasing a statement on Tuesday to announce that he will not be a candidate for the job that he held from 2002-2006.
“I loved being governor, but I have a different job now – and it’s here, in the United States Senate,” said Warner, who was elected to the Senate in 2008 after finishing out his term as governor as one of the most popular governors in the state’s lengthy political history.
His term is still remembered quite fondly. Polls had him leading the two men vying for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2013, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, by wide margins, even as both are running neck-and-neck with the man now presumed to be the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination, former Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe.
McAuliffe had made news last week in formally announcing his candidacy and hiring top-level staff to begin his campaign, which some had read as a signal of what Warner’s then-still-pending announcement on his own intentions was going to be.
Warner had said on Election Night that he would make an announcement before Thanksgiving.
“Over the last year, a lot of Virginians – Democrats, Republicans, and independents – have approached me and asked that I consider running for governor a second time,” Warner said. “Believe me, being governor was the best job I ever had. I was so proud that we were able to bring folks together, put partisanship aside, and together we moved Virginia forward.
“When folks approached me about running for a second term as governor, I told them two things: first, I felt that it was better to make a final decision after the 2012 elections. And second, I said I would give it serious, heartfelt consideration – and I have,” Warner said.
Warner acknowledged his frustrations with the Senate, admitting that the job of trying to get Democrats and Republicans to work together toward solutions has been “tougher than expected.”
“At times, it’s been frustrating. But I believe this work is important for Virginia, and for our country, and I intend to see it through,” Warner said.
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Chris Graham
