Former Sen. John Warner endorses Mark Warner for re-election

Former Republican U.S. Sen. John Warner, who represented Virginians for 30 years during five terms in the United States Senate, endorsed U.S. Sen. Mark Warner’s (D-Va.) 2014 re-election effort today.

It is the first time the Republican former senator has publicly endorsed a Democrat for elected office in Virginia.

“You see him crossing that aisle to try to form teams to solve problems,’ john warner said in a story reported by the Associated Press on Monday. “That’s so essential.”

“There are times you must, I think, recognize that certain individuals are superior in their talents and in what they have done and can potentially do for your state,” john warner said.

“Mark Warner, if I may say with a sense of humility, like john warner crosses the aisle and makes things work,” he said. “We come from the old school. The Senate works best when there’s collaborative effort between the two parties.”

Sen. Mark Warner made the following statement in response to Sen. John Warner’s endorsement:

“john warner has been a role model as I’ve worked across party lines to find commonsense solutions that strengthen Virginia, both during my term as Governor and now as a member of the Senate,” Sen. Mark Warner said. “I have followed John Warner’s solid example by creating opportunities to reach across the aisle to solve problems. I have worked hard to form personal relationships with other lawmakers from both political parties to win bipartisan support for our efforts to fix the budget and strengthen Virginia’s economy. I am very grateful for John Warner’s public support, and respectful of our working partnership and personal friendship.”

In 1996, Mark Warner unsuccessfully challenged John Warner’s bid for re-election to a third term in the Senate in a political campaign that was noteworthy for its civility and mutual respect.  From 2002-2006, during Mark Warner’s term as governor, both Warners consistently worked together to solve problems and move Virginia forward. After john warner announced his retirement from the U.S. Senate in 2007, Mark Warner declared his candidacy for the open seat, and Virginians  overwhelmingly elected him to the U.S. Senate in 2008.