Mark Warner - U.S. Senate

Join Mark Warner at the Alexandria Tip-Off Challenge

On Saturday, Governor Warner will be on hand to honor NBA Hall of Famer and Alexandria native Earl Lloyd and help launch the inaugural Alexandria Tip-Off Challenge, a double-header featuring some of Northern Virginia’s top young basketball talent at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia.

The games will be the first played at the new T.C. Williams Gym, on a court dedicated to Earl Lloyd. Earl Lloyd grew up in Alexandria and attended Alexandria’s Parker-Gray High School, going on to become the first African-American to play in the NBA. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Child and Family Network Centers and Hopkins House.

T.C. Williams High School is also a pioneer in its field. It is one of the most respected and innovative public high schools in the country. Opened in 1965 (and made famous by the Disney film Remember the Titans), it was recently rebuilt with environmentally-friendly features, including a rooftop garden providing storm water management, waterless urinals that reduce the amount of water used inside the building, a 450,000-gallon underground cistern to collect and store rainwater for use in toilet flushing, air-conditioning operations and irrigation, and a permanent measurement and verification system to track water and energy usage at the facility.

At 5:45 p.m. Governor Warner will join the Mayor of Alexandria, William Euille, and Kerry Donley, former Chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia and current athletic director at T.C. Williams, along with other local officials and school board members for the opening ceremony of the Tip-Off Challenge, and the first game between Alexandria rivals Bishop Ireton and Episcopal begins at 6 p.m. At 7:45 p.m. there will be a ceremony to honor Earl Lloyd and dedicate the court, and at 8 p.m., T.C. Williams takes on St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes. Admission is $5. For more information, visit http://www.alextipoff.org.

NBC29 Web Poll

NBC 29 in Charlottesville has a new online poll up today asking who you would vote for if the election were held today. Click here to vote for Mark Warner!

A clear choice

One of the things we've been looking forward to in this campaign is highlighting the qualities that make Mark Warner the best choice for the U.S. Senate. Now that we have an opponent, we think the choice is clear.

This weekend, the Washington Post gave us a few more reasons why. The editorial board called Jim Gilmore "one of the most confrontational and irresponsible governors in recent Virginia history."

In an article about the Warner-Gilmore matchup, they summarized it this way:

In 2005, Governing Magazine said Virginia was the best managed state in the nation, and Warner's popularity soared.

When he left office in 2006, Warner's approval rating stood at 80 percent, thought to be a record for a Virginia governor.

Meanwhile, Gilmore's standing has worsened as Democrats and some Republicans have stepped up attacks on his record.

In a Washington Post poll last month, 40 percent of residents had a favorable impression of Gilmore, a 20-percentage-point decline since 1997. The same poll found that Warner would beat Gilmore by 30 points in a general election.

With records like that, the choice is pretty clear. It's a difference between stubborn partisanship that leaves us lagging or cooperative results that leave us in better shape than we were.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The entire Friends of Mark Warner team wishes you and your family a very happy and safe Thanksgiving! We’re thankful for many things, including the opportunity to bring real change our country needs and supporters like you who will help us get there.

Let us know what you’re thankful for this year!

Best wishes, Friends of Mark Warner Staff

Statement on Jim Gilmore's U.S. Senate Bid

Kevin Hall, our communications director, released the following statement today:

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

“Do they want to be represented by someone with a record of fiscal irresponsibility and extreme partisanship, or do they want a U.S. Senator with a proven record of bringing people together to get results and create real change?

“We look forward to making the case for Mark Warner's brand of commonsense, results-oriented leadership. We welcome Jim Gilmore to the campaign and we look forward to a spirited discussion.”

Why do you support Mark Warner?

As we enter December and get ready for the new year, we want to hear from you. Since the Governor announced in September, we’ve heard the pundits talk about the race and his chances. We already know about Mark Warner’s record of success as governor—from public official of the year, to running the Best Managed State, to one of America’s Top 5 Governors.

But why do you support Mark Warner? Why do you think Mark Warner is the best candidate in 2008?

Tell the world why you want to join Mark Warner in his effort to be the next Senator from Virginia. Write a note, draw a picture, call and leave a voice mail, or make a video—and we’ll post it here.

Email in your testimonials to info@markwarner2008.com, or post a video reply to the Governor’s announcement video. You can even leave us a voice mail message at (703) 537-5051.

"We're on a roll"

We had a blast last night. The Democrats took back the Senate and gained seats in the House, proving that Virginia Democrats are alive and well and are on the rise. Virginia is competitive again, and we hope the momentum we’ve seen over the last few years – since Tim Kaine in 2005 and Jim Webb in 2006 – will only continue and grow in 2008.

Check out what Governor Warner had to say at Tuesday night’s Victory Party in McLean. Governor Warner was on stage with a large group of Democrats, including Governor Kaine, the new Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Senator Creigh Deeds, Delegate Brian Moran, and others. It was an awesome night, and though everyone in the room was exhausted from weeks of campaigning, their spirits were high and we were all looking forward to the progress ahead.

Election Day

It’s Election Day. Today is the culmination of lots of work from folks all across the Commonwealth. Over the last few days, I’ve done dozens of events for our candidates.

This being a low turnout year means every vote really, really counts. The enthusiasm has been great, but let’s make sure we send members to Richmond that will work with Governor Kaine that will keep Virginia moving forward.

Go out and vote!

Staff in the Field

Our staff has been out campaigning for our local candidates since Saturday. We've all had a lot of fun, getting-out-the-vote in some of our most crucial districts. Throughout the day, we'll be adding staff reports from the field.

* Our deputy finance director, Andrew Garrahan, has been out for Margi Vanderhye, who's running for Delegate int he 34th District, up in Fairfax:

I've been out making calls and knocking doors for Margi Vanderhye for the past few days and things are feeling good. Margi seems to have met an extraordinary number of her constituents. The response of people at the doors I have knocked has uniformly been "I met her and I liked her." No crazy stories from the road to report, which is mostly a good thing. Making calls has been more fun than I thought - I get to wear a headset which makes me feel like an American Idol contestant. Looking forward to the close of the polls and seeing the results.

* Craig Kirby, our deputy manager for outreach, helped out Delegate Chuck Caputo

I and my new friend Elaine canvassed about 5 neighborhoods. We dropped literature to about 85 percent of the houses in these neighborhoods.

After the Lit Drop, it was back to the office for lunch and sitting with volunteers to get the the next day's lit drop ready. The best part for me was being with the volunteers of all ages and seeing how they genuinely cared for both Chuck and his wife Barbara.

The team that Joe (campaign manager) put together is a well oiled machine—that is truly going to push out the vote today. Looking forward to being with them later this afternoon—for any last minute activities.

* Clark Mercer, from our research team:

I started out election day in my hometown of Alexandria, heading to the polls in support of David Englin for the House of Delegates and Patsy Ticer for the Virginia Senate. After passing out some literature and greeting fellow Democrats, I headed out to Prince William County to knock on doors and get out the vote for Senator Chuck Colgan, Bill Day for Delegate, Sharon Pandak for Chairman, and Bill Ryland for Clerk of the Court. Fellow Warner staffers Meg, Mark, and Adrian are also here at headquarters working hard, making calls, and going door to door to support our Democratic candidates.

* Mark Giangreco, from our correspondence team:

The Democrats are back in Virginia, there's no question about it. We're organized, focused, and ready to give Governor Kaine the legislature he needs to continue the progress made under the Warner and Kaine administrations. Campaign headquarters is a hive of activity, and we've had some great get out the vote support from local high school students. Chris Brown, our House of Delegates candidate in the 52nd district, just jumped onto a call to answer a voter's question--he was on the line for several minutes before hanging up and reporting that we had earned another vote. It is dedicated candidates like Chris that will keep Virginia moving forward.

* Adrian Baker, from our finance team:

I'm fired up. We got here at 6:30 am and Democratic Headquarters in Prince William County was already in high gear. After spending the early morning at the polls, we came back to Headquarters to take kids out to canvass. Volunteers were pouring in all morning, eager to get out the vote and to help Democrats take back the state legislature. Clark, Mark, and I are canvassing local neighborhoods until the polls close.

Check back for more dispatches!

From Martinsville to GMU

Here are the last batch of pictures from the the Countdown to Progress tour, which wrapped up today at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. In Martinsville yesterday, the tour passed through Martinsville and Danville, where they rallied the volunteers of Delegate candidate Eric Ferguson and then ate at Pigs-R-Us and Ma Possum’s.

Ma Possum’s is a truly original place in Danville and about 75-100 people showed up to the 23-capacity burger joint. There was a nice rally outside as the sun was setting then folks headed inside to choose between the Warner, Kaine, and Webb burgers.

We met a young man named Kevin, maybe 12-13 yrs old, who had walked from his grandma’s house up the hill over to the rally. He’d read in the paper two days ago that all these political folks were coming to town, and since he’d he’d never been to a political rally before, he thought he’d stop by. He was incredibly unassuming and a little shy… but very sweet young man who was curious about his political leaders. He ended up sitting next to Governor Warner, across the table from Governor Kaine. It was just one of those great stories…

Today’s rally at George Mason was great. About 450 people showed up on the campus of George Mason University in support of the all Democratic candidates in Northern Virginia. We had beautiful weather. Kaine, Warner and Webb rallied the crowd while a who’s who of Democratic activists and candidates stood on the stage and in the crowd.

Then it was off to Stafford where Governor Warner appeared with Senate Candidate Albert Pollard and Delegate Candidate Carlos Del Toro before a group of 150 seniors at the Falls Run Community Center. Governor Warner spoke about the importance of independent voices in the legislature and how Pollard was the right man for the job.

All the pictures are below. We all had such a blast traveling Virginia, rallying the voters to come out on Tuesday. To all the volunteers we’ve met along the way—keep up the good work!

"You ready to win? Yeah!"

Governor Warner joined State Sen. Creigh Deeds in Winchester on Sunday, at a rally for Senate Candidate Karen Schultz. Schultz is running a close race to fill the open seat of retiring Senator Russ Potts.

Governor Warner stressed the importance of continuing “common sense leadership” that reaches across party lines and fiscal responsibility, in the same vein as Senator Potts. From the Northern Virginia Daily:

The bipartisan get-together that saluted Potts last month speaks volume about the region and the people who live here, he said.

“I can’t imagine a room anywhere else in the state where you’d have so many Republicans, Democrats, independents, Libertarians, vegetarians, all together because they were celebrating the common sense leadership that is so desperately needed at every level of political leadership,” he said. “That’s what Karen Schultz is going to bring to the Virginia Senate.”

Warner said Schultz would continue the district’s history of fiscal conservatism.

“Time and again there’s a bunch of people in the legislature who just want to say no,” he said. “We want someone who will go down with an independent voice.”

The Winchester Star adds:

Warner said the successes of his term in office, in terms of education and business, were due to Democrats and Republicans working together.

Warner said he believes Schultz will be an independent voice in Richmond. She is also a fiscal conservative, who will pay for what is promised and not pass costs on in the future, he said.

It’s this type of common-sense approach that makes Virginia Democrats so successful. Like Governor Warner, Karen Schultz and other Democratic candidates are looking to bring some much needed change to Richmond, change that is willing and able to work with others to do the work of the people of Virginia.

Priceless

Our staff had a great time campaigning this weekend, getting-out-the-vote for Election Day tomorrow. We’re going to continue helping our local candidates today and tomorrow, and look forward to celebrating Tuesday night.

There are a lot of stories and pictures from this weekend’s Countdown to Progress tour – which continues today with rallies at George Mason University and Old Dominion University. Governor Warner met some amazing people on his tour and stopped by some of his favorite places in Southwest and Southside.

But no story can compare to those we’ve been hearing about the Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store, where Governor Warner, Governor Kaine and other Democratic leaders jammed out to bluegrass music into the night. And there’s no image that can compare to this one:

Special thanks to Larry Middleton for taking this photo and sending it along. It’s priceless!

Mark Warner checks in

Governor Warner phoned-in this report last night on his way back from Southwest and Southside Virginia, where he stopped in Floyd, Rocky Mount, Christiansburg, Martinsville, and Danville. The pictures and stories are on their way, but click here for the Governor’s update.

The Potential '08 Senate Matchup?

The Friends of Mark Warner staff is out campaigning today for Tuesday's legislative elections. It's a gorgeous day and a great day to get out the vote. Meanwhile, the Virginan-Pilot has a story up today about a potential Warner-Gimore match up. Take a look... and remember to vote in their poll.

Rallying in Christiansburg

We were in Christiansburg this morning for a rally with Congressman Rick Boucher. It was a solid crowd that was equally as excited as yesterday’s crowds. About 100 people turned up at the Montgomery Country Government Complex for Delegate Candidate Peggy Frank. The pictures from that event are below. Off to Rocky Mount and Martinsville now—more updates soon!

The Sounds of Victory in Floyd

We just got back from our first day on the Countdown to Progress tour -- and what a way to start the weekend.

Tonight, we were in Floyd, Virginia, at the Friday Night Floyd Country Store Jamboree. The place was packed with 200+ people, all here to see some really talented bluegrass groups and jug bands at the local country story in Floyd. Bluegrass music is such a big part of Southwest Virginia's history, and tonight, the crowds were joined by Governor Warner and Governor Kaine, along with Delegate Candidate Eric Ferguson and State Senator Roscoe Reynolds. House Minority Leader Ward Armstrong, House Caucus Chairman Brian Moran, and State Senator Creigh Deeds were also there.

The energy in the room was electric. Everyone was tapping their feet and dancing along -- including Governor Warner! Those in attendance were treated to an impromptu musical performance by Governor Kaine and Governor Warner. Governor Kaine brought down the house with his harmonica as Governor Warner "played" the banjo.

We all had a great time as we fired up the crowd with not only great bluegrass music, but with the excitement of sending some great folks to Richmond. Eric Ferguson is one of many fine Democrats that has a good chance of helping us make gains in the House of Delegates, while Roscoe Reynolds is a constant leader that we need to make sure gets sent back to Richmond.

Here are some of the pictures. Don't forget: if you were with us tonight at the Jamboree, add your pictures to our Flickr group so we can share them on the blog.

Counting Down to Progress

Governor Warner will be campaigning with Governor Kaine, Senator Jim Webb, and other Democratic leaders during the Countdown to Progress tour this weekend. They’ll be all over the Commonwealth, rallying for our Democratic candidates in the final push before Election Day.

Check back here throughout the weekend for updates from the trail. If you have pictures you’d like to share, join the ‘Friends of Mark Warner’ group on Flickr, and pool your pictures, and we may post them on the blog.

Here’s where we’ll be:

Friday, November 2, 2007

• 7:20pm—Floyd Country Store Music Jamboree (206 S. Locust St., Floyd, VA)

Saturday, November 3, 2007

• 9:30am—Rally w/ Congressman Rick Boucher at the Montgomery County Government Complex (755 Roanoke St., Christiansburg, VA)
• 12pm—Meet & Greet at Eric Ferguson for Delegate Office (355 Franklin St., Rocky Mount, VA)
• 3pm—Martinsville Canvass Launch (28 Fayette St., Martinsville, VA)
• 5pm—Ma Possum’s with Delegate Candidate Adam Tomer (5 Arnett Blvd., Danville, VA)
• 6:15pm—Union Street Baptist Church Rally (100 Syamore Street, Danville, VA)

Sunday, November 4, 2007

• 4:15pm—Rally w/ Senate Candidate Karen Schultz at James Wood Middle School (1313 Amherst St., Winchester, VA)

Monday, November 5, 2007

• 8am—Meet & Greet at Garden Kitchen in Occoquan (404 Mill St., Occoquan, VA)
• 10am—Senator Chuck Colgan Field Event at City Tavern Grill (9405 Main St., Manassas, VA)
• 11:15am—Rally at George Mason University
• 2pm—Meet & Greet at Falls Run Community Center (101 Bridgewater St., Fredericksburg, VA)
• 5:15pm—Rally at Old Dominion University

Mark Warner at the Q&A Cafe

A couple of weeks ago, Governor Warner joined ex-journalist Carol Joynt for the Q&A Cafe Nathan’s Restaurant in Washington, D.C. In one segment, he was asked to discuss some of his first priorities if he gets elected to the Senate.

In the hour-long interview, Governor Warner talks about his views on the challenges that face our country and his reasons for running for the Senate. We’ll have the entire video soon; in the mean time, listen to the audio here: