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GILMORE EDGES MARSHALL GILMORE BIOGRAPHY

June 1, 2008 5:00 am

BY CHELYEN DAVIS

RICHMOND--

Gilmore squeaked past Del. Bob Marshall at the Republican convention held here, winning 50.3 percent of the vote, or 5,222 votes to Marshall's 5,156. He will face Democrat Mark Warner, also a former governor, in the November election.

Fredericksburg-area delegates split on the two candidates. Gilmore won the 7th District vote, while Marshall carried the 1st District.

Republicans also elected Del. Jeff Frederick, R-Prince William, as their new chairman, over current chairman John Hager.

Gilmore cast Warner as a "limousine liberal" who is "out of touch" with voters, and said the election is about national issues such as taxes and gas prices.

"Mark Warner is just another Connecticut liberal, a limousine liberal who says one thing to get elected and another thing once he's in office," Gilmore said.

Gilmore said he would oppose federal funding for abortion, support judges who "strictly interpret the law," vote for a federal constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and oppose earmarks and pork-barrel spending.

He also spoke about gas prices and his belief that the United States must find more domestic oil sources to bring prices down.

He connected himself with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, and Warner with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

"Barack Obama and Mark Warner are out of touch," Gilmore said. "And I can tell you right now, McCain-Gilmore will beat Obama-Warner in November."

Warner spokesman Kevin Hall released a statement about Gilmore's nomination. "When Jim Gilmore was governor, he showed he could not work with a legislature controlled by his own party on important issues like the budget, so it's not surprising that members of his own party do not want to work with Jim Gilmore now.

"That's also why we're seeing unprecedented Republican and independent support for Governor Warner's honest and responsible record of leadership," Hall wrote.

Gilmore did not mention Marshall in his remarks, while Marshall had focused much of his own appeal to delegates on his belief that Gilmore is not anti-abortion enough to appease the party's social conservatives.

Ardently anti-abortion social conservatives packed the convention hall, waving signs and cheering "Go Bob go."

Marshall gave a brief concession speech. "This party needs to be united behind principle," he said. "Pro-life, real pro-life."

Speaking to reporters afterward, Gilmore conceded that the narrowness of his victory "was a surprise."

"We did not put resources into the convention that maybe we should have to get a larger margin," Gilmore said.

He said he has focused his campaign on Warner, and believes the issues important to general voters are different from the social issues driving Marshall's supporters.

Republican activist and Marshall supporter Shaun Kenney, a former spokesman for the party, said Gilmore "needs to reassure values voters that he's with them."

But the nominee said he's not going to change his principles to win political support. While he's anti-abortion and opposes late-term abortions, Gilmore said, "I've never believed we should impose a strict law on women that don't agree with us."

He also said Marshall's supporters aren't likely to back Warner.

"We believe they're going to be supportive of us," Gilmore said. "The things they believe in are things Mark Warner never supported."

Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com