This Senate race not expected

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Two ex-governors offer contrasts

By Chelyen Davis

Date published: 10/30/2008

The Senate race between former governors Mark Warner and Jim Gilmore was supposed to be a clash of the titans, a battle between two men whose fiscal policies are diametrically opposed, who occupied the Governor's Mansion back-to-back and have pointedly different views of who caused the fiscal problems in the early 2000s.

Warner, the Democrat, and Gilmore, the Republican, have pulled few punches in criticizing each other, each suggesting the other is untrustworthy with a government checkbook.

But Gilmore has had troubles since he narrowly won his party's nomination in June. Warner has raised much more money than Gilmore, which means Warner can run TV ads and Gilmore can't.

Gap in the polls

That has made it difficult for Gilmore to close a gap in the polls, which show Warner more than 20 points ahead.

Neither man wants his supporters to put much faith in those polls, however. Warner doesn't want his voters to stay home, thinking him safe.

"We've got a very strong response, but I'm not taking anything for granted," Warner said in an interview this week.

And Gilmore doesn't want his voters to be discouraged and says he feels a lot of energy on the campaign trail.

"This poll stuff is puzzling to me. I've run two statewide campaigns and I feel better about this one" than the other two, Gilmore said this week. "I'm very happy with the campaign. I've been to 100 cities and counties in the last six weeks. I know how things are going; I'm feeling it out there."

Voters definitely have a choice between different records and priorities in the two men.

Car tax cited

Gilmore, who was governor from 1998 to 2002, repeatedly mentions his efforts to cut taxes as governor--most notably the car tax, which led eventually to a fight between Gilmore and Republicans in the state Senate as the economy soured in 2001. He has made domestic oil drilling a central piece of his campaign, and adamantly opposes the financial bailout package recently passed by Congress.

MARK WARNER: Age: 54 Education: George Washington University; Harvard Law School Party: Democrat Political offices held: Governor of Virginia, 2002-06 Family: wife, Lisa Collis; three daughters. JIM GILMORE: Age: 59 Education: University of Virginia; University of Virginia Law School Party: Republican Political offices held: Henrico County Commonwealth's Attorney, 1988-94; Attorney General of Virginia, 1994-97; Governor of Virginia, 1998-2002 Family: wife, Roxane; two sons.

Date published: 10/30/2008