Over the weekend, former Virginia Governor and flameout 2008 presidential candidate Jim Gilmore eked out an underwhelming victory with a margin of just over a half a percentage point over a largely unknown opponent to secure the Republican Senate nomination in the commonwealth. As if that were not indication enough that the GOP base isn't coming together behind Gilmore, The Hill reports that some of the big local Republican players are shying away from making endorsements as well.
Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) is avoiding an endorsement in the closely watched Senate contest to succeed him, so far declining to support fellow Republican Jim Gilmore several days after the former Virginia governor clinched the GOP nomination.Warner, 81, who announced last September he will retire when his fifth term ends in January, twice shunned inquiries about his stance in the race, directing reporters to a statement that his press office said is not forthcoming.
"I'm not going to keep answering this question about Gilmore," Warner said. "I'll get my press office to send you a statement."
Warner's communications staff said no statement has been released and that there is no specific timetable for one.A sitting senator resisting to back the party's choice to succeed him would be extraordinary in itself, but Warner's seat also is a top target for Democrats next year looking to increase its majority in the Senate.
The Hill also cites Congressman Tom Davis, who is retiring in Northern Virginia this year and who was expected to run for the Senate before Gilmore jumped in the race, as another key pol unwilling to officially endorse at this juncture.
To an extent, this is a moot point. The Democratic nominee, former Governor Mark Warner, is remarkably popular in the state. Current polling puts the Democratic Warner up a solid 18-points over GIlmore in a head-to-head. Nonetheless, it's never a good thing for a party to be this divided and this unprepared heading into a key Senate election, one in a state that has at least a bit of a lean in their direction. And given the current state of affairs, it looks like the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is not going to need to invest much, if any, resources to Virginia this cycle -- freeing up cash to go to states like Mississippi, Alaska, North Carolina and others, increasing the likelihood of big gains come November.
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