Mark Warner (D-Va.)

U.S. Senator (since January 2009)

Why He Matters

A millionaire businessman, popular ex-governor and now, junior senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mark Warner has been described as one of the fastest rising stars of the Democratic Party.

Warner has been active in Democratic politics his entire adult life, but didn't achieve elected office until winning Virginia's governorship in 2001. He's a self-styled "radical centrist," and during his gubernatorial campaign in 2001 Warner appealed to more than just the Democratic strongholds of northern Virginia and Richmond by relying on a pro-growth, no-tax-hike economic message while also courting gun owners and working the NASCAR circuit. He won election by nearly 100,000 votes and left office four years later with a 70 percent approval rating despite a tax hike.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: Virginia governor (2002 to 2006); Partner, Columbia Capital (1989 to 2002); Campaign Manager for Douglas Wilder (1989)
Birthday: Dec. 15, 1954
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
Alma Mater: George Washington University, B.A., 1977; Harvard University, J.D., 1980
Spouse: Lisa Collis
Religion: Presbyterian
Committees: Commerce, Science and Transportation ; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs ; Budget ; Rules and Administration ; Select Intelligence
DC Office: 459A Russell Senate Office Building, 202-224-2023

Path to Power

Born in Indianapolis, Ind., Warner is the son of Robert and Marge Warner, an insurance agent and housewife. The political bug struck Warner early on. "In 1968, I was in the eighth grade - old enough to get touched by the idealism of the '60s, but not old enough to get jaded by it," he says. "This world was transforming around the whole notion that you could make change."

After graduating from high school in Vernon, Conn., in 1973, Warner went on to George Washington University. He graduated from GWU in 1977, the first member of his family to receive a college diploma, and quickly moved on to Harvard Law, graduating in 1980.

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Warner then began his life in politics, working as a fundraiser in Washington. But the job left him sleeping on friends' couches, so he turned to business. After failing to find success in an energy venture and then again falling short with real estate, he hit the goldmine. Washington connections alerted Warner that the government would be giving away free radio frequencies that would one day connect millions of wireless phones. Warner seized the opportunity and organized investor groups, receiving a five percent ownership stake for handling the paperwork.

Warner is now worth $200 million, which would have made him the third richest member of Congress in 2008.

In 1989, Warner returned to politics, managing the successful Virginia gubernatorial campaign of Democrat L. Douglas Wilder, America's first black governor. He also married his wife - children's advocate Lisa Collis - that year and went on to become the chair of the state Democratic Party. Warner and Collis, who kept her maiden name, have three daughters, Madison, Gillian and Eliza.

Candidate Warner

Seven years later, Warner made his first run for elective office, ultimately failing in a bid to defeat popular Sen. John Warner (R-Va.). Even though Mark Warner spent $10 million of his personal fortune during the campaign, he finished six points behind the incumbent.

Warner spent the next few years traveling Virginia, particularly the rural areas, while watching the state Republican Party fall apart. The GOP's troubles, combined with a state financial crisis, created the perfect storm for Warner's gubernatorial candidacy. He announced his gubernatorial campaign in 2001. His combination of deep pockets and shrewd campaigning (he paid to have his name emblazoned on a NASCAR truck) led to a victory over former Virginia Attorney General Mark L. Earley.

As governor, Warner faced a series of crises, including a $6 billion budget deficit and the deadly Hurricane Isabel, but he was able to work effectively with Republicans, who held overwhelming majorities in both state houses to pass a $1.4 billion tax increase that put the state on course to fiscal responsibility. After his term expired, Warner had the highest approval percentage of any outgoing Virginia governor ever.

The Democrat's record of bipartisanship, along with his management skills, made Warner a much sought after candidate in the 2008 presidential election. His trips to states like Nevada and Iowa seemed to signal that Warner would run as a moderate contender to the more liberal Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. But on Oct. 12, 2006, he announced he would not run for president, citing a desire to spend time with his family. That may have been the best political decision he has made yet.

In May 2008, Warner launched his Senate bid for Warner's open seat. Upon his election, he joined Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.), the first time two Democrats have occupied both of Virginia's Senate seats since 1970.

The Issues

Warner has a strong reputation as both a moderate and a nonpartisan politician. He reached across party lines to clean up Virginia's finances and staked moderate positions on many social issues.

As senator, Warner is expected to push forward on the key issues of fiscal responsibility, healthcare and national competitiveness. Energy, he has said, will be his first priority in the Senate. "Energy could be the issue that challenges America's imagination and innovation," he said after his election.

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The Network

Warner began building his list of D.C. contacts while still in college, when he worked for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.).

Though Warner ran against John Warner in 1996 with the slogan "MarkNotJohn," the elder Warner went on to advise the younger, supporting his tax increases while Warner was governor. He later vowed not to run for Senate until the senior Senator declared his intention not to seek re-election, which he did in 2008. The elder Warner even flirted with the idea of crossing party lines to vote for the younger. "I'm watching that race, following the positions of the two candidates," John Warner said in early October 2008. "There have been occasions when I have supported Democratic candidates. But I'm not there yet."

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