Va. Sen. John Warner Announces Upcoming Retirement

Mark Warner met with his kitchen cabinet Thursday morning at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, assembling close longtime friends and advisers. Several said Warner did not disclose whether he plans to run for John Warner's seat but instead discussed the plusses and minuses of different political directions.

John Warner stayed out of partisan politics Friday, declining to say whom he might favor as a successor. He did, however, deliver an indirect but unmistakable shout-out to Davis, saying congressional experience would be important for anyone succeeding him. "That's the type of experience I hope will come forward to win this election," he said.

Warner's departure will also help sort out the 2009 Virginia governor's race. Allen, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell could be GOP candidates if Davis and Gilmore run for Senate.

"What you have here in both parties are what you might call political heavyweights who have been elected at least one time to statewide office thinking about where they're going to reenter," said Robert D. Holsworth, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. "And you have folks who are holding lower-level offices wanting to move up. Everybody is calculating where to make that decision."

The senator's retirement introduces a new element of uncertainty in Fairfax. Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly (D), a candidate for a second term in November, is known to be interested in Davis's seat in the 11th District, which is rapidly turning Democratic. Former Democratic representative Leslie L. Byrne of Fairfax is another possible contender.

Connolly, who has declined to commit to serving a full term if reelected, said Friday he is focused on the chairman's job. Republicans said Friday that they are urging Connolly's GOP opponent this fall, attorney Gary H. Baise, to make Connolly's intentions a campaign issue. The possibility of an open chairman's seat further scrambles the local political picture.

"The good senator's departure ignites a political powder keg," Fairfax Supervisor T. Dana Kauffman (D-Lee) said. "It's certainly rare for a congressional seat to open up. But to have a Senate seat, a congressional seat and the chairmanship all basically open up at once is unprecedented."

Friday's announcement is another sign of the political and cultural shift underway in Virginia, which in recent years has elected two consecutive Democratic governors and a Democratic senator. The departure of the courtly, theatrical Warner, who relished the role of elder statesman and Virginia gentleman farmer, also signals the end of an era. His penchant for bipartisan collaboration earned him lasting friendships on both sides of the aisle in Washington.

"At a time when our political climate is as partisan and divisive as ever, John Warner embodies bipartisanship, courtesy and generosity," Webb said.

"He will have a successor, but not a replacement," said another Democrat, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

Warner's exit will complete a remarkable personal passage for a man once derided by critics at the start of his Senate career as a shallow, social climbing dilettante who married money (heiress Barbara Mellon) and then fame (Taylor) to make his political mark.

But Warner dug in and mastered defense and national security issues, diligently delivering for the state's military bases and defense contractors, especially in the Newport News area. Local officials praised his work on behalf of major transportation projects such as the Woodrow Wilson Bridge replacement.

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va) said most Virginians probably aren't aware of how many issues Warner was involved in over the years. "Someone who moved here in 1992, they don't know how much he did before then. The entire Metro system, I-66, Wolf Trap -- he did it all."

Warner also established himself as a politician willing to buck party orthodoxy. He drew scorn from the party's conservatives for opposing Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork and for rejecting 1994 Senate candidate Oliver North as unfit for office because of North's role in the Iran-contra scandal.

But his outlook also earned him the trust and respect of Virginia voters. "The approach he took was one I hope will be emulated by others,"' said former governor Gerald L. Baliles (D). "He listened, he reflected on his options and made his decision with a great deal of courage."

The setting Friday was sentimental for Warner, whose pursuit of a law degree at U-Va. was interrupted by his Marine service in the Korean War. He went out with a flourish, invoking Shakespeare and Jefferson. "There is a fullness of time when men should go and not occupy too long the ground to which others have the right to advance," he said, quoting Jefferson.

"I have decided to follow this sage, fair wisdom," Warner said, "and yield the right to others to advance."

Staff writers Daniella Deane, Amy Gardner, Anita Kumar, Michael D. Shear and Jonathan Weisman contributed to this report.