Delegate Won't Run, Easing Gilmore's Senate Bid

By Tim Craig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 2, 2007

Virginia Del. Christopher B. Saxman said yesterday that he will not seek the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, clearing a major obstacle in former governor James S. Gilmore III's quest to unite the party around his candidacy before the state convention in May.

Saxman (Staunton) announced his decision at the Virginia Republican Party Advance in Crystal City, an annual retreat that draws hundreds of activists and party leaders.

In the evening, a presidential straw poll was held at the retreat. Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.) won with 38 percent of the votes; former Tennessee senator Fred D. Thompson came in second with 23 percent. The poll had no bearing on the delegates Virginia will send next summer to the national GOP convention. Virginia will hold a presidential primary Feb. 12.

Saxman, considered a rising star in the state party, said he decided to forgo a bid for the seat held by retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R) because he didn't think he would have enough time to raise the money needed to compete with Gilmore.

"The last two weeks have required much soul-searching and many discussions with my family," said Saxman, 42, who co-chairs the presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) in Virginia. "The decision came down to what would my family, supporters and I have to do to be successful."

Saxman's decision was a blow to party activists who want younger, fresher faces to lead the GOP after recent disappointments in statewide elections. Some believed Saxman, a three-term delegate with a reputation as a pragmatic conservative, could have bolstered the party's standing in Northern Virginia and among independents.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) is the only significant Republican besides Gilmore still publicly considering a Senate bid. Others could emerge, but some party leaders say it looks increasingly likely that Gilmore will be the nominee.

In a speech at the retreat, Gilmore said it's time to unify the party against former governor Mark R. Warner, the likely Democratic nominee in the Senate race. Gilmore suggested that Warner is a liberal aligned with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, a senator from New York. "Democrats do not understand the big picture," Gilmore said. "They do not understand the conflicts and challenges the state faces today and will face."

Gilmore said Republicans will do better than Democrats of protecting national security and controlling spending. Gilmore also took aim at Warner's decision as governor in 2004 to push for a $1.4 billion tax increase.

"Mark Warner will promise you he will not be partisan if he is elected to the Senate," Gilmore said. "Don't forget he also promised not to raise taxes." Mark Warner's supporters depict the Democrat as a popular centrist who fixed problems inherited from Gilmore.

Gilmore, known for his combative style, might struggle to prove to Republicans that he can beat the likely Democratic nominee.

"One of the things I am looking for from Jim is how he brings new, conservative ideas to bear on the issues we are dealing with on the federal level," said state Sen. Ken Cuccinelli II (R-Fairfax). "One challenge Gilmore has is he is felt to be a known quantity. So now that he is moving to a new level, he needs to find a way to revitalize the party."

Before Saxman bowed out, some GOP leaders seemed eager for a nomination battle between him and Gilmore.

In an interview Friday night, John Warner said he was hoping for a "good, strong, competitive field" for the nomination. He declined to say whether he would endorse the eventual GOP nominee.

Several Republicans say Gilmore, governor from 1998 to 2002, will face considerable challenges in uniting the party. Some say he was known as governor for being too dismissive of certain GOP activists.

"A lot of people in this party think they have a score to settle with Jim," said J. Kenneth Klinge, a GOP strategist from Alexandria.

J. Tucker Watkins, a party activist from southern Virginia, said Gilmore will have to overcome the perception that he was too inflexible as governor.

"There is nothing wrong with a guy who fills his promises, but sometimes being so focused made him tough with people," Watkins said.

In an interview, Gilmore said he's not worried about dissent within the GOP ranks. "I know what I have to do win statewide," he said.

Division within the GOP could imperil the party's chances of keeping the Senate seat John Warner has held since 1979. Mark Warner led Gilmore by 30 percentage points in a Washington Post poll in October.

Despite the Democrat's early advantage, Republican leaders said they will pull out all the stops to retain the seat.

"When people find out who the Democratic nominee for president is and they find a little bit more about Mark Warner, we will beat Mark Warner," said state party Chairman John H. Hager.

Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling (R) predicted that Mark Warner would face the toughest campaign of his career. "When you pull back the curtain and look at his record, it's not very impressive," Bolling said. "He is not the wizard everyone thinks he is."

There was also plenty of jockeying at the retreat among those who might run for governor, attorney general or lieutenant governor in 2009.

Bolling and Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, both possible candidates for governor, hosted hospitality suites Friday night. McDonnell's was particularly well attended because he brought in two Washington Redskins cheerleaders to sign pictures of the squad in their game-day outfits. McDonnell's wife, Maureen, was a Redskins cheerleader from 1974 to 1976.