Gilmore Seeks Some McCain Momentum

RICHMOND, Sept. 8 -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III's new TV ad tries to latch on to the momentum of the GOP presidential ticket by aligning the former Virginia governor with the policies of Sen. John McCain.

The ad also seeks to tie Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner to Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the Democratic presidential nominee.

But Warner, also a former governor, picked up endorsements Monday from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Fraternal Order of Police, two groups that traditionally support GOP candidates.

"People know my record of independence," Warner said.

Gilmore sees an opportunity to jump start his campaign by tying his run to the enthusiasm among Republicans over McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

"We need Jim Gilmore in the U.S. Senate, and so does John McCain," states a narrator in the ad, who adds that McCain and Gilmore are "veterans who will keep America safe, keep taxes low and bring down gas prices."

The ad, which is being paid for by the Virginia Republican Party and includes footage of McCain-Gilmore signs, is the most visible example to date that Virginia's Senate race is becoming entwined in the state's newfound status as a battleground in the presidential race.

Although recent polls indicate that Obama and McCain (Ariz.) are locked in a close race in Virginia, Warner has consistently held a double-digit lead over Gilmore. Warner also had more than $5 million in the bank as of June 30, compared with Gilmore's $116,000.

Gilmore suffered another setback last week when Del. Robert G. Marshall, the Prince William County antiabortion activist who ran for the GOP nomination for Senate in June, said he will not endorse his former rival. Marshall accused Gilmore of running a nasty campaign during their nomination fight.

To counteract those and other doubts about Gilmore, Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, said the state party would step up its efforts to tie Warner to Obama.

"The more people learn about Mark Warner, the less they like him," Frederick said. "The fact is, he is a liberal who makes campaign promises he doesn't keep."

Gilmore will join McCain and Palin at a rally Wednesday in Fairfax County. Obama will hold a town hall meeting today in southwestern Virginia, but Warner will not attend because he has a previously scheduled fundraiser.