Mark Warner for Senate

The 'radical centrist' is the right man to carry on John Warner's legacy of nonpartisan pragmatism.

VIRGINIANS WILL cast a defining vote in the state's history when they go to the polls in three weeks to select a successor to U.S. Sen. John W. Warner (R). Virginia needs a senator who can sustain Mr. Warner's 30-year tradition of label-defying leadership, in which he put his state and country before his political party. Voters also must choose a candidate who can grasp the nuances of erratic financial markets and who will bring a deft touch to the difficult decisions that will determine the country's fiscal future. By these criteria -- and many others -- the choice between two ex-governors is clear. One candidate, Democrat Mark R. Warner (no relation to John), is a successful entrepreneur who rescued Virginia from insolvency by streamlining government while modestly raising taxes -- and still left office with an approval rating above 70 percent. The other, Republican James S. Gilmore III., is an unapologetic, not very thoughtful partisan whose reckless tax cuts nearly drove Virginia to financial ruin. We endorse Mr. Warner without reservations.

The contest between Mr. Warner and Mr. Gilmore is as much a referendum on their tenures as governor as it is on their plans for the Senate. At debates and in speeches, the candidates have sparred over who left the state in worse shape. Mr. Warner's turn as governor wasn't blemish-free, but Mr. Gilmore's disingenuous claims distort the record. In reality, his Ahabian pursuit of tax cuts paralyzed the state economy. He left his successor, Mr. Warner, with a $4 billion deficit to deal with. Mr. Warner had no choice but to raise taxes. What's remarkable -- and telling about his consensus-building style of leadership -- is that he persuaded so many Republicans to go along with the reform package. His success was based in part on his business-like reform of state government, especially the transportation department, and in part on his willingness to listen to all players, from either party and every region of the state. Mr. Gilmore's knee-jerk opposition to the $700 billion federal rescue of the financial system shows that his irresponsibility would continue in the Senate. He is attacking "Wall Street high rollers" and other nebulous punching bags without offering a viable alternative to unfreeze credit markets and steer the economy out of a nosedive. Mr. Warner has resolutely supported the bailout and understands the complexities underlying the current economic crisis.

Some of Mr. Warner's campaign promises give us pause. Mr. Warner supports Congress's effort to undermine the District's ability to author its own gun laws, a bit of political pandering that he would never countenance for Virginia. And though Mr. Warner speaks of a "fresh approach to investing in America's infrastructure," he provides few specifics on how to fund transit. But as governor of Virginia, Mr. Warner proved that his "radical centrist" style of leadership could produce results on even the thorniest issues. On Capitol Hill, where there is a deficit of pragmatic leadership, we believe he could do the same.