Week Three- A More Intimate Setting

This week we are going to discuss an election that hits a little closer to home- the contention for the position of class II senator after former incumbent John Warner declined to run for office once more. Vying for the position are two former Virginia governors (Republican nominee Jim Gilmore and the man who succeeded him in office, Democratic nominee Mark Warner). Also in the race is Libertarian nominee Bill Redpath & Glenda Gail Parker representing the Green party. Those two nominees, however, have failed to get any notable traction and the race is largely between Gilmore and Warner.
Jim Gilmore held office as Governor of the state of Virginia from 1998-2002; his accomplishments while in office include a car tax reduction, improvements in educational standards, and implementing a law that designated a holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He recently made an unsuccessful bid for Presidential candidacy, which he gave up hopes for on July 14th, 2007.
Mark Warner would succeed Gilmore as governor in 2002. During his term, the Government Performance Project would grade the state of Virginia an A-, making it (along with Utah) the best-run state of the current time. His clout is considered to have aided his successor, Democrat Tim Kaine, in getting elected Governor himself. Warner would rule out running for President of the United States in 2008 and instead focused his attention on the position of Senator. He would, however, deliver the keynote speech at the Democratic Convention in August, supporting presidential nominee Barack Obama.
Energy has been a key factor talked about in the election. Mark Warner has been stressing the necessity of alternative energy resources whereas Jim Gilmore endorses offshore drilling, much like Presidential nominee John McCain.
A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports (taken on September 25th) has revealed that Warner leads Gilmore by a wide margin, his support being 60% while the latter's is 34%. This may not be a tight election at all.