Gov. Mark Warner (left) talks with state Sen. John Chichester, R-Northumberland, during the King George Fall Festival in 2002. FILE/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Gov. Mark Warner speaks about tax studies at the start of last year's legislative session as House Speaker Bill Howell, R-Stafford, and state Sen. John Chichester, R-Northumberland, look on. FILE/THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Strong finish for a governor who began his administration with a shaky start, under difficult circumstances.

Date published: 1/1/2006

By CHELYEN DAVIS

RICHMOND--This time four years ago, Mark Warner was getting a rather nasty surprise.

Newly elected governor, he was discovering that the state's budget was far less healthy than he had believed.

A recession was beginning, budget cuts would be looming on his watch, Republicans dominated the legislature and were fighting him and each other.

He'd just spent a campaign promising to raise teacher salaries, spend more on the environment, finish eliminating the car tax, and not raise taxes.

Now there was no money for any of those things.

Fast-forward four years, as Warner is preparing to leave office next month.

By most reckonings--except for those who despised his tax package of 2004, which broke a campaign promise by raising taxes--he has had a remarkably successful term.

His approval ratings are consistently high, the state's budget is much healthier, Virginia's Department of Transportation is more efficient and reliable, and he was able to make some of the changes and investments he promised four years ago.

"It's been a very successful term. It's hard to describe it any other way," said University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato. "He came in at a tough time. There was no money. The Republicans had just taken a landslide in the legislature. Things didn't look good. But he worked through the problems and ended up triumphant. It's a storybook ending. I didn't see that coming. Frequently these businessmen governors who've never been elected to anything before, flop. So he's the exception."

Warner's first few months in office wouldn't have earned him such praise. Trying to find his way in his first elected office, Warner worked hard to compromise with Republican legislative leaders--and wound up watching them hand him legislative defeats.

The Republican majority was still new, and it was the first time Republicans had controlled the legislature under a Democratic governor. Political observers wondered if the new governor was ever going to stand up for himself.

"He was frustrated. I don't know whether he remembers or not, but he was very frustrated for a long while," Sabato said. "He really wanted to be a success, and nothing was coming together for him. [People thought], what in the world would his legacy be? How can we sell a paragraph about this guy, much less a book?"

Date published: 1/1/2006