|
Chichester
Warner |
RICHMOND--
Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner is about to launch the first TV ad of this race--complete with the endorsement of a prominent Republican.Former state Sen. John Chichester, a Republican originally from Stafford County who now lives in Northumberland County, is featured in the ad praising Warner's handling of a budget shortfall in 2002 after he took office as governor.
Warner's opponent in this fall's Senate race is former Gov. Jim Gilmore, who preceded Warner in office. Warner says Gilmore disguised the size of a budget problem as the state slid into a recession in 2001; Gilmore says he did not, and that he left the state with a balanced budget.
In the ad, Chichester sides with Warner's version.
"We were in trouble. Six billion dollars worth of trouble," Chichester says in the Warner ad. "I've seen governors come and go. Mark Warner was different."
Chichester also says Warner "brought integrity back to the budget process."
Chichester, who retired last year, was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee at the time. He led a rebellion of Senate Republicans in 2001 against Gilmore's budget, because he felt Gilmore had improperly used budget gimmicks to justify implementing the next phase of the "car-tax" cut.
Chichester also allied with Warner in 2003 to push through a package of tax changes.
It's early for a candidate to run television ads for a November election, but Warner has eight times as much money as Gilmore.
Chichester couldn't be reached for comment on the ad, and Republicans at the party's state convention yesterday declined to comment.
Chelyen Davis: 804/782-9362
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
