Mark Warner
Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American politician and the senior United States Senator from Virginia, in office since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Warner was the 69th Governor of Virginia, holding the office from 2002 to 2006, and is the honorary chairman of the Forward Together PAC. Warner delivered the keynote address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Apart from politics, Warner is also known for his involvement in telecommunications-related venture capital during the 1980s; he founded the firm Columbia Capital. In 2006 he was widely expected to pursue the Democratic nomination in the 2008 U.S. presidential elections; however, he announced in October 2006 that he would not run, citing a desire not to disrupt his family life. Warner was considered to be a potential vice presidential candidate, until he took himself out of consideration after receiving the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. Contested by another former governor of Virginia, Jim Gilmore, Warner won the election with 65% of the vote. Warner won re-election to the seat in 2014, defeating former Republican National Chairman Ed Gillespie although his margin of 17,000 votes was narrower than expected. Gillespie conceded on November 7, 2014.