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One.

That's one for the Democrats:
RICHMOND, Sept. 12 -- Former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner will announce in an e-mail to supporters Thursday morning that he plans to run next year for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican John W. Warner.

Sources close to the former governor said Warner has told them he will announce his intention to run for the Senate in 2008, which would set the stage for one of the most competitive races in the country next year.
The Republicans are defending 22. The Dems are defending 12. That's already a very tough playing field. Mark Warner is very highly regarded in Virginia. In what is likely to be a "blue" year, if the GOP wants to beat him they'll have to run Robert E. Lee.

On the downside it means he's not available for Veep.

“One.”

  1. Blogger Unknown Says:

    I ran across a true-believer elsewhere who realy believes that the GOP may pick up the Senate next year! Nine of the Democratic seats are sure bets. Of the others, New Jersey hasn't elected a GOP Senator since 1972 and isn't likely to do so again any time soon. If Johnson of South Dakota continues to recover, the GOP can't run the kind of campaign they need to win without it backfiring on them. Only the relatively clueless Landrieu is in real trouble, and even she might survive if a reformist Republican Jindahl administration gets ensnared in Louisiana's notoriously corrupt politics, which it probably will be.

    On the GOP side, there are 10 genuinely safe seats - probably 11 if no one comes up with goods on the never-married Lindsay Graham being a closet-case. Even among the safe seats, there are signs of trouble: Cornyn of Texas has but a 42% approval rating and Mitch McConnell of KY is sub-50%!

    It is never over 'til it's over, but the odds are the GOP will number 45-46 votes at best after election day 2008.

  2. Blogger Michael Reynolds Says:

    I think you have a very accurate analysis there. I don;t think either of us wants to bet the mortgage on it yet, but the GOP is looking at a very tough climb.