Mark Warner is the incumbent US Senator from Virginia who assumed office on January 3, 2009 as the successor of John Warner. Formerly, Mark was Governor of Virginia from 2002 to 2006 and Chair of the National Governors’ Association from 2004 to 2005.
Early Life and Education
Mark Warner was born on December 15, 1954 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Raised by his father Robert and mother Marjorie Warner in Illinois and Vernon, Warner went to Rockville High School. after Rockville, he joined George Washington University for an undergraduate degree in political science. A valedictorian of George Washington, Warner went to Harvard Law School for a Juris Doctorate degree.
Personal Life
Mark Warner married Lisa Collis in 1989 after five years of their first meeting. The couple has three daughters named Madison, Gillian, and Eliza. The Warner family owns a 15-acre land which grows grapes for Ingleside Vineyards. Mark is a rich man in the Senate – he is worth around $250 million.
Career
While at George Washington University, he used to work at Capitol Hill in Senator Abraham Ribicoff’s office. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he became a staffer for Senator Christopher Dodd. Then, he founded a venture capital firm called Columbia Capital and became a largely successful figure in the finance sector.
In 1996, Mark ran for a seat in the US Senate. Unfortunately, he lost against incumbent John Warner after a narrow race. Saddened by the election outcome, Warner returned to his old profession in the financial sector. Yet, he remained heavily involved in the political sector as a Democrat. In 2001, he decided to run for Governor of Virginia. Having gained the Democratic nomination, Warner joined the Gubernatorial race against Mark Earley. He won 52.16% votes as opposed to Earley’s 47.03% votes.
Mark Warner’s term as Governor of Virginia ended on January 14, 2006. He didn’t seek a second term in the office despite having excellent approval ratings among the public. In 2008, Warner joined the Senatorial Election and defeated Jim Gilmore with 65.03% votes. Mark won a second term in Senator’s office in the 2014 election with 49.15% votes against Ed Gillespie’s 48.34% votes. As a Senator, he has been involved in the following committees:
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Committee on the Budget
- Committee on Finance
- Committee on Rules and Administration
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Joint Economic Committee
Moreover, Mark holds the position of Vice-Chair of the Senate Democratic Caucus and Vice Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee since January 3, 2017. Talking about his stands, Warner was one of the supporters of USA PATRIOT ACT and Manchin-Toomey Amendment which brought in background checks to own guns. Likewise, he voted for President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
Donald Trump and Mark Warner
Mark Warner is one of the leaders who believes that Donald Trump will not complete his four-year tenure successfully. Reportedly, he gave odds of two to one on President Trump getting impeached. Recently, he spoke up about Trump’s action of firing James Comey. Warner said, “This is a continuing pattern of disrespecting the men and women who serve in our intelligence community.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmZFzDQWQ80
