Warner's retirement and what it means for government IT

Hmmm. Sounds like a yes to me.Of course, if Davis does run, most people expect that his Democratic challenger will be former Virginia Governor . That will be a tough race. Unlike Davis, Warner has run a state-wide campaign in Virginia, and he has deep pockets. (Warner was one of the early investors in Nextel, co-founded Capital Cellular Corporation, and he built up an estimated fortune of over $200 million.)Election season is heating up fast.

Virginia Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) just announced that he is not going to be running for re-election.

What does that mean for government IT?

Well, it probably means that Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will be running for Warner's seat.

Davis has been known to be antsy about his place in the House. Back in 2005, he pondered leaving for a high-paying job with the National Federation of Independent Business, although, in the end he decided to stay put.

Congressman Tom Davis issued the following statement today on Sen. John Warner's announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2008:

"Senator Warner is a giant.

"For decades, he's been everything a public servant should be: thoughtful, honorable, persistent, courageous and generous. He's been that rare politician who cares more about getting things done than getting credit.

"He's made Virginia a better place. He's made our nation more secure.

"He'll go down in history as one of the greats — and I'm sure there are several chapters yet to be written.

"Today's a day to celebrate and honor John Warner. He's more than earned a victory lap. An announcement from me on my future plans can wait for another day."

This is the only public statement Davis will be making today.




Mark Warner