Shortly after Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) called a special session to try to tackle transportation funding issues, the governor gave a blunt assessment of what he hoped to accomplish by advocating a tax increase even though he didn't have the support of the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.

"It will be very productive to either try to find a solution or make it plain to people who are standing in the way," Kaine said in an interview with The Washington Post in May. "We are going to make something happen or let the public see who is obstructing, and frankly, that is one of the reasons why Democrats have won elections in Virginia."

But 10 days into the special session on transportation -- legislators have been on vacation for six of those days -- it remains uncertain whether any solution will be found or whether the governor will score any of those political points.

Republican U.S. Senate James S. Gilmore III is preparing for a major campaign push across Virginia, including reaching out to voters in Fairfax County.

On Friday, Gilmore will march in the Dale City Independence Day parade during the morning. Gilmore, a former governor, will then attend the Leadership Institute's "Annual Conservative Fourth of July Soirée" at Bull Run Park in Centreville. The event is billed as a "patriotic annual celebration for all things conservative." Gilmore will wrap up his July 4 politicking by participating in the Clifton Independence Day parade and picnic.

"This is just the beginning," Ana Gamonal, a Gilmore spokeswoman, said of the campaign's efforts in Fairfax County, a county Gilmore won during his 1998 bid for governor but has since been trending Democratic. "By spending one of the busiest days of the campaign in Northern Virginia, this shows our commitment to the region."

Former governor Mark R. Warner (D) has already spent $4.2 million on his bid for the U.S. Senate.

Warner has raised $9.3 million since he got into the race in September, and has $5.1 million left in the bank, according to his latest campaign finance report, which was first reported on by the Associated Press.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) now has another $100,000 donor to his political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward.

John O. Wynne, retired president and chief executive officer of Landmark Communications, which owns The Weather Channel and several newspapers, including the Virginian Pilot and Roanoke Times, gave Moving Virginia Forward $25,000 on June 20. Since Kaine took office in 2006, Wynne has contributed $125,000 to Moving Virginia Forward.

There are now six individuals or organizations that have contributed at least $100,000 to Kaine's political committee, which he uses to try to bolster the Virginia Democratic Party, including the governor's successful efforts last year in winning control of the state Senate, according to the Virginia Board of Elections and the Virginia Public Access Project.

W. Gerald Massengill, a retired Virginia State Police superintendent appointed by former Republican Gov. James S. Gilmore III, today endorsed Democrat Mark R. Warner for U.S. Senate.

Massengill, best known for heading the panel that reviewed the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre, was joined by five other law enforcement officials from around the state for a news conference in Richmond with Warner.

A self-described Republican who spent 37 years in the state police force, Massengill was appointed superintendent in 2000 and served until 2003. That meant he served under Gilmore and Warner, who was governor from 2002 to 2006.

Former governor Mark R. Warner and his wife, Lisa Collis, kicked in a lot of cash to get the Virginia Democratic Party's campaign efforts off the ground.

Some of Warner's biggest supporters aided in the effort, donating to a new Virginia Democratic fundraising committee after they gave all they legally can to Warner's Senate campaign.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) is urging Democrats not to take Republican Senate James S. Gilmore III for granted. In an email, Kaine urges people to donate to Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner because Gilmore will be formidable.

"Mark Warner is facing one of the fiercest, most aggressive campaigners in our state's history," said Kaine, who is asking people to donate $5 to Warner. "Before you know it, the polls will tighten, negative attacks will hit the airwaves, and Mark will need the resources to fire back and get his message out."

Ana Gamonal, a Gilmore spokesman, said she doesn't have a problem with Kaine calling her boss "fierce".

"They realize this race is not over as some folks have said," Gamonal said. "We absolutely believe as we move forward into the debates and we start talking substance and policy issues, and Mark Warner is forced to take positions, that Jim Gilmore will win the November election."

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), the chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, announced today that Allison Coccia will be the new executive director of the party.

Coccia is the former executive director of the New York Republican State Committee and has also been the political director of Republican Party of Pennsylvania. In both jobs, her task was complicated by an electorate that had soured on the GOP brand.

"After a thorough search that entailed interviewing several outstanding candidates, I concluded that Allison offers us a proven record at improving fundraising, communications, and building the grassroots," Frederick said.

As part of the General Assembly's ongoing special session, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee will try Wednesday to push through proposals to increase Virginia's 17.5 cent a gallon gas tax to raise money for transportation.

Majority Leader Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) wants a 6 cent a gallon increase, which will be phased in over six years. Sen. Charles J. Colgan (D-Prince William), chairman of the Finance Committee, wants the tax raised 1.6 cents per year for 10 years. Saslaw notes Virginia's gas tax is far below the national average of 28.5 cents a gallon. Republicans, along with Democrats in the House, argue its irresponsible to raise the gas tax because consumers are already being hit with record fuel prices.

Former Democratic governor Mark R. Warner, a candidate for U.S. Senate, appears to be siding with the GOP and House Democrats in this debate.

The Republican Party of Virginia is apparently struggling to raise money as it gears up for the presidential race and this year's U.S. Senate race between Democrat Mark R. Warner and Republican James S. Gilmore III.

In an email to supporters today, the state party said it has been running a deficit in recent months.

"Just a few weeks ago, we began our efforts to provide bold, new leadership to the Republican Party of Virginia," the email states. "Yet, it hasn't been easy. RPV ran deficits in April, May and now in June, and recent fundraisers have actually lost money."

Washingtonpost.com's Chris Cillizza ranks the seat of retiring Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) as the second most likely congressional district in the country to flip from one party to the other in this year's elections.

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly, who secured the Democratic nomination 10 days ago, is running against Republican businessman Keith Fimian in Virginia's 11th District.

No other Virginia district makes Cillizza's top 20 list this week, but some Democrats believe Rep. Thelma Drake, a Republican who represents Virginia Beach, is vulnerable. Virginia Democrats are also hopeful they can give GOP Reps. Frank R. Wolf in Northern Virginia and Virgil Goode in Southside tough races, even though they represent Republican-leaning districts.

Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia professor known for his Election Day observations, today released his most recent take on the U.S. Senate races this November which includes the popular prediction that Virginia's open seat likely will go Democratic.

Sabato expects Democrats to pick up between three and seven seats to add to their razor-thin 51-49 margin in what is shaping up to be a tough political environment for Republicans across the nation. But that's still less than they need to reach 60, the number needed to shut down filibusters.

The Virginia Organizing Project, a group dedicated to combating racial and economic injustice, is engaged in a big effort this year to spread its political message and register new voters.

The Charlottesville-based group has 10 paid field organizers and 50 interns fanned out across the state knocking on doors each day. On an average night, they can hit as many as 4,000 households, according to Joe Szakos, the executive director.

By the end of July, Szakos said the staffers and interns and other volunteers will have distributed about 300,000 voting guides, which contain information about state and federal issues and details on how and where to go to register to vote.

Virginia Democrats love to snicker about the internal divisions that have plagued the state Republican Party in recent years. Now, they've got their own turmoil.

Some Democrats are fuming over how the state party conducted elections at its convention in Hampton on Saturday.

As the 2008 Virginia Democratic Party convention draws to a close, here are eight observations about the weekend's events at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton.

1) If the Democrats' goal was to leave the convention united behind Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), they still have a lot of work to do. Surprisingly, numerous supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY.) said they weren't sure if they would vote for Obama in the fall.

3 p.m.: Former governor Mark R. Warner told the crowd at the Democratic convention that he would not run for vice president alongside Barack Obama if the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee asked.

"I have not sought and I will not accept any other opportunity," Warner told an enthusiastic group wearing blue Warner for Senate stickers.

In recent weeks, Warner, Gov. Timothy M. Kaine and Sen. James Webb have been mentioned as potential running mates for Obama. But Warner said today he wanted to make it clear that he is focused on beating his Republican senate rival, former governor James S. Gilmore III, in November.

"Today's the day I want to make it clear what I am focused on,'' he said. "The only job I am running for this year is United States Senate."

Democratic activists gathered in Hampton Friday night to kick off the party's state convention, which will take place this weekend at the Hampton Roads Convention Center.

Sen. James Webb and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott were special guests at a pool party at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center while four prominent Democrats hosted a packed party at the Embassy Suites.

"This is energizing the base,'' said C. Richard Cranwell, chairman of the Virginia Democratic Party.

Democrat Gerald E. Connolly of Fairfax County, the top elected official of the region's largest jurisdiction, won a decisive primary victory yesterday in Northern Virginia's 11th Congressional District against former representative Leslie L. Byrne.

But with less than 6 percent of registered voters participating in the election, the results don't say a whole lot about what could happen come November.

Connolly beat Byrne with nearly 58 percent of the vote to her 33 percent. In raw numbers, however, he won by just over 6,000 votes -- little more than 1 percent of the 11th Congressional District's 446,000 active registered voters.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick (Prince William), the newly elected chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, continues to shake up the leadership of the state party.

Since defeating former lieutenant governor John H. Hager for the chairman's job last weekend, many of the state party's senior staffers have resigned or been dismissed.

Frederick plans to announce today that Walter M. Curt, owner of Power Motors Inc, a Harrisonburg-based technology firm, will be the party's new finance chairman. Curt replaces Fred Malek, who resigned from his finance role at the state party last week. Malek still serves as the deputy national finance chairman for Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign.

Sen. John W. Warner (R), who is retiring, announced today he has contributed $2,000 to former Republican governor James S. Gilmore III's campaign to succeed him in the Senate.

Warner's announcement comes on the heels of a report in The Hill newspaper that speculated the state's senior senator may not support Gilmore, who secured the GOP nomination last weekend. Warner apparently made the donation to Gilmore sometime this week.

In a statement, Warner said he has also donated $2,000 each this month to GOP Reps. Frank R. Wolf, Thelma Drake, Eric I. Cantor, Randy Forbes and Robert Goodlatte, all of whom are seeking reelection.

GOP Senate nominee James S. Gilmore III said today he expects that U.S. troops will be in Iraq for years to come because they are central to the efforts to combat terrorism around the world.

"The Iraq war is part of a much larger problem and process that is underway," Gilmore said while being interviewed on The Politics Program on WTOP radio. "We have to define what American policy is going to be. I don't think there is any specific time that we are going to be there militarily, but I do know this, we are not going to do a precipitous withdrawal."

Gail Parker, a retired Air Force Reservist and Defense Department budget analyst, has secured a spot on the November ballot as an Independent Green candidate for U.S. Senate.

"We're been working very hard on it,'' she said. "We were just waiting for official word."

Bill Redpath, national chairman of the Libertarian Party, is still collecting signatures to get his name on the ballot before the State Board of Elections' June 10 deadline. They will be running against Republican James S. Gilmore III and Democrat Mark R. Warner.

Preston Bryant, a former Republican delegate, and Democratic Del. Shannon R. Valentine, are hosting a fundraiser for former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner (D) tonight in Lynchburg.

An email invitation from Valentine and Bryant, who now works in Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's administration, encourages supporters to attend "a fun, bipartisan evening."

"The crowd promises to have lots of R's and D's and I's,'' according to the invitation. "There will be good food and drink. And the setting will be spectacular."

Democratic Senate Candidate Mark R. Warner has reshuffled his schedule so that he can appear with Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) tomorrow at a town-hall meeting in Bristol in Southwest Virginia.

Warner, who has stayed neutral in the presidential race, will not attend the Obama rally at Nissan Pavilion in Prince William due to a prior engagement tomorrow evening. But Warner's appearance with Obama in Bristol will be a symbolic pairing of the two men who will lead the Democratic ticket in the Virginia this year.

Gail Parker, a retired Air Force Reservist and Defense Department budget analyst who has run for office several times in Virginia in recent years, has filed papers to run for U.S. Senate in November.

Parker is still collecting signatures from some areas of the state to appear on the ballot, along with Republican James S. Gilmore III and Democrat Mark R. Warner.

Parker, whose radio jingle in the 2006 Senate campaign (Let's vote for Gail! She's for light rail!) drew jabs from Stephen Colbert on his late-night Comedy Central show, garnered more than one percent of the vote in the razor tight race between Republican George Allen and Democrat James Webb.

Here are the answers to the election questions asked in last week's Virginia Notebook.

On Friday and Saturday, Republicans gathered at a Richmond convention center to select their nominee to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R). They also elected a party chairman and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Del. Jeffrey M. Frederick's election today as the new chairman of Virginia Republican Party will likely lead to some big changes at GOP headquarters, including possibly a new executive director, according to party officials.

Under former lieutenant governor John H. Hager, who Frederick unseated today in the chairman's race, Charles E. Judd served as executive director.

"You will probably be hearing some news about that next week," said Frederick, who lives in Prince William County. "I ran to make changes, so we will be making some changes." He declined further comment.

It's unclear how national Republicans in Washington will react to Frederick's efforts to shake up the party in the middle of a presidential race.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III narrowly won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in a surprisingly close race today at the GOP convention in Richmond.

Gilmore, after squeaking past state Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William), now faces the hurdle of uniting a fractured party that in recent years has lost the governor's mansion and one of the state's two U.S. Senate seats.

The vote total announced at the convention was 5,222 for Gilmore and 5,156 for Marshall.

A handful of people voted for a third candidate, Bob Berry, who took his name off the ballot at the last minute. Though Berry's support was not enough to turn the contest, Marshall supporters shouted for a recount.

Gilmore's successor as governor, Mark R. Warner, is the likely Democratic nominee for the fall election. Incumbent Sen. John W. Warner (R-Va.), no relation to the Democrat, is retiring.

Several Republicans here predicted the party would rally behind Gilmore.

"The ones for Marshall will come around,'' said John Meyer, a delegate from Arlington who supported Gilmore. "Gilmore is a solid Republican, conservative leaning with accomplishments. All the people will come around."

As Republicans met in Richmond to pick a U.S. Senate nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner (D) announced his U.S. Senate campaign will launch a television commercial statewide starting Monday night.

The ad will feature his "bipartisan success in balancing Virginia's budget while responsibly addressing record revenue shortfalls that ultimately reached $6 billion,'' according to his campaign. It will feature former Senate President John H. Chichester, a Republican who was chairman of the the powerful Finance Committee.

"This initial positive ad spells-out governor Warner's track record in bringing all kinds of people together to find bipartisan, common-sense solutions, and that is the same approach he will take to the U.S. Senate," Warner campaign manager Mike Henry said.

Shortly after 11 a.m., thousands of delegates from around Virginia began the intricate, lengthy process of picking between the two leading U.S. Senate candidates, former governor James S. Gilmore III and Del. Robert G. Marshall of Prince William.

Each candidate was given 20 minutes to make his case for why he should be selected to oppose the likely Democratic nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner. The candidates gave impassioned speeches, played videos and had various supporters nominate them.

"I need Jim Gilmore in Washington,'' said U.S. Rep. Thelma Drake, who represents Hampton Roads in Congress.

Marshall appeared to get more cheers from supporters in the crowd, but both had hundreds of people waving signs for them in the audience. "Go Bob go!'' the crowd chanted.

Patrick McSweeney, former chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, called Marshall "a man who follows his conscience no matter how inconvenient or unpopular the results."

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell and Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling celebrated an early birthday with hundreds of supporters tonight at the state Republican convention in downtown Richmond.

The state's two top Republicans have been appearing frequently together in recent weeks to promote their ticket for governor and lieutenant governor in 2009. They offered drinks and cake with the words "2009 Winning Team" written in icing to toast their shared birthday of June 15.

"Bill and I don't just share a birthday, we share the same beliefs,'' McDonnell said to a packed room.

Almost 500 Republicans from across the state gathered in downtown Richmond tonight to hear Vice President Dick Cheney speak at the party's annual fundraiser. Cheney, who plans to build a house in McLean after he leaves office in January, encouraged those in the audience to vote for Republicans in November, including Sen. John McCain for president in November.

"You and I belong to the party of limited taxes, limited government and free enterprise,'' he said to applause. "We understand that government exists not to be the people's master but rather their servant."

U.S. Senate candidate James S. Gilmore III has sent out a last-minute mailing accusing his opponent for the Republican nomination, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), of not being a "reliable conservative voice."

Marshall, widely viewed as one of the most conservative members of the General Assembly when it comes to taxes and social issues, said the mailing proves Gilmore "is behind or close to losing" at this weekend's state GOP convention.

Ana Gamonal, a Gilmore spokeswoman, was not immediately available for comment. But Gilmore has said in the past he is confident he has secured the delegates needed to win the nomination on Saturday.

Thousands of party activists will converge on the Greater Richmond Convention Center this weekend for the state Republican convention.

Republicans will select their nominee for the race to fill the seat of retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R). They will also elect a party chairman and delegates to the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

The convention will offer insight into the future direction of the party and clues into upcoming state and federal elections. Here are 15 questions the convention might help to answer. You can check back next week to find out the answers

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D) has raised more than $370,000 from 15 contributors since mid March, a clear sign he plans to remain active in the political process even though he cannot seek reelection.

Kaine's fundraising for his political action committee, Moving Virginia Forward, includes a $100,000 donation on April 10 from Radford billionaire R.J. Kirk. Since Kaine took office in 2006, Kirk has donated $550,000 to Kaine's political committee, according to the State Board of Elections.

Kaine has received another $35,000 in donations since mid April from Shelia Johnston, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television. Johnston has contributed a total of $185,000 to Kaine since 2006.

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.), an outspoken conservative and fierce advocate for additional controls on illegal immigration, announced today he is supporting Del. Robert G. Marshall's candidacy for U.S. Senate.

Tancredo's endorsement could boost Marshall (R-Prince William) among conservatives as he battles former governor James S. Gilmore III for the GOP nomination. About 10,000 Republican activists will elect the nominee at the state party convention next weekend.

"We can trust Bob Marshall to oppose amnesty for illegal aliens. In the House of Delegates, Bob has a strong record of doing what he could on the state level to stop illegal immigration," Tancredo said in a statement. "Instead of making vague statements about border security, Bob has a clear-cut plan to build a fence along the border, crack down on employers who hire illegals, and end birthright citizenship."

Former governor James S. Gilmore III, who is running for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, criticized yesterday's decision of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals striking down Virginia's ban on partial birth abortions.

"This outcome shows how critical it is to have federal judges who will strictly interpret the Constitution," Gilmore said. "This unfortunate ruling by the 4th Circuit Tuesday was decided by two judges appointed by President Bill Clinton. If I am elected to the U.S. Senate I will support the selection of federal judges who do not try to rewrite laws that have been enacted by a duly elected legislature."

Likely Democratic candidate Mark R. Warner was governor when the General Assembly approved the ban on late-term abortions in 2003. He opposed the ban, but the General Assembly overruled him. Warner declined to comment on the court ruling, which will likely thrust the issues of abortion and federal appellate court appointments into the Senate race.

Virginia Sen. James Webb, ending a nationwide publicity tour, is fueling speculation that he will be on Sen. Barack Obama's shortlist for vice presidential candidates.

But don't start making Obama-Webb signs just yet.

Vice-President Dick Cheney will be the keynote speaker at a fundraising gala at the Virginia Republican Party state convention next weekend in Richmond, party officials said today.

Cheney's appearance will almost certainly become fodder for Virginia Democrats, who are trying to link the GOP and its presumptive presidential nominee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, to the Bush administration.

But the event will be a big money maker for the state GOP, which has been working to keep pace with Virginia Democrats in fundraising.

Arizona Senator John McCain, the presumptive GOP nominee for president, is getting a head start on the Democrats when it comes to opening a state headquarters in Virginia.

The McCain campaign, which is partnering with the Virginia Republican Party, is opening an office in the 1200 block of South Clark Street in Arlington. Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager, and state party chairman John H. Hager plan to hold a grand opening event at the office on Monday.

The office will serve as "the nerve center" for party officials helping McCain as well as GOP candidates running for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, according to a news release from the state party.

Is former Virginia governor Mark R. Warner, the presumptive Democratic nominee in this year's U.S. Senate race, taking black voters for granted?

Maybe, according to the Richmond Free Press, the city's black newspaper.

In an editorial this morning, the newspaper warned Warner he does not have a lock on the African-American vote. Although the editorial board conceded Warner is heavily favored to win in the fall, it noted former senator George Allen (R) was also the front-runner a few months before he lost his bid for reelection to Democrat James Webb.

Attorney General Robert F. McDonnell, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling and Republican Party of Virginia Chairman John H. Hager anounced today they are leading an effort to build the party's grassroots organizations across the state.

The effort calls on local Republican committees to double their membership lists by Labor Day. Those that do will receive extra money to support their activities, including get-out-the-vote efforts for the November elections.

"Reaching out to those Virginians who share our principles and getting them involved is essential to strengthening the Republican Party and winning elections," Hager said. "This initiative reflects the unity within the party and will pay dividends not only in 2008, but in years to come as well."

The legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action, of the Family Research Council, founded in 1983 to promote "marriage, family and the sanctity of human life," endorsed Del. Robert G. Marshall (Prince William) for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

"Delegate Marshall is the conservative candidate in this race," said Connie Mackey, senior vice president of the group's legislative advocacy arm, FRC Action. "There is a clear and significant difference between Bob Marshall's claim to the pro-life mantle and Jim Gilmore's."

Hundreds of supporters, including many local elected officials, greeted Democrat U.S. Senate candidate Mark. R. Warner at an outdoor rally outside the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk on the second day of his four-state tour. A four-piece ensemble played music.

Jim Pierce, a financial adviser from Williamsburg who considers himself a Republican, said he will support Warner because he is impressed with his "common sense" approach and the way he reaches across party lines.

Warner, who calls himself a moderate Democrat, frequently talks of forming a coalition of 10-12 "radical centrist" senators from both parties to hash out compromises.

Eights months after he announced he would run for U.S. Senate, Democrat Mark R. Warner officially launched his campaign tonight in the small town of Abingdon in southwest Virginia.

"I believe that the American public doesn't trust either party enough to give them a blank check and what it's going to take is that both parties need to work together,'' Warner said.

More than 250 supporters welcomed Warner, his wife, Lisa, and their two youngest daughters at E.B. Stanley Middle School for an early dinner of barbecue, cole slaw and pickles. A band played bluegrass music, including a song about Warner from his days as governor.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III is taking swipes at both of the men standing in his way of being elected to the U.S. Senate.

Earlier today, Gilmore's campaign released a statement noting that he won a straw poll taken at the Virginia Conservative Leadership Conference. Gilmore received 57 percent of the vote, compared to 40 percent for his chief opponent for the nomination, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), who is trying to run to the right of Gilmore.

"Del.Marshall was there that day and he should have owned the room," Jane Dudley, a conservative activist from Henrico County, was quoted as saying in Gilmore's statement. "If he couldn't win in that room it's not looking good for him for the convention."

Gilmore is also taking aim at former governor Mark R. Warner, the likely Democratic nominee.

Former governor James S. Gilmore III will not debate his rival for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William), next month in an event sponsored by three Young Republican clubs in Northern Virginia.

"We're past the point of debate,'' said Ana M. Gamonal, Gilmore's spokeswoman.

Gamonal said Gilmore's schedule is packed between now and next month's convention when delegates from across the state will choose a nominee.

U.S. Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-Va) said today that Arizona Sen. John McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, will have to work hard to make sure the Democratic presidential candidate doesn't win Virginia's 13 electoral votes in the fall.

"I'm just worried, given the track record our party has demonstrated over the past three statewide elections, we've got some work to do," said Cantor, referring to Democrats' success in winning the last two governor's races and the 2006 U.S. Senate race.

Del. Robert G. Marshall (R-Prince William) agreed to participate in a U.S. Senate debate sponsored by three Young Republican clubs in Northern Virginia in the third week of May.

No word on whether his opponent for the Republican nomination, former governor James S. Gilmore III, will participate.

Gilmore turned down previous requests to debate Marshall. Instead, he is concentrating on a possible general election contest with the presumptive Democratic nominee, former governor Mark R. Warner.

The Virginia Democratic Party is mocking former governor James S. Gilmore III's efforts to raise money for his U.S. Senate campaign, saying it shows even Republicans are turning away from him.

Levar Stoney, executive director of the Virginia Democratic Party, sent out a statement this morning noting that Gilmore (R), who so far raised about $750,000 for his campaign, has received contributions from only 394 individuals. Former governor Mark R. Warner, the likely Democratic nominee, reports receiving contributions from 8,700 individuals, Stoney said. Warner has has raised about $6.4million for his campaign.

Ana Gamonal, a Gilmore spokeswoman, accused Stoney of spreading misinformation about Gilmore's fundraising. Gamonal said 1,819 people have donated to Gilmore's campaign, although she notes it doesn't have to itemize contributions of less than $200.

But Democrats believe Gilmore's fundraising proves he is a weak candidate.