As Governor of Virginia, again:
Former Sen. George Allen has not ruled out another run for Virginia governor in 2009 but he will not run for the Senate again even if Sen. John W. Warner decides to retire.
“There are people who encourage me to run for office again and I haven’t made any decision,” Mr. Allen told The Washington Times this week. “[My wife] Susan and I listen and appreciate their encouragement.”
(…)
“All signs point to the fact that he is running for governor,” a state Republican insider told The Times. “It makes perfect sense. He liked being governor more than being a U.S. senator, and despite the loss [in the midterm election] he is still the guy who led us out of the wilderness” in the 1990s.
George Allen was an immensely popular Governor, which is one of the reasons he was elected to the Senate seven years ago; but it’s unclear whether that popularity would translate into a return to the Governor’s Mansion, especially after the fiasco that was the 2006 race against Jim Webb.
Nonetheless, there are interesting times for Virginia Republicans. John Warner seems likely to retire and at least two powerful Republicans — Tom Davis and Jim Gilmore — are interested in his seat. The 2009 race for the GOP Nomination for Governor could see Allen, along with Lt. Governor Bill , and Attorney General Bob McDonnell. Plus a guy named Mark Warner on the Democratic side.
Call it the Clash of the Titans.
