The Associated Press is reporting that former Va. Gov. Jim Gilmore has officially announced he is a candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. John Warner. Gilmore announced his candidacy by posting a video to YouTube. The formal announcement sets up Gilmore as the presumed Republican nominee for the seat, as the other leading candidate, Rep. Tom Davis (Va.-R), announced last month that he would not seek the seat. Gilmore will…

Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has decided not to seek the Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) next year. The Post is reporting that Davis will announce formally on Thursday what his plans are, but sources have indicated that he won’t look to take on a number of potential Republican contenders or former Governor Mark Warner for the seat. Davis reportedly doesn’t want his run to overshadow a tough re-election contest faced by…

And so it was — the U.S. Senate voted today 57-42 in favor of closing debate on legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives, three short of what was needed to prevent a Republican-led filibuster. The measure, which passed the House in April, is now likely dead, and another attempt to correct a 200-year injustice has been thwarted. Of course, the legislation could be re-introduced, but it won’t…

Popular former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner formally announced today that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Sen. John Warner. The announcement immediately give the Democrats a strong frontrunner in a race that would help solidify a Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate, and makes the possibility of two Democrats representing the Commonwealth of Virginia for the first time since 1970 highly likely. No other serious Democrat is likely to…

Bloggers across this fair nation thought they couldn’t get a bigger gift from a Virginia senate race than they did last year, after the epic and appalling Macacaness of Sen. George Allen’s eventual defeat to Sen. Jim Webb. But via Wonkette, it would seem we could all have been wrong. Rumors are flying that Pat “Homosexuality is Not Only Immoral, but Filthy” Buchanan is considering a run at the seat being vacated by Sen. John…

After letting us all enjoy a good summer break, next week the U.S. Senate will start debating legislation that would grant the District a voting seat in the House of Representatives. And in preparing for what is sure to be a spirited battle, big-name voting rights activists have recently stepped up the pressure with two back-to-back op-eds in Washington papers. Yesterday Maryland’s former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele and former Oklahoma Republican Rep. J.C. Watts penned…

Good morning, Washington. Does your commute include the Wilson Bridge? If so, enjoy this morning’s trip — it’s the last speedy one you’re likely to have this week. As Fox 5 details, some of the traffic around the bridge will be redirected beginning at 10 a.m. this morning. But the worst will be saved for overnight on Friday, when traffic will be reduced to a single lane. Hateful Vandalism Galore: What the hell is going…

Even though the U.S. Senate is known as the best retirement home in America — great healthcare, plenty of daily activities, and people continue to pay attention to you for some reason — Virginia Sen. John Warner announced today that come next year, he’s out. And while his announcement is big news, even bigger is the fight that’s about to come to replace him. Consider the circumstances. The commonwealth is a political toss-up these days….

Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) made national news last week when he asked President Bush to start bringing the troops home in time for Christmas. But of more importance locally has been the continued speculation as to whether Warner would run for another term in 2008, and if not, who would replace him. By way of FreeRide, we find out today that yesterday the Post’s Sunday Fix briefly noted that Rep. Tom Davis (R-Va.) has been…

Happy Thursday, and welcome back to another post full of the best in transit news. This week, we consider whether Virginians would rather obey traffic laws or pay more taxes. It’s a real Sophie’s Choice, we know. Also, a few words on the latest Metro fare hike proposal from Metro. We also have Metro’s schedule of weekend track work and maintenance, which will cause delays on some lines. Photo by christaki…