Washington – Former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner stunned fellow Democrats on Thursday by announcing that he would not be a candidate for president in 2008, citing family considerations.
Warner, a centrist, had been one of the most aggressive and successful early campaigners among the large group of Democrats pursuing possible presidential bids.
In a statement posted on his website and, later, at a hastily called news conference, Warner said that, for personal reasons, it was not “the right time for me to take the plunge. At this point, I want to have a real life.”
By removing a potentially strong contender from the Democratic contest, Warner’s pullout could help New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, the early favorite for the nomination.
It could also assist Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, whose message – that he is a Democrat who has won in a Republican state – was similar to Warner’s, and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, the party’s 2004 vice-presidential nominee and now the lone Southerner in the likely 2008 field.
Privately, friends said that Warner’s wife, Lisa, and his eldest daughter, Madison, 16, were opposed to a presidential run, though Warner denied that in remarks to reporters.
