Meet Mark

The son of a World War II Marine veteran, Mark Warner grew up in a working-class household. His family moved every few years but he was always able to attend good public schools. Mark was the first person in his family to graduate from college – putting himself through George Washington University through a combination of jobs and student loans.

Early in his career, Mark Warner invested his life savings – a few thousand dollars – into starting a company. It failed after six weeks. So he tried again, and the next business failed after six months.

But Mark didn’t give up, and his third venture broke through: a cell phone company back when everyone was still using landlines.

The values that defined Mark’s early career continue to guide him every day in the Senate: a commitment to innovation, persistence in the face of a new challenge, and the notion that everyone – regardless of their background – should get the same fair shot that he did.

In 2001, Mark was elected Governor of Virginia. As governor, he worked with a two-to-one Republican legislature to turn a record budget shortfall into a surplus. When he left office, Virginia was named the “Best Managed State,” “Best State for Business,” and “Best State for a Lifetime of Education.”

Mark and his wife, Lisa Collis, live in Alexandria, where they raised their three wonderful daughters.

Mark is running for reelection to continue fighting to protect Virginia’s workforce, bring down costs, and promote innovation across our country. Above all, Mark is driven by a deep belief that every American deserves the same fair shot to build a life for themselves that he was given.