Kick-Off in Harrisonburg
Day 3 of our kick-off tour ended with a stop in Harrisonburg. Despite the threat of rain, an enthusiastic crowd of over 250 people came out to the steps of the Rockingham Courthouse to show their support for our campaign for U.S. Senate.
On his way to the rally, Governor Warner stopped by Clementine, a local restaurant, where he greeted old friends, new supporters, and recent graduates of James Madison University.
After walking down Main Street from Clementine to the Courthouse, supporters from all over the Valley cheered Governor Warner as he made his way through the crowd and onto the stage where local Grammy-nominated musician Scott Christopher Murray played ‘Shenandoah.’
At the rally, the rain that was about to pour down held off, and by the end of Governor Warner’s speech, the sun started poking through the clouds.
The Daily News Record reports:
Warner was introduced by a series of speakers, including Harrisonburg Mayor Rodney Eagle.“He took the bull by the horns and got things going,” said Eagle, an independent seeking re-election this fall. Rockingham County Sheriff Donald Farley, also an independent, lauded Warner’s performance as governor. But he lamented Warner’s decision earlier this year to seek the Senate seat instead of running for governor again next year.
“But I know,” Farley said, “the rest of the country needs him.”
Governor Warner began his speech by thanking his family and sharing a story from the first stop of his kick-off tour. In Abingdon on Sunday, Delegate Bud Phillips introduced Governor Warner by calling him “the best Governor of Virginia since Thomas Jefferson.” Governor Warner’s daughter, Eliza, who traveled with her dad on the first two days of the tour, reminded him not to believe everything he heard.
Throughout the speech, Governor Warner emphasized his commitment to continuing the bi-partisanship he practiced during his administration. From reducing dependence on foreign oil and increasing investment in green jobs to education standards and fiscal responsibility, Governor Warner affirmed that “good ideas don’t have a D or an R attached to them.”
Governor Warner concluded his speech by asking the crowd to re-hire him—this time as a U.S. Senator. The crowd responded enthusiastically with cheers and applause.