By Jay Warren
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: April 9, 2008

We may have gotten a sign of which direction former Gov. Mark Warner is leaning in the Democratic Presidential Race.

Warner’s wife, former Virginia First Lady Lisa Collis, is a co-chair of Virginia Women for Obama and has contributed money to Sen. Obama’s campaign.

In the past, I have asked Mark Warner repeatedly who he is supporting in the Democratic primary. Every time he has refused to say.

When asked about Ms. Collis’ involvement in the Obama campaign, the spokesperson for Warner’s U.S. Senate campaign, Kevin Hall, said, “Lisa Collis is a politically engaged and accomplished woman who makes her own independent decisions in matters such as this.”

It’s worth noting that most of the Democratic establishment in Virginia has lined up behind Obama, who won the Virginia primary by almost 20 points. Gov. Tim Kaine and his wife were two of Obama’s first supporters. Since then, Obama has garnered the endorsements of Reps. Jim Moran, Bobby Scott, and Rick Boucher as well as former Governor and current Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder.

So far, Warner and Sen. Jim Webb are the highest profile Virginia Democrats who have not endorsed one of the remaining Democratic presidential candidates.