"Former Virginia governor James S. Gilmore III flew 1,000 miles to the Republican National Convention this week to get something he is not getting much of at home: attention.

The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, significantly down in the polls and fundraising, is widely considered a long shot to replace retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R).

But Tuesday, Gilmore spent the first part of a two-day trip to the Twin Cities doing interviews, attending fundraisers and being recognized by strangers who remember him from his gubernatorial days or his brief run for president last year.

"I have a national following. I'm a national leader. People expect me to be here," Gilmore said. "But I also came to see donors, and it's an opportunity to report on the national issues of the day."

After he was introduced as a Senate candidate at a fundraising breakfast, he spent hours strolling the two long rows of radio booths, dubbed "Radio Row," at the Xcel Energy Center, where reporters swarmed around him to ask for interviews.

"I love the guy," gushed Bianquita Walsh Cullum, a former Richmond radio reporter now with the Broadcasting Board of Governors, after she ran into Gilmore.

A relaxed Gilmore gave impromptu interviews to National Public Radio, Sirius XM Radio and other broadcasters, answering questions about presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain and his running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin; Virginia's gradual shift toward the Democrats; and his own race against former governor Mark R. Warner.

"I'm looking forward to the day I can go into the Senate with solid, conservative leadership," he told one interviewer.

Gilmore, governor from 1998 to 2002, was at one time considered an up-and-coming star in the Republican Party. He was elected chairman of the Republican Governors Association, tapped by President Bush to lead the Republican National Committee and given a prime-time speaking spot at the national convention eight years ago.

But a series of budget problems in Virginia and personality clashes in Washington changed that. This summer, he narrowly won his party's Senate nomination, barely defeating a state delegate from Northern Virginia.

"Governor Gilmore still has work to do in rallying the Republican base and winning over independent and like-minded people," said Alexandria resident David Avella, a delegate to the convention who has previously expressed skepticism about Gilmore's chances.

Robert D. Holsworth, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, said Gilmore experienced an "extraordinary rise" at the start of his time in office but that his star had fallen by the end of the term.

Gilmore, who won the governor's race after promising to eliminate the personal property tax that Virginia cities and counties levy on vehicles, has been blamed for underestimating the impact of the tax cut on services and contributing to a state budget shortfall that eventually topped $6 billion.

Phil Cox, a Republican consultant in Virginia not involved in the Senate race, acknowledged that Gilmore has an uphill battle but said that he has several factors in his favor: He is well known in the state, and he polls closer to Virginians on key issues such as energy and the economy.

"We're all campaigning together on a unified ticket," Gilmore said. "McCain's going to win Virginia. I expect to benefit from that."

Gilmore is serving as one of the state's 63 delegates this week at his fourth national convention since 1976. Many delegates, who are elected officials and party activists from across the state, support Gilmore but know he has a tough road ahead.

Hanif Akhtar, a Vienna financial consultant who is an alternate delegate, supported Gilmore in his run for president but backed McCain when the former governor dropped out.

"I never understood why he was not doing well," Akhtar said. "He's solid, straightforward, he means what he says and says what he means."

Kamelsh Dave, a cardiologist in Chester outside Richmond and an alternate delegate, supports Gilmore but says his personality turns people off. "He comes off as a cold person," he said. "You have to be a people person."

Others say Gilmore has been hurt by Mark Warner's popularity and an increasingly close presidential race in the nation's newest battleground state. Democrats have set their sights on Virginia even though no Democratic presidential candidate has won Virginia since 1964.

Gilmore attributes Warner's lead in the polls to name identification garnered from being in office more recently than him but says that Virginians will eventually support him on the issues.

"I'm going to win the election. Don't kid yourself," he said. "At the end of the day, Virginians are going to vote about their pocketbooks, their concerns, their futures and their families."

Warner, a popular former governor who flirted with running for president, has been showered with attention in recent weeks. He gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, a high-profile speech broadcast to millions that has in recent years been given by up-and-coming national figures.

A wealthy venture capitalist who co-founded Nextel, Warner is far ahead in fundraising. At the end of June, he had $5 million in the bank. Gilmore had $117,000.

Gary Byler, an alternate delegate from Cape Charles, had set up a fundraiser for Gilmore with former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney three weeks ago that was canceled at the last minute because Romney was needed to represent McCain elsewhere. Byler is now trying to get a commitment from Romney or former Florida governor Jeb Bush.

"A lot of people go with the perceived winner," Byler said. "But don't count [Gilmore] out yet."" (Anita Kumar, The Washington Post, September 3, 2008)