ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 28, 1996 TAG: 9601290046
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
Democrat Mark Warner is by far the wealthiest of four candidates running for a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia, financial disclosure forms show.
The forms, released Thursday, show that the cellular telephone executive from Alexandria is worth more than $100 million. That puts him well ahead of the Republican incumbent, Sen. John Warner. The men are not related.
``That's a lot of money - gosh!'' said Paula D. McClain, a University of Virginia political science professor. ``Given the importance of media in elections today, that will buy an awful lot of air time, with still some left over. If you look at what Steve Forbes has been able to do in the Republican [presidential nomination race] ... that kind of money can in effect make themselves a name.''
Mark Warner's Democratic rival, former Rep. Leslie Byrne, released a disclosure form Friday showing a $25,000 salary for teaching at Mount Vernon College and a few pension and savings accounts.
John Warner's last disclosure form reported more than $5 million in investments. His GOP rival, former Reagan budget director Jim Miller, told reporters Friday his net worth is less than $1 million.
Mark Warner, the first in his family to graduate from college, got into the cellular telephone industry at the ground floor, helping others broker licenses from the federal government. He later invested the millions he made from that field in several deals that paid off well, making him one of the state's 40 wealthiest people, according to Virginia Business magazine.
``Mark is someone who's self-made,'' spokesman Jeff Mitchell said. ``His money was not inherited. It just came from hard work and his ability to recognize an opportunity.''
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines KEYWORDS: POLITICSby CNB