Valley Pulse

While fall campaigns traditionally kick off on Labor Day, Republican U.S. Senate challenger Jim Gilmore is not letting any grass grow under his feet.
Gilmore spent part of Monday in Waynesboro and Staunton as part of his two-day working families tour.
And staffers for the candidate said he had campaigned during the holiday weekend in Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and the Eastern Shore. Gilmore was to journey to Southwest Virginia Tuesday.
Gilmore’s opponent, Democrat Mark Warner, is ahead in money and in the polls, but his staff expects the race to tighten between the two former governors.
“We are taking nothing for granted,’’ said Kevin Hall, Warner’s spokesman.
During his Waynesboro stop Monday, Gilmore promised to stick to his guns on an energy plan that includes drilling for oil in Alaska. He emphasized that he is a candidate who keeps his promises. Gilmore spoke of how he followed through on his plans to eliminate Virginia’s car tax while he was governor.
The Warner campaign paints a different picture. They say Gilmore is a politician who is not willing to work in a bipartisan way.
“He has an extensive record of not working or playing well with others, including his own party,’’ Hall said of Gilmore.
Gilmore’s gap in fundraising means he will have to get a substantial amount of free media coverage like that he garnered on Monday, according to James Madison University political scientist Bob Roberts.
And Gilmore plans to aggressively raise money. On Monday alone, he juggled several small fundraisers during his campaign stops.  He hopes to bridge the money gap with Warner by getting money from both small and large donors.
Gilmore shot down any talk of a divided Republican Party. He said now that he is the nominee, the party is united and ready to help him spring the upset of Warner.
Meanwhile, as Gilmore labors on the campaign trail, Jim Webb has shut off the rumor mill about a vice presidential bid.
Webb said he is convinced he can accomplish more in the U.S. Senate, but will campaign on Obama’s behalf.
Webb said in a release that he had run for the Senate “because of my commitment to strengthen America’s national security posture, to promote economic fairness, and to increase government accountability.” He said he can best accomplish those goals in the Senate.