John Warner, the Republican former Navy secretary who served as a U.S. senator for three decades, has announced his support of a Democrat running for Congress in Virginia, the Fauquier Times reported Wednesday.
Warner is backing Democratic investigative journalist Leslie Cockburn over Republican Denver Riggleman to fill outgoing Rep. Tom Garrett’s (R-VA) seat. Warner said told the Times that he’s “still a Republican,” but that “you’ve got to have the courage to do what’s right for the country and what’s right for your state.” He’s also endorsed Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) for reelection against Republican challenger Corey Stewart.
The Cockburn campaign released an ad Tuesday featuring Warner’s support. Watch it below:
This post has been updated.
