Jim Gilmore: Our next Senator?

Early into the event, I had the opportunity to speak with Congressman Eric Cantor about an issue close to my heart. The SSgt Carlos Farler Citizen Soldier Equality Act of 2006, HR 5083, is a bill that changes the way our country treats National Guard troops wounded or disabled in Iraq and Afghanistan: it grants them the same rights and access to treatment and compensation as active duty military. It is an important piece of legislation that is sorely needed. If this administration is going to insist on using National Guard troops in combat situations, I must insist these troops be treated as combat veterans and compensated acordingly. They are NOT second class soldiers, THEY ARE SOLDIERS. Carlos is a friend of mine. I expect this administration to treat my friends who have served honorably, with diginity and respect.
FWIW, IMAO, NG Troops do not need to be deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan. That is not the purpose of the National Guard. Congressman Cantor's reaction to my question about getting this bill out of the Armed Sevices Committee and onto the floor for a vote was this "I need to be on that bill".

Now to the topic in the title:
I was standing at the periphery, late into the event, talking to an elderly couple in VA Tech colors, explaining the flyer I had just handed them which basically was asking for help with our latest project supporting the 173rd Airborne Infantry Regiment in Astan.
The lady I was speaking with suddenly exclaimed, "Is that Governor Gilmore?"
I looked up and sure enough, it was Governor Gilmore, arriving (I assume) late to the event. (Not an admonition, just an observation)
He saw us, waved, and then walked over and shook hands and struck up a conversation with the couple and me.
I listened politely, and then he turned to me, and pointing to my Soldiers' Angels lapel pin, asked what it was.
"Aha," I thought, "here's my opening."
I proceeded to explain Soldiers' Angels, their mission, how they got started, and then handed the Governor a flyer. He looked at it briefly, then folded it and placed it in his breast pocket.
I then asked the Governor what he thought of the grassroots movement to draft General Peter Pace to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Senator John Warner.
His response was not what I was expecting.
(I don't know what I was expecting, I had asked that question to just about everyone I spoke to that day) but his response was:
"Well, since I plan on running for that seat, I don't think very much of it." he said, rather sternly and with a bit of consternation.
He then said he planned on announcing his intentions sometime early next year, and then made a cryptic comment: "I heard something about Pace the other day. He needs to stay in Maryland."
He did not elaborate on what he had heard, and I did not press the issue. He shook my hand, told me to keep up the good work supporting the troops, and moved off into crowd.