With the economy in turmoil and danger abroad, do voters want a candidate who keeps his word or one who doesn’t? That’s the stark choice in Virginia, where two former governors are running to replace retiring Republican John Warner in the U.S. Senate. With public confidence in Washington at record lows, Jim Gilmore’s veracity has earned him The Examiner’s endorsement as the best choice for Virginia – and the nation.

Gilmore took tremendous political flak for keeping his promise to get rid of the hated car tax. The pledge was popular with voters but made him a pariah in Richmond. Fierce political opposition – even from big-spending members of his own party – kept Gilmore from eliminating the despised tax completely, but he managed to reduce it 70 percent – and cut 15 other taxes – before leaving office.