Mark Warner speaks as his daughters Gillian, Madison, Eliza and wife Lisa Collis look on during a election night party November 4, 2008 in McLean, Virginia. (Getty)
U.S. Senator Mark Warner will be a major part of the James Comey testimony on Thursday.
Warner has been a U.S. senator from Virginia since 2009, serving alongside Tim Kaine. He is the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, making him the highest ranking Democrat on this committee that is looking into possible ties between the Donald Trump campaign and the Russian government. In his personal life, Mark Warner is married and has three children.
Here’s what you need to know about the family of Mark Warner.
1. He Is Married to Lisa Collins, Whom He Met at a Party
Mark Warner’s wife is Lisa Collins.
According to US News, Mark Warner met Lisa Collins at a keg party in Washington, D.C. in 1984. This would have been when Warner was working on Capitol Hill as a staffer for Senator Christopher Dodd. He was living in townhouse in Alexandria, and his roommates decided to throw a party, where Mark met Lisa and immediately hit it off with her.
“He was so different,” Collis told Style Weekly. “I remember he was into Peter, Paul and Mary, and that wasn’t a cool thing to do. He was very high-energy and sincere. He didn’t try to impress me, and I liked that.”
Mark and Lisa were married a few years later. On their honeymoon in 1989, they went to Egypt and Greece, and Mark became extremely ill. When he returned home, doctors found that he had a burst appendix, and he needed to spend two months in the hospital, according to US News.
2. While Lisa Was First Lady of Virginia, She Went by Her Maiden Name
Mark Warner with his wife Lisa Collis on November 4, 2014 in Arlington, Virginia. (Getty)
From 2002 to 2006, Mark Warner was the governor of Virginia, and therefore Lisa Collins was the first lady. She was the first Virginia first lady to use her maiden name.
“I always envisioned that I would keep my birth name, and Mark is fine with that,” she told Style Weekly. “I have a lot of pride in my family heritage.”
Collins is the daughter of a Navy flier, and she therefore grew up constantly moving from place to place, according to Style Weekly. She was originally born in Pensacola, Florida, but she grew up with her three siblings in Norfolk, California, North Carolina, Rhode Island and Puerto Rico. The family finally settled in Virginia when Lisa’s father retired.
After earning her undergraduate degree, Collins joined the Peace Corps, but her mission was canceled. She went on to earn her master’s degree in public health, moving to New Jersey to help provide medical care for migrants. She later went to help the needy in Central America.
3. He Has a Sister, Lisa
Reporters surround Mark Warner on May 16, 2017 in Washington, DC. (Getty)
Mark Warner has one sibling: a sister, Lisa.
Warner was born on December 15th, 1954, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Marjorie and Robert Warner. Mark’s father had a milk run and worked as a safety evaluator for Aetna Life & Casualty, while his mother took care of the children full time, according to the Washingtonian.
Lisa is four years younger than Mark.
4. He Has Three Daughters
Mark Warner has three daughters: Madison, Gillian, and Eliza.
In 2015, Warner posted a selfie of his daughter with Vice President Joe Biden, with Mark writing, “Turns out my youngest Eliza is the real tech wonk, not me.”
In 2014, Warner was criticized for chartering a government paid private plan while traveling to move his daughter into college at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. However, Warner traveled to Durham on his own dime; the flight was from Durham to Jonesville, where Warner had meetings set up with constituents, according to NBC 12.
5. He & His Family Live in Alexandria, Virginia
Mark Warner waves from the stage with his family during day two of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) at the Pepsi Center August 26, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. (Getty)
Mark Warner lives with his family in Alexandria, Virginia, which is just about 20 minutes away from Capitol Hill.
Warner’s home is in Old Town, a town full of 18th- and early-19th-century architecture where a number of famous people live, including Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby, according to The Washington Post.
Mark Warner is one of the richest members of Congress; he has a net worth of roughly $85 million, according to The Christian Science Monitor.