Sen. Mark Warner will return to the U.S. Senate this week after the April 20 death of his eldest daughter, Madison, who was 36 and had long battled juvenile (Type 1) diabetes and other health problems. Warner described Maddy as "empathetic and engaged," saying she urged him to use his influence to help others and even offered ideas the day she died. He pledged to continue his public service "in Maddy's name," and has previously advocated for affordable insulin and protections for people with preexisting conditions.
Sen. Mark Warner Will Return to Senate After Daughter Madison's Death, Pledges to Continue Work 'In Maddy's Name'
Sen. Mark Warner (right) and his daughters Gillian and Madison in November 2008Credit: Douglas Graham/Roll Call/Getty
Sen. Mark Warner announced he will return to the U.S. Senate this week after the death of his eldest daughter, Madison "Maddy" Warner, who died on April 20 at age 36 after a long battle with juvenile (Type 1) diabetes and other chronic health issues.
Warner and his wife, Lisa Collis, shared the news in a joint statement, saying: "She filled our lives with love and laughter, and her absence leaves an immeasurable void." Condolences poured in from across the political spectrum, including a message from Sen. J.D. Vance on X: "What a terrible loss at such a young age. May God comfort them."
In a social post on April 27, Warner, 71, described his daughter as "a deeply empathetic and engaged person" and recounted that even on the day she died she was "full of ideas and suggestions for me — especially how I could improve my social media to make a difference." He quoted Maddy telling him,
"Dad, you have the power — you have to use it."He said she pushed him to use his Senate seat to help people in concrete ways.
Virginia Democratic Senatorial candidate Mark Warner with his wife Lisa Collis and daughter Madison at age 6 in 1996Credit: AP Photo/Steve Helber
"If I can find any solace during this time," Warner wrote, "it's that I have the enormous privilege to serve Virginians and the responsibility to keep working for a better, more just world in Maddy's name." He added that he looks forward to resuming his Senate duties this week and continuing the work she encouraged.
A former governor of Virginia and the state's senior senator for more than a decade, Warner has referenced Madison's health challenges publicly on multiple occasions. In 2019, he shared a BuzzFeed News story about Type 1 diabetes and urged Congress and pharmaceutical companies to ensure insulin is affordable and accessible. That same year he criticized short-term health plans he said would discriminate against people with preexisting conditions, noting that two of his three daughters have preexisting medical conditions.
Warner's recent statements combine personal grief with a renewed public commitment to health-care affordability and protections for those with chronic conditions — issues that affected his daughter throughout her life.
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