Madison Warner, daughter of Sen. Mark Warner, dies at age 36
Madison Warner, the daughter of U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and former Virginia First Lady Lisa Collis, has died after a long struggle with juvenile diabetes and other health issues. She was 36 years old.
Warner and Collis, who lived with their three daughters in Virginia's Executive Mansion during his term as governor from 2002 to 2006, announced their daughter's death on Monday morning.
“We are heartbroken beyond words by the passing of our beloved daughter, Madison, 36, after a decades-long battle with juvenile diabetes and other health issues," they said in a statement. "She filled our lives with love and laughter, and her absence leaves an immeasurable void."
“We are grateful for the loving support of friends and family during this difficult time and ask for privacy as we navigate this profound loss,” they said.
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who served as lieutenant governor when Warner was governor, said Monday that he and his wife, Anne Holton, "have known Mark and Lisa for decades, and nothing in the world has ever mattered more to them than their daughters. "
"We met Madison when she was ten years old and have so many wonderful memories of time together with her," Kaine said. "We are keeping the entire Warner family and all who knew and loved Madison in our prayers as they grieve this terrible loss.”
Gillian Warner, 10, second from right, talks to her sister Madison, 12, third from right, on Jan. 12, 2002, during then-Gov. Mark Warner's inauguration ceremony. Their parents, the governor and first lady Lisa Collis, stand on the left.
House Speaker Don Scott, D-Portsmouth, also issued a statement on Monday.
“I am heartbroken for my friend Senator Mark Warner, for Lisa, and for their entire family," Scott said. "There are no words that can fully capture the pain of losing a child. It is an unimaginable loss – one no parent and no family should ever have to endure."
“Madison showed extraordinary strength and courage in the face of immense challenges," he said. "Throughout her fight, she was surrounded by the unwavering love of her parents and her family – a love that was evident to all who knew them."
Warner, who lives in Alexandria, often has cited his daughter's diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes in his political efforts to make insulin and other prescription drugs more affordable for Americans who need and rely on them.
He mentioned her condition in advocating for the Inflation Reduction Act, which then-President Joe Biden signed into law in 2022, capping the price of a prescription for insulin at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries.
Warner also spoke about his daughter's condition in advocating for laws to ensure access to affordable health care, especially for young Americans who lose coverage under their parents' health insurance and people with pre-existing medical conditions.
"As the father of a daughter with juvenile diabetes, this just breaks my heart," he said in a social media post in 2019 in response to a news story about young adults who lose access to health insurance and an affordable supply of insulin.
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Sen. Warner on the consequences of allowing health care tax credits to expire. (Source: Office of Sen. Mark Warner)
