Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim Gilmore stopped by the Orange Market in Roanoke County this morning to commiserate with motorists about high gas prices and to tout his energy policy, which consists of drilling for oil in the United States.

"We've got to drill in ANWR and we've got to drill offshore," said the former governor, referring to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, which geologists say could contain billions of barrels of oil.

Gilmore is facing another former governor, Democrat Mark Warner, in this year's race for the U.S. Senate. Warner kicked off his campaign with a stop in Roanoke two months ago. This is Gilmore's first campaign swing to the Roanoke Valley, coming a month after starting his campaign in Richmond. The men are vying to replace longtime Sen. John Warner, who is retiring. Although Gilmore worked on homeland security issues after leaving office in 2001, he cited the economy as his top priority in the race.

It's worked for him before. In 1997, Gilmore was swept to office by promising to get rid of Virginia's personal property tax.

Customers looked surprised to see their former governor at the gas station today wearing a blue blazer and tasseled loafers and trailed by a dozen reporters and cameramen. But when approached, they were happy to share their frustrations about gas prices and to let Gilmore pump their gas for them.

"I'm tired of gas prices going up and wages ain't going up. Everything's going up but wages," said Tony Huffman, a scrap hauler from Roanoke County, as Gilmore pumped $15 of gas into Huffman's black Chevrolet pickup truck.

"You stick with me we'll win this thing," Gilmore said, wrapping up his gas service.

The former governor stopped short of wiping Huffman's windshield and checking his oil, however.