CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Standing beneath a statue of Thomas Jefferson on the campus where he earned his law degree, Virginia Senator John Warner today ended months of speculation, announcing his retirement at the end of his current term, in 2009.

"My work and service to Virginia, as a Senator, will conclude," Warner said, capping what he called a "magnificent and very rewarding career." A veteran of World War II and Korea and a former Secretary of the Navy, Warner was first elected to the Senate in 1978. In summing up his career, Warner quoted Hamlet: "This above all: To thine own self be true. Well, I have tried to do that."

At the University of Virginia, which Warner called "hallowed ground," he read from a letter which he said he would send to constituents thanking them for the opportunity to serve and urging them to serve as well. "Public service is a privilege," he said. "Don't worry about being a Senator. Come talk to me before you do that."

It is rare in Washington that an announcement is kept so under wraps. Just minutes before declaring his intentions to retire, even close advisers and confidants remained in the dark. Warner told just a few people, including former Virginia Gov. Linwood Holton and Senator Jim Webb.

Warner decided to retire after one final trip to Iraq, his tenth, and only in the last day or two. The war has become Warner's main concern in recent years as conditions grow more dire. "I have played, I am playing and I will continue to play a role in trying to bring about a cessation of that conflict," he said, saying the world faced "the most complex series of problems I've ever seen in my life, in Iraq and Afghanistan."

While he maintained he was physically able to serve another term, he said he would not stand in the way of others trying to advance through the Senate. Asked if he had decided to support a candidate to replace him, Warner said he had not, though he hoped for someone with the experience of one of the Republican members of Virginia's congressional delegation.

One of those members of Congress widely thought to be interested in Warner's seat, Northern Virginia's Tom Davis, released a statement shortly after the announcement calling Warner "a giant," without revealing his own plans. "Today's a day to celebrate and honor John Warner. He's more than earned a victory lap. An announcement from me on my future plans can wait for another day."

One source close to Davis, though, was more blunt: "Tom's running. He didn't want to say more today because it's the Senator's day."

Another potential candidate to succeed Warner, former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, also praised Warner. "He's really been a good senator," Gilmore said. The two, the governor said, worked closely to secure funding for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, near Washington. "He was a great supporter of mine when I ran for governor," Gilmore said.

Asked whether he would be a candidate to fill Warner's seat, Gilmore demurred, saying he is currently engaged with running a state political action committee to help elect Republican delegates and senators. "I'm certainly interested in the race," Gilmore hinted, saying a decision would be forthcoming, though he declined to set a timetable for that decision.

Gilmore's youngest son, a sophomore at UVA, was in the crowd as Warner made his announcement today.

Senators from both parties were quick to praise the outgoing Warner. "The Senate will be losing a friend and a colleague," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in a statement, calling Warner "a true gentleman." "We are all better for having served with him and his Senate family will miss him," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said.