The 2024 Virginia Senate primary field is already growing.
On Monday, Club for Growth Vice President of Government Affairs Scott Parkinson announced his campaign to oust Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine (D).
“Over the last three years, politicians like Tim Kaine and Joe Biden have ignored the middle class. Inflation has skyrocketed, parents have been locked out of classrooms, and crime rates remain at record highs,” Parkinson said in an announcement video posted to Vimeo. “Tim Kaine has run for office nine times and served in office for almost 30 years. He's enabled all these liberal policies by voting with Bernie Sanders 94% of the time.”
Kaine who will be seeking his third term in the upper chamber, won re-election by 16 points in 2018 and served as governor of the state from 2005 to 2009. He was Hillary Clinton‘s vice presidential nominee in 2016.
Kaine is now the second Republican to join the primary contest but the field is expected to grow. Jonathan Emord, a lawyer and political commentator, announced his candidacy in January.
Retired Navy officer Hung Cao is also considering a bid. Cao lost to Democrat Rep. Jennifer Wexton by 5.8 points during the 2022 midterms in a newly-drawn district.
Cao founded a political action committee, Unleash America PAC, to spend in Virginia and nationwide races.
Hours after announcing his campaign Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) endorsed Parkinson for Senate.
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