Democratic Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate, facing off against Republican challenger Hung Cao, who aims to be the first Republican to secure a Senate seat in Virginia since 2002.
Cao emerged victorious in a competitive Republican primary, positioning himself against Kaine, who successfully won reelection in 2018 by a margin of 16 percentage points. Kaine, currently serving as Virginia’s junior senator, acknowledged the competitive landscape last year, emphasizing that “Virginians will vote for Republicans in statewide elections,” which was illustrated by the 2021 victory of Governor Glenn Youngkin.
During his reelection announcement, Kaine asserted that the outcome cannot be assumed as guaranteed. Cao has garnered the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, who stated that Cao would assist in combating inflation, enhancing border security, and “defending our always under siege Second Amendment.”
Experts in political science have indicated that the Republican Party faces a challenging path to victory, given Virginia’s moderate voting population, the lack of support for Trump in the 2020 election, and Kaine’s appeal among voters. According to Rebecca Bromley-Trujillo, a political science professor at Christopher Newport University, the GOP’s struggle is significant, especially since Cao may be perceived as closely linked to Trump.
In their only debate held in October, the candidates discussed a wide range of topics, including illegal immigration and tariffs, while largely adhering to their ideological lines. Cao, a 25-year veteran of the Navy, criticized the COVID vaccine mandates for military personnel and the disorganized withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. He expressed his disapproval of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives during the debate, which took place in Norfolk, home to the largest Navy base in the country.
“When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the type of individuals we seek,” Cao declared. He further asserted that the military requires “alpha males and alpha females” prepared for extreme challenges, stating, “Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”
Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, countered that criticisms of DEI are distractions, highlighting the need for greater public awareness about military benefits, as only about 1% of the nation is currently serving in the armed forces. “We need to do a better job of talking about the GI Bill and other benefits as well as the tremendous leadership training that you get in the military,” Kaine commented.
In a previous campaign in 2022 against Democratic Representative Jennifer Wexton in northern Virginia, which leans Democratic, Cao performed relatively well, losing by a margin of 6.5 percentage points in a district that President Biden had won by 19 points just two years before. Kaine has consistently prevailed in his statewide electoral bids, which includes serving as governor and a vice presidential nominee in 2016, when he and Hillary Clinton won Virginia but lost the overarching election to Trump and Mike Pence.