Retired Navy Captain Hung Cao has secured the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Virginia, setting the stage for a highly competitive contest against incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). With 25% of the expected vote in, Cao led the way with around 75% of reported votes.
In his victory speech, Cao thanked his supporters and tied his campaign to a repudiation of President Joe Biden’s border policies. He contrasted his military service with Kaine’s long career in politics, stating, “I spent twenty-five years in the Navy, while Tim Kaine spent thirty years in elected office. The taxpayers signed the front of our paychecks for the same amount of time. The difference is this: Tim Kaine got rich, and I got scars.”
Trump’s endorsement was a key factor in Cao’s victory, and the former president is likely to place a special emphasis on the race given the high stakes. Kaine, a former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, is expected to run a well-financed campaign, having already placed $2 million in television advertising for the fall. Cao has accused Kaine of planning to “pollute the airwaves with lies about me, but also about him.”
