VA Dem Tim Kaine warns against taking election for granted as Trump eyes blue state
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said he is taking Virginia elections seriously in November, despite the state's recent trend of going blue.
"Nobody should take anything for granted in Virginia," the senator told Fox News Digital.
"I know I'm not taking it for granted," Kaine added. "I don't think anyone should."
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Kaine is up for reelection in November. He was first elected in 2012 and reelected in 2018.
The Virginia Senate race is currently rated as "Solid Democratic" by non-partisan political handicapper the Cook Political Report.
"We've gone four presidential elections in a row behind a Democrat, but that was after 44 years of going red in presidential races, and we have a Republican governor," Kaine explained, referencing Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's successful campaign in 2021.
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The lawmaker's remarks come as Republicans are eyeing Virginia going into the 2024 elections.
"Joe Biden is so weak, and Democrats are in such disarray, that not only is President Trump winning every traditional battleground state, but longtime blue states such as Minnesota, Virginia, and New Jersey are now in play," claimed Trump campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a recent statement to Fox News Digital.
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"President Trump is on offense with a winning message and growing his movement every single day. Joe Biden’s campaign should be terrified," she added.
Youngkin also telegraphed confidence in Virginia being up for grabs in a recent interview, saying, "I think Virginia is in play. Let's just remind ourselves — Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 points in 2020. I ended up winning by two the next year."
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Kaine will face off against a GOP contender in the Senate election, which voters are selecting in Tuesday's GOP primary election. The top contenders for the nomination are retired Navy Capt. Hung Cao, former DeSantis staffer and Club for Growth employee Scott Parkinson and constitutional attorney Jonathan Emord.
Cao is notably endorsed by former President Trump.
An added factor in the match up is that Kaine and his opponent will need to share a ticket with their party's presidential candidate, expected to be Biden and Trump.
In a recent Fox News Poll, Biden and Trump were tied in Virginia, shocking some. The two were each at 48% in the survey, despite Biden winning 54.11% to Trump's 44% in 2020.