After months of speculation, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine announced Tuesday his entry into the Virginia Senate race for 2012. Pitted against Republican nominee and former senator George Allen, Kaine faces an inevitably close race for his home state's open Senate seat. The seat is currently occupied by Democrat Jim Webb, who announced in February he would not run for re-election.
Kaine made the announcement through the release of a short video, in which Kaine reminded Virginians of his accomplishments, harking back to his tenure as city councilman and mayor of Richmond. He reviewed his time as governor, when he was able to lead the state "through the toughest economy in 70 years" and make "government more efficient."
"I'm running for the United States Senate because America has big challenges, and I'm convinced Virginia has answers to help strengthen our nation," Kaine said as he sat on the porch steps in front of his house.
In an email statement, Sen. Mark Warner, who served as governor from 2002 to 2006, offered his support to his former lieutenant governor.
"Today, Tim announced he'll be running for the U.S. Senate - and I've got the opportunity to have him as a partner to bring our model of fiscal responsibility to Washington," Warner said.\nIn response to Webb's announcement, Kaine said in a February statement major progress had been made "in turning Virginia from a solidly Republican state to a highly competitive one," citing Webb's victory in 2006 as an example.
Isaac Wood, communications director at the University's Center for Politics and former Cavalier Daily opinion columnist, agreed that Virginia does not entirely belong to either Democrats or Republicans.
"Virginia has been a battleground state over the past decade with both Republican and Democratic victories in gubernatorial, Senate, and key House races," Wood said. "So far, 2012 seems to continue the pattern with a toss-up Senate race that promises once again to draw plenty of national attention."
After Webb's announcement, Kaine initially appeared reluctant to commit to running for the seat. A group of Kaine's students at the University of Richmond reported Kaine had announced his intent to run during a March 14 class. Kaine's camp immediately fired back, saying no such announcement had been made.
Now the debate has shifted to whether Kaine would make a good senator. Democrats such as Warner applaud Kaine as fiscally mindful, but many Republicans contend he's nothing of the sort.
"Over the last several years, Tim Kaine has been the most vocal cheerleader in Washington for the reckless fiscal policies and massive expansion of government that have been the hallmark of the Obama Administration," Brian Walsh, spokesperson for the Republican Senate Campaign Committee, said in a statement.
Larry Sabato, director of the University's Center for Politics, said he believes the race will be incredibly close, but that Kaine will secure the Democratic nomination.
"We've got a long way to go, but from a year and a half out, the Virginia Senate race looks likely to be highly competitive," Sabato said in an email. "The major parties will likely pick as their nominees two former governors, George Allen and Tim Kaine, who can raise big money and have the experience to run a tough statewide campaign."
Similarly, Wood predicted an unusual race because it is rare for two former governors to campaign against each other in a high-stakes election. The close race may present an opportunity for Republicans to regain the senate seat.
As Democrats cling to their Senate majority by a narrow six-seat margin, Wood believes both sides will focus their efforts for 2012 in Virginia to vie for control of the chamber. Sabato said the concurrent presidential election in 2012 may be the deciding factor in the senatorial election.
"Both Kaine and Allen have strengths and weaknesses, and the tiebreaker - absent a big mistake by one of the candidates - could be the presidential race in Virginia," Sabato said. "If Obama wins Virginia again, he ought to be able to carry Kaine to victory. If the eventual Republican nominee carries Virginia, then Allen would ride the presidential coattails"
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