Virginia Democratic Senator Tim Kaine will run for re-election in 2024
Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia announced Friday that he will run for a third term in 2024.
Kaine made the announcement Friday morning from the state capital, Richmond, after meeting with local business leaders and participating in a discussion on economic development.
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Sen. Tim Kaine D-Va., speaks during a press conference outside the Senate Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, January 14, 2020. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
“I have been really considering what to do with my time in the Senate, and I am very pleased to announce that I will be seeking a third term in the Senate,” Kaine said in the announcement.
Kaine’s decision is a major relief for Democrats who pushed him to run and avoid the uncertainty of a freshman in the 2024 election.
“I’m a servant. I love Virginia. I’m proud of what I’ve done,” Kaine said.
Republicans reacted to Kaine’s announcement by saying they will simply focus on recruiting the right candidate to take on the challenge.
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“Virginians have shown they are ready to vote Republican with the right candidate and the right political environment,” Republican National Senate Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud told TOU Digital. “We will keep an eye on Virginia and focus on recruiting a strong candidate who can muster the resources to be competitive.”
While Democrats performed better than expected in the 2022 midterm elections, the 2024 election cycle – where Democrats will defend seats in multiple battleground states – could have a much different outcome.
Democrats will defend 23 of the 34 Senate seats up for grabs in the next cycle. Of their 23 seats up for election, seven are in states won by former President Donald Trump in 2016 or 2020.
TOU
Senator Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, speaks during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Washington, DC on April 27, 2021.
(Susan Walsh/AP Photo/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Republicans, however, will not defend any seats in a state won by President Biden, unlike the 2022 midterm elections where the most competitive races were in the states Biden won: Nevada, Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. .
TOU’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
