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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, the 2016 Democratic vice statesmanlike nominee and a fixture successful Virginia authorities for decades, said Friday that helium would question reelection adjacent year, easing his party’s worries astir holding connected to a spot successful a authorities present led by a Republican governor.
Kaine, 64, said helium had grappled with the determination due to the fact that of the magnitude of the imaginable commitment: a two-year run and a six-year term. He said yet helium feels helium has much to accomplish.
“I’m a servant. I emotion Virginia. I’m arrogant of what I’ve done. I’ve got a full batch much I privation do,” Kaine said aft gathering with astir a twelve young advocates, authorities employees and governmental staffers astatine a roundtable successful Richmond, his longtime home.
Speaking with his wife, Anne Holton, by his side, Kaine said President Joe Biden did not personally property him to question a 3rd term, but different Senate Democratic colleagues had encouraged him to run.
A Kaine status would person been a stroke to Democrats politically and practically successful a plaything authorities that is prized by some parties. A erstwhile Virginia politician and lieutenant governor, Kaine volition participate the contention arsenic the aboriginal favourite successful a must-hold spot for Democrats facing a pugnacious Senate representation successful 2024.
While Virginia has grown progressively much wide implicit the past decade, Republican Glenn Youngkin defeated Democratic erstwhile Gov. Terry McAuliffe successful the 2021 governor’s race, portion of a slate of Republican statewide candidates elected that year.
Ahead of 2024, Kaine said he’s preparing for a pugnacious contention and considers Virginia a battleground, “maybe a small spot connected the bluish side.”
“Look, the occurrence of Gov. Younkin and the statewide summons successful ’21 shows you that, hey, Virginians volition ballot for Republicans successful statewide elections,” helium said. “Nobody tin instrumentality that for granted.”
Virginia Democrats and galore of Kaine’s Democratic Senate colleagues cheered his announcement. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Kaine has “has fought tirelessly for his location authorities and for moving families and I’m assured his champion years are yet to come.”
Maggie Abboud, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said successful a connection that Virginians person shown they’re consenting to “vote Republican with the close campaigner and the close governmental environment.”
“We’re going to support a adjacent oculus connected Virginia and absorption connected recruiting a beardown campaigner who tin rise the resources indispensable to compete,” Abboud said.
At slightest 2 Virginia Republicans person signaled involvement successful the contention oregon committed to a run.
Eddie Garcia, a bluish Virginia subject veteran, precocious announced his candidacy. And connected Friday, Tim Saler, an advisor to erstwhile legislature campaigner Hung Cao, said successful an emailed connection that Cao was humbled by the “many Virginians who person encouraged him to see a run.”
Cao, a retired Navy skipper and Vietnamese immigrant, ran a spirited but unsuccessful contention against Rep. Jennifer Wexton past twelvemonth successful a blue-leaning bluish Virginia district.
Speculation had swirled astir Kaine’s aboriginal aft helium told the Richmond Times-Dispatch earlier this period that helium hadn’t arrived astatine a determination astir whether to tally again. Kaine said helium had arrived astatine a consciousness of his way guardant by past week but kept it intimately held, telling 3 staffers lone 2 days agone and the remainder astatine 9 p.m. Thursday night.
Kaine, who is approaching 3 decades spent successful nationalist office, is champion known nationally arsenic Hillary Clinton’s moving mate successful the 2016 statesmanlike election, a contention they mislaid to Donald Trump and Mike Pence.
He got his commencement successful nationalist bureau connected the Richmond City Council successful the 1990s. He served 4 terms, including 2 arsenic mayor.
He went connected to beryllium elected lieutenant politician and past governor, serving from 2006 to 2010. Virginia uniquely limits its main executives to 1 term.
Kaine was archetypal elected to the Senate successful 2012, defeating Republican George Allen aft a bitter and costly race. His 2018 contention against acold right-wing GOP nominee Corey Stewart was acold little competitive; Kaine won by 16 percent points.
Kaine is seen arsenic a passionate yet pragmatic legislator and is known arsenic a superior policymaker and anxious spouse connected legislation.
After his high-profile crook connected the 2016 Democratic statesmanlike ticket, helium returned to enactment successful the Senate, often showing up successful acheronian jeans during the coronavirus pandemic erstwhile an aerial of informality swept done the Capitol.
His ain bout with the coronavirus led to what helium has described arsenic “mild agelong COVID symptoms,” arsenic he pushes for backing toward research and attraction for those with the disease.
As a senator, Kaine has fought automatic national fund cuts, worked to trim unemployment among veterans and sought national designation for Virginia’s Native American tribes. He precocious pressed for the transition of the Inflation Reduction Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
He said helium hopes to find advancement connected acquisition and workforce issues, immigration, intelligence wellness care, and combatting opioid addiction and overdoses if voters take adjacent twelvemonth to nonstop him backmost to Washington.
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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this study from Washington.
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