The primaries for Virginia’s U.S. Senate race are still a year away, but to hear the candidates and parties talk in recent weeks, the contenders have already been chosen: Republican George Allen and Democrat Tim Kaine.
Allen, a former senator and governor, faces a crowded field for his party’s nomination. Kaine, a former governor, could face a serious primary challenge from Rep. Bobby Scott while Reston Democrat Julien Modica has already filed to run against him.
Still, retiring Sen. James Webb, the man everyone is running to replace, sent out a fundraising message for Kaine warning fellow Democrats that Allen, Kaine’s “most likely opponent,” had already raised $1.5 million in the first quarter alone.
Kaine’s own campaign went after Allen directly for the first time last week. When Allen called on congressional Republicans not to raise the government’s debt ceiling unless Democrats agreed to budget cuts, Kaine’s camp noted that Allen, as a senator, voted four times to raise the borrowing limit by $3 trillion.
Allen, meanwhile, has focused his attacks on the free-spending culture of Congress and Kaine’s “liberal allies in Washington.” Kaine until recently was chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
“Allen had been critical of the Obama administration, critical of Kaine by implication, and there was probably an indication among the Kaine folks that he had to start hitting back soon,” said longtime Virginia political analyst Bob Holsworth.
But other Senate candidates bristle at being discounted so soon.
“The Kaine campaign certainly sees that we’re a part of this race, and I can imagine that George Allen and his establishment friends don’t want to acknowledge us because we threaten his comfortable status quo,” said Chuck Hansen, a spokesman for the campaign of Virginia Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke.
Chesapeake Bishop E.W. Jackson, another GOP contender, called Allen and Kaine’s focus on each other arrogant.
“This is typical political establishment arrogance,” he said. “Instead of listening to the voters, former governors Kaine and Allen are looking at their own reflections in the mirror, and they are both images of the past. E.W. Jackson’s candidacy represents the future.”
Allen and Kaine’s campaigns, meanwhile, say they are taking all challengers seriously.
Allen is busy building support all across the state, spokeswoman Katie Wright said. And Kaine, spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine said, will continue to contrast his record with those of any opponents challenging him.
