Kaine announces run for third term in US Senate

RICHMOND, Va. (WDBJ) - Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) says he has more to do in Washington.

Friday in Richmond, the Virginia Democrat announced he will seek a third term in the U.S. Senate.

Kaine said he made the decision about a week ago, telling key members of his staff in just the last two days.

And after an event at Richmond’s Front Porch Cafe he ended weeks of speculation and put the rumors to rest.

“I have really been grappling with what to do with respect to my time in the Senate, and I’m very happy to announce that I’m going to run for a third term in the Senate,” Kaine told reporters.

Earlier, during a conversation with a group of Richmond leaders under 40, Kaine described the impact of the last election on the political landscape in Washington.

“We have a Democratic Senate that’s slightly more Democratic,” Kaine said. “We have a Republican House. That’s a change from the last two years, and that will make some things harder, but we got a lot of bipartisan priorities over the goal line in the last two years, so there’s no reason to just be pessimistic about that.”

During the roundtable, and later with reporters he spoke of the priorities he took to Washington when he was first elected, and priorities such as immigration reform that he’s still working on.

He said that played a role in his decision.

“I’m a servant. I love Virginia. I’m proud of what I’ve done. I’ve got a whole lot more I want to do,” Kaine said.

Before taking on another two year campaign, and the prospect of six more years in the Senate, Kaine said it was important to weigh the decision carefully.

He said his wife Anne Holton gave him a good piece of advice: come to a decision and then live with it for a week, to make sure it’s the right call.

“This job has given him great joy in service,” Holton said, “and I’m excited to watch the next eight years if Virginians give him that opportunity.”

“Once I make a decision, I want to make it and be resolved in it and I feel very very excited to fire it up, you know, get the old team back together,” Kaine said.

With Kaine’s decision, the focus now shifts to potential opponents.

Kaine said the success of Governor Youngkin and the statewide GOP ticket in 2021 shows that Virginians will vote for Republicans in a statewide race.

He said Virginia remains a battleground, and you have to assume the election next November is going to be close.

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U.S. Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) has announced he is running for re-election in 2024, hoping for a third term in the Senate.

He made the announcement after an economic development roundtable in Richmond.

The former Richmond City Council member, Richmond Mayor, Lieutenant Governor, Governor and candidate for Vice President released this statement about his campaign:

“I am happy to announce that I will seek re-election in 2024 to keep delivering results for Virginia. I’ve been honored to serve people as a missionary, civil rights lawyer, and elected official at the local, state, and federal levels. I love the Commonwealth and its citizens and want to keep being your Senator.

“Whether it’s extending the Metro Silver Line to Dulles Airport, improving Amtrak service to Richmond and Roanoke, funding improvements to I-81 and the Coalfields Expressway, building a State Department training facility at Fort Pickett, reducing prescription drug costs, raising the federal tobacco age from 18 to 21, providing mental health resources for frontline workers, saving the Affordable Care Act, guarding the Chesapeake Bay and other critical natural resources, positioning Virginia for leadership in offshore wind, passing the first gun safety legislation in decades, advancing career and technical education, honoring our commitment to Virginia miners and their families, gaining federal recognition for Virginia tribes, or advancing civil rights for all, my team and I approach each day with energy and passion. As a member of the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, I have been particularly focused on providing American leadership in a world that badly needs it together with supporting our troops, our veterans, and our military families.

“But there is so much to be done. Because we need more skilled workers, we should invest more in technical training, provide more affordable high-quality child care, and find a path to a work-based immigration reform bill. We need to expand access to mental health services, to battle addiction, and bring down health care costs for all. We need to fight for fundamental liberties, including the freedom to make your own reproductive decisions and the right to vote. Virginia’s natural bounty—air, water, open space—needs protection from threats including climate change. And in a world with threats to democracies at home and abroad, we need a national security strategy that keeps us safe while building up the capacity of the U.S. and our allies to link arms against global threats of all kinds.

“Thanks for all your support and guidance over the years. The best part of my job is being anywhere in the Commonwealth — listening to you, brainstorming solutions to challenging problems, being inspired by your efforts . . . and occasionally inflicting mediocre harmonica playing on tolerant audiences! I hope to earn your support once again to battle for Virginia priorities, champion American innovation, and defend democracy and human rights across the globe.”

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