Hung Cao won the Virginia Senate Republican primary on Tuesday, earning the party's nod to face incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in November.
The most prominent contenders in the Senate Republican primary, besides Cao, were Scott Parkinson, a former DeSantis staffer and Club for Growth employee, and constitutional lawyer Jonathan Emord.
Former President Trump endorsed Cao last month, writing in Truth Social: “A highly decorated combat veteran and special operations officer, Hung Cao will be a tireless fighter to stop inflation, grow our economy, secure our border, and firmly support to our incredible military/veterans, and defend our Second Amendment always under siege.
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Kaine said he does not take re-election for granted (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)
“Hung Cao has my complete and total support,” he continued.
While his opponent earned Trump's coveted seal of approval, Parkinson had garnered significant endorsements from incumbent Republican senators. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Pete Ricketts, R-Nebraska, Mike Lee, R-Utah, Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, and Mike Braun, R-Indiana, are among his sponsors.
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Cao is a retired Navy captain. (Images courtesy of Hung Cao)
Trump's endorsement power varies from state to state, and his endorsement is not necessarily a guarantee that a candidate will win in a primary. In Virginia's Republican presidential primary in March, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley received 35% of the vote, compared to Trump's 63%. Haley suspended her campaign shortly after the primary.
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The congressional primaries took place Tuesday in Virginia. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan political hurdle, rates the Virginia Senate race as “solidly Democratic.” But even though the seat is currently considered a reliable win for Kaine, the Democratic senator made it clear that he is leaving nothing to chance.
“I know I don't take it for granted,” Kaine told Fox News Digital about the upcoming general election in Virginia. “I don't think anyone should do it.”
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Kaine has worked in the office since 2013. (AP Photo/José Luis Magaña)
Kaine has served in the Senate since 2013 and was re-elected in 2018.
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A recent Fox News poll surprised some when it showed President Biden and Trump tied in Virginia at 48% to 48%. In the 2020 election, Biden won 54% of the vote to Trump's 44%.
The new data comes as Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Trump campaign say the state is “in play” for Republicans in November.
“Joe Biden is so weak, and the Democrats are so disorganized, that not only is President Trump winning all the traditionally battleground states, but long-Democratic states like Minnesota, Virginia and New York are now in play. Jersey. President Trump is on the offensive with “Joe Biden's campaign should be terrified,” campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a recent statement to Fox News Digital.
