Republicans Lining Up to Take on Kaine in Virginia

“Why do mass shootings take place in gun free zones … shooters come from broken homes. What government policies have encouraged broken homes?” he said in the video which has since gone viral and landed him prime TV spots on Fox News. “Look at … the abortion industry… the welfare state as families became more dependent on the government.”

He also authored a “religious freedom” bill during the 2017 session that passed both branches of the state house and was condemned by LGBTQ advocates as a “license to discriminate.” The state’s former governor, Democrat Terry McAuliffe, vetoed the bill when it arrived on his desk.

Freitas came in a third when pollsters asked which GOP candidate they preferred, but his viral video and the support from Virginia’s House Majority Leader Todd Gilbert and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is growing his base of supporters.

Other names on the GOP ballot include Ivan Raiklin, a national Guard veteran and Arlington-based Tech investor, and Retired Army Major General Bert Mizusawa.

Both Raiklin and Mizusawa offered their military experience as qualifiers for their chance at the Senate seat. But Raiklin is also trying to distinguish himself from his fellow Republicans, saying he’d offer a more center-right approach than his opponents.

“It’s an uphill battle - the competition is great, the other side has national name ID and funding,” he said noting his time and training overseas made him the best equipped to handle the Commonwealth’s growing immigrant communities.

"The demographics coupled with my background, my passions and experience suits better at the federal level, because of my national and international reach.”

Mizusawa, however, was once part of Trump’s transition team and served in an advisory role under the president which could play well with Trump’s base.

But Mizusawa also said he's his own man, and won't hesitate to oppose the president when he feels he needs to.

“Trump is now the president of the US and he deserves support when he’s right, but if I disagree with him I will take that position publicly,” he said, noting he was less able to contradict the president in his former advisory role, but that could change if he enters congress. “Mr. Trump listens and he changes his mind. As a Senator, he won’t be my boss, and I’ll be free to speak my mind publicly, but I think he deserves our support.”

No matter who wins in June, the candidate will face a popular incumbent in Sen. Tim Kaine, Hillary Clinton’s former VP running mate, who’s roots and political history run deep in Virginia.

Recent polls show Kane currently has at least a 20 points advantage over his prospective Republican challengers, and his job approval rating is over 50 percent across the Commonwealth.

“‘Virginia for all’ is going to be the campaign,” Kaine said. “It shouldn’t matter what region you live in, where you come from, who your family is, or what your income level is … I’m going to run a campaign that celebrates that, but we’ve got so much more to do.”

Steve Farnsworth, a political science professor and political analyst at the University of Mary Washington, said Republicans have quite the advisory in Kaine. He pointed to polling for the senator, the 2017’s “blue wave” or freshmen democrats nearly taking the state House and the impact Trump’s controversial policies and tweets continue to have on voters as reasons for any GOP candidate to be worried.

“Even in an ordinary election cycle, challenging Tim Kaine would be an uphill battle,” he said. noting the lack of well or better known candidates on the GOP ticket so far could also speak to how confident those on the right are when it comes to taking back Kaine’s seat.

“The unpopularity of Trump and the nature of a midterm election which tends to be pretty anti-President ... even the most vulnerable incumbents would get top tier challengers and he is not getting top tier challengers,” he said.

But John Whitbeck, chairman of the Virginia Republican Party, thinks the polls, the surge of democrat wins in 2017, and the supposed anti-Trump sentiment is all hogwash. He pointed to polls ahead of the 2016 race that had Hillary Clinton thrashing Trump and occupying the White House.

“All polling in Virginia is utter garbage, it's wrong and you shouldn’t listen to it,” he said, adding. “When I spoke to Trump at the White House Christmas party he told me how committed he was to winning Virginia in 2020 and 2018.”

“[Trump] has a special place in his heart in Virginia,” he said. “It’s always on his radar and I think he’s always committed to help us in any way he can.”

But he wasn’t blind to the energy that’s inspired Democrats to get to the polls here in Virginia and nationwide.

“There is a massive amount of motivation on the other side,” he said. “And we’re going to have to counter that with enough messaging, successes and hard work to turn out voters on our side.

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