Tuesday is Primary Day in Virginia

Vote clipartBy MIKE WILLIAMS

Patriot Publishing

 

Republicans across Virginia will decide Tuesday which of their five candidates will earn the right to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Tim Kaine in November’s General Election.

The polls open in Pulaski County and all over the Commonwealth on Tuesday at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

While Tuesday’s vote is a Republican Party Primary Election all registered voters in Virginia may participate.

There are five Republican candidates on the ballot Tuesday: Hung Cao, Eddie Garcia Jr., Jonathan Emord, Chuck Smith and Scott Parkinson.

Cao and Garcia are looked on as the leading candidates, and Cao – a 25-year Navy veteran – has won the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.

While Tuesday is also Primary Day for Democrats in Virginia, no Democratic Party races are on the ballot in Pulaski County.

The winner in Tuesday’s Republican Primary will oppose Kaine in November.

Kaine is seeking a third term as one of the Commonwealth’s two U.S. Senators.

Kaine, a former Governor of Virginia and Mayor of Richmond, first won election to the Senate in 2012 by defeating another former governor, George Allen. In 2018, Kaine easily won re-election by beating Republican Corey Stewart by 16 percentage points.

Republicans this time around, however, believe there is an opening for their candidate.  While President Joe Biden won Virginia four years ago by some 10 percentage points, recent polls show the presidential race in the Commonwealth as being neck-and-neck.

Republicans point to higher food prices, increased crime in U.S. cities and illegal border crossings as reasons why Virginians are more apt to vote Republican in November – along with the popularity of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.

“The only person that is better off today than they were four years ago is an illegal alien,” Cao recently told the Associated Press.

As for Kaine, he says he’s taking nothing for granted – although he has won every statewide race he’s run so far – including governor, senate and even for Vice President as he was Hillary Clinton’s running mate in 2016. Their ticket carried the Commonwealth that year against Trump.

Voters are reminded that an ID is required to vote at the polls.

Any questions on Tuesday’s primary may be directed to Leann Phillips, Director of Elections and General Registrar for Pulaski County at 540-980-2111.