Sen. Tim Kaine won re-election to the U.S. Senate with a margin of 6 percentage points over his Republican challenger, Hung Cao, despite Cao’s attempts to characterize the commonwealth as “in-play” statewide, for conservatives.
The race was called by the Associated Press around 11:22 p.m., nearly four and a half hours after the polls closed Tuesday night. Kaine will return to the U.S. Senate to represent Virginia for a third six-year term. His margin of victory is expected to grow as votes continue to be counted into the early morning.
Neither Kaine nor Cao’s campaigns responded immediately to requests for comment.
Kaine’s margin of victory was anticipated to be larger than Vice President Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency, in Virginia. At the time the U.S. Senate race was called, Harris was ahead in the commonwealth by 3 percentage points over former President Donald Trump.
Trump had endorsed Cao in the June primary, which Cao won handily over his four Republican opponents. Cao also appeared on stage at multiple Trump rallies and at the Republican National Convention in July. This is the second federal election loss for Cao — in 2022 he ran against Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton to represent Virginia’s 10th Congressional District. Wexton won that race by 6 percentage points.
Kaine’s win in Virginia came just days after Trump held a last-minute campaign rally in the southwest part of the state, in an attempt to run up the Republican vote in a region considered to be a conservative stronghold. The former president and Republican speakers at the event, including Cao, insisted that Virginia was “in play” for conservatives seeking statewide federal office. That effort did not shake out in their favor on Election Day.
“When Tim Kaine announced his re-election campaign, I had no doubt it would lead to another resounding victory. But true to his character, Tim spent the past seven months doing what he does best — meeting with and listening to voters across the Commonwealth, day in and day out,” Susan Swecker, chair of the Democratic Party of Virginia, said in a statement. “He never takes anything for granted, because that’s the kind of leader he is — one who shows up, works tirelessly, and stands up for every Virginian. There is no one better equipped to continue delivering for Virginians in the Senate and to unite our Commonwealth and our country in these challenging times.”
The Republican Party of Virginia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
