George Allen, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Virginia, will face up to three challengers for the GOP nomination this spring while his would-be Democratic rival, Tim Kaine, will sail on to his party’s nomination without the expense or hassle of facing a challenger. Thursday marked the deadline for candidates to hand in petitions to qualify for the June primary — the same onerous process that left a slew of Republican presidential candidates off Virginia’s ballot in March. Kaine, a former Virginia governor and President Obama’s handpicked choice to replace retiring Virginia Democratic Sen. Jim Webb, was the only Democrat to file the requisite 10,000 voter signatures and will run unopposed in the primary.
Political novices Julien Modica and Courtney Lynch, Democrats who considered challenging Kaine, didn’t hand in petitions.
Allen turned in 26,869 signatures to the Virginia State Board of Election two weeks ago, but learned Thursday that he faces as many as three Republican opponents — Tea Party activist Jamie Radtke, Prince William County Del. Bob Marshall and E.W. Jackson, a minister from Chesapeake.
The state Republican Party will now validate the petitions. Candidates who turn in more than 15,000 signatures, including 600 from each of the state’s 11 congressional districts, will get an expedited approval while the rest face a higher level of scrutiny.
Radtke submitted 21,522 signatures. Marshall handed in 17,133 and Jackson, 11,121. Businessman David McCormick was disqualified for failing to turn in a declaration of candidacy form with his petitions. Kaine filed 30,866 signatures.
Allen, a former governor and senator, is heavily favored to win the nomination, but it won’t come without a fight. Allen agreed to participate in three debates with the rest of the field in the coming weeks where his challengers will surely take aim at the front-runner.
Nearly every poll has Kaine and Allen in a virtual tie, and a contest between the two is likely to hinge on partly how well Obama does in Virginia in November. But a prolonged primary race means Allen must spend time and resources defending himself against other Republicans.
“It’s something of an annoyance to Allen,” said Kyle Kondik, a political analyst with the University of Virginia Center for Politics. “You’d rather be Kaine than Allen right now, but it’s a marginal advantage at best.”
