Del. Bob Marshall officially announced his bid for Virginia’s open U.S. Senate seat Monday and wasted no time questioning the conservative credentials of the Republican frontrunner.
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The long-time lawmaker from Prince William County said “conservative leaders and grass-roots activists” pushed him into the race and already began collecting signatures last week to qualify for the ballot.
“I already have a ‘can do’ record of challenging [presumptive Democratic nominee] Tim Kaine and winning in the public arena on major economic and social issues, and I can do it again,” Marshall said in a statement.
Marshall nearly won the GOP nomination for Senate at a convention in 2008 against former Gov. Jim Gilmore. This year, he’ll go up against former Gov. George Allen and a handful of Tea Party-backed candidates in a June primary.
Despite a late entry into the race, Marshall insists he’s a more conservative option than Allen. He cited a recent Public Policy Poll that found 53 of Virginians feel Allen is conservative enough to win in the nomination.
“Is this enough to win against Tim Kaine?” he asked.
The campaign has until March 29 to collect 10,000 signatures from voters, including 400 from each congressional district. The Washington Examiner first reported Marshall’s interest in the race earlier this month after he asked the attorney general to clarify the state’s procedures for getting on the ballot.
Marshall jumps in just as the Republican field was shrinking. Businessman Tim Donner recently announced he was leaving the race, citing the overwhelming support for Allen among the GOP establishment and too many other opponents to overcome.
But Marshall has successfully run campaigns in Virginia since the early 1990s and has attracted a loyal following with his staunchly conservative views, particularly on abortion, immigration and President Obama’s health care reforms.
Joining Marshall’s campaign as chairman is fellow champion of the conservative movement Sen. Dick Black, R-Leesburg.
