RICHMOND — Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine on Tuesday officially jumped into the 2012 U.S. Senate race in Virginia, setting up a potential marquee matchup with former Gov. and Sen. George Allen in a state vitally important to President Obama’s re-election chances. In an online announcement video, Kaine touted his experience as a mayor and governor in Virginia without mentioning his ties to Obama or his tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, a signal that the Democrat hopes to keep the race focused on the needs of the state rather than the national issues now dominating — and dividing — official Washington.
Still, Kaine’s chances in the race to replace retiring Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., will likely rise and fall with the fortunes of the Obama administration, said Mark Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University. The former governor was one of Obama’s earliest supporters during the 2008 presidential campaign, and was on Obama’s short list of potential vice presidential running mates.
But that cuts both ways. Kaine will also give Obama, who formally announced his intention to seek re-election Monday, a strong ally in the deeply purple Virginia, which Obama carried in 2008 but where his approval ratings have since dipped.
“People know Tim Kaine as the governor of Virginia, and he will be running on his record as governor for sure,” said Preston Bryant, who served as Kaine’s secretary of natural resources. “That said, he has never been shy about his close [association] with and work for the president. I can assure you he won’t be running away from it.”
Even if he wanted to, the GOP certainly won’t let him. Republicans on Tuesday blasted Kaine as Obama’s cheerleader while also pointing out less laudable measures during his time as governor, such as his unpopular decision to close 18 rest stops to save the state cash during the throes of the recession and his outgoing budget proposal that included a $2 billion increase in income taxes.
But longtime Kaine adviser Mo Elleithee countered that under Kaine’s time in the governor’s mansion, Virginia was named best state for business four years in a row, as well as the best-managed state in the nation.
Though the Republican field in which Allen would have to compete is growing crowded, the race is pointing toward a Kaine-Allen matchup that would pit two Virginia political heavyweights — both of whom have proven statewide organizational and fundraising skills — against one another.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid,D-Nev., who won a close race for re-election in November, told The Washington Examiner he expects Kaine will win the seat.
“He’s one of the finest public servants I’ve ever met,” Reid said.
Chief Congressional Correspondent Susan Ferrechio contributed to this report.
