Tim Kaine to run for Va. Senate

01:28 PM

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By Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

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Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine says he is running for the U.S. Senate in Virginia, setting off what will be a feverish battle to keep the seat in the party's hands.
"America has big challenges and I'm convinced that Virginia has answers to help strengthen our nation," Kaine said in a video announcing his candidacy.

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By Charles Dharapak, AP

Kaine, a former governor of Virginia, has been contemplating a bid to succeed retiring Democratic Sen. Jim Webb for weeks. Republicans are trying to wrest majority control of the Senate from Democrats and view the Virginia seat as a prime pick-up opportunity.Former senator and Virginia governor George Allen and Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke are vying for the Republican nomination.
"Now that his fellow party leaders in Washington have twisted Tim Kaine's arm enough to get him into this race, Republicans welcome the clear contrast that his candidacy presents and the choice before Virginians next year," said Brian Walsh of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign committee, sounded confident about Kaine's chances, calling him a "proven job creator." She also took aim at Allen, who was defeated by Webb in 2006.
"The Republicans have a real Tea Party primary on their hands, and George Allen has a long record of spending and debt that will be a major issue in this race. Rank and file conservatives are not as enthusiastic about his candidacy as the establishment in Washington, D.C.," she said in a statement.

President Obama now must pick a replacement for Kaine to run the national Democratic Party as he tries to repeat his 2008 victories in Virginia and other Southern states. He and Kaine, one of the first Democratic governors to endorse his 2008 presidential bid, enjoy a close relationship. The president is firmly behind Kaine for the Virginia Senate seat.
"I cannot imagine somebody who has been a better partner to me and a better friend to me than our DNC chair, Tim Kaine," Obama said at a fundraiser in New York last week.
Politico and others have reported that former Ohio governor Ted Strickland and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida are in the running for the DNC post.