Virginia Republicans will choose their nominee on Aug. 4 to challenge Mark Warner for the U.S. Senate, setting up the state party’s test against a senator seeking a fourth six-year term. The race will settle which of three remaining Republican candidates gets the chance to face him.
Mark Warner has held statewide office for more than two decades, and Virginia has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since John Warner won a fifth term in 2002. Since then, Democrats have won every Senate contest in Virginia.
Farington, Mizusawa and Williams
The remaining candidates are Kim Farington, Bert Mizusawa and David Williams, after four other GOP candidates, including Bryce Reeves, dropped out before the primary. Farington has campaigned on the economy, lower federal spending, tighter border security, expanded domestic energy production and a smaller federal government.
Mizusawa has focused on military readiness, foreign policy, energy and government spending. Williams has campaigned on reducing the size of the federal government, cutting taxes and defending constitutional rights.
David Richards on the field
David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg, said the field shares an unusual trait: “One other interesting point is that Williams, Farington and Mizusawa are all people who have worked for the federal government at some point in their careers, with Williams and Mizusawa both serving in the military.” He added, “Clearly, whoever wins the GOP nomination will be running as an experienced government insider.”
Richards also said, “I predict either Farington or Mizusawa winning the nomination, both are polling about even if you look at the margin of error,” while Williams is still putting up a fight. That makes the Aug. 4 primary less a formality than a direct contest over which Republican can consolidate the race fastest.
Aug. 4 primary election
The winner will enter a general-election race against Warner, whose long record and fundraising advantage shape the challenge ahead. For Republican voters, the immediate choice is narrow: one of three candidates will become the nominee, and the party’s path begins with the Aug. 4 primary election.
