(AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine won reelection in Virginia for his third term Tuesday, beating Republican challenger Hung Cao.
Kaine was widely expected to keep his role as the Commonwealth’s junior senator.
Political scientists said there was only a narrow path to victory for Cao given Virginia’s moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in 2020 and Kaine’s salience with voters.
Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who had former President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
But the most recent Republican to hold a Senate seat from Virginia was the late John Warner, a centrist who last won in 2002.The Associated Press declared Kaine the winner at 11:22 p.m. EST.
