Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) expected to address future plans in Richmond Friday
But whatever his decision, it’s not one Kaine would have reached lightly, according to multiple Democrats on the Hill and in Virginia.
A full-court press has unfolded in recent days to persuade the two-term senator and former governor to stay for another six years, given what his retirement could mean for control of the Senate after the 2024 election cycle. Several Democrats who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak candidly said they talked with Kaine directly in hopes of persuading him to stay.A Kaine retirement would be both a political blow and a psychological letdown for the Democratic caucus.
While President Biden carried the state by 10 percentage points, Gov. Glenn Youngkin flipped the state red in 2021 and remains relatively popular, making him a prime recruiting target for Republicans. Democrats are already defending 23 seats from their caucus, including three in states that voted heavily Republican in 2020. Republicans will defend just 11 seats, all in states that have favored Republicans in presidential races.
But a Kaine retirement might have a bigger effect on the overall tenor of day-to-day life in the Senate. In just 10 years, he has been considered an honest broker with many Republicans and become one of the more popular senators among colleagues.
Kaine will appear Friday morning at an economic roundtable with “young Richmond leaders” at a Richmond cafe. He will take questions from the media afterward.
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