Kaine and Cao ready to make their mark in Virginia Senate debate

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Tonight’s Senate debate between Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine and Republican challenger Hung Cao marks a great opportunity for both to share perspectives on a myriad of issues on the local, regional and national.

The debate at Norfolk State University is being held in partnership with NewsNation and WAVY-TV 10’s parent company, Nexstar, and begins at 7 p.m.

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Dr. Ben Melusky, an associate professor of political science at Old Dominion University, said Cao needed this debate to really get his name out there, saying it was a chance for Cao to challenge Kaine and his role within of the administration in place.

Cao served in the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years and was stationed in Hampton Roads for nearly a decade. Cao retired as a Navy captain.

In a September 20 interview with 10 On Your Side, Cao took issue with Kaine’s role on the Armed Services Committee.

“He didn’t bring them – think about it seriously, we have ships that can’t take off, planes that can’t dive and he’s on the Armed Services Committee,” said Cao, who is backed by the former President Donald Trump. . “We live in dangerous times and Tim Kaine is a weak man.”

Kaine discussed the impact of Hurricane Helene during a routine press briefing Tuesday, during which he appeared via Zoom from southwest Virginia after successfully advocating for a declaration emergency for Virginia.

During the briefing, Kaine was asked about the upcoming vice presidential and Virginia Senate debate.

“The job of the U.S. senator is to get real results for everyday Virginians in the communities where they live and work,” Kaine said. “I did this for my city as a city councilor and mayor. I did it for my state as lieutenant governor and governor. I did it in the United States Senate.

Kaine’s political career spanned 30 years. He now sits on several committees: the armed forces committee, the budget, foreign relations, health, education and pensions.

Kaine believes this debate is about focusing on successes in prescription drug manufacturing, infrastructure and cost reductions.

“This is a debate that is fundamentally about getting results and frankly recognizing that there is still much work to be done,” Kaine said. “We still have a lot to do, and the way to do that is simply to continue to focus on results, not name-calling, extremism and insults. »

A recent poll shows there is a 10-point gap between Kaine and Cao, with Kaine maintaining this lead since July.

The top issue for the 860 Virginia voters surveyed is the economy, followed by housing affordability, threats to democracy and immigration.

“The fundamental question is: Are you better off today than you were four years ago? If you say yes, then you are probably an illegal alien,” Cao said. “Honestly, the people who got us into this mess, Tim Kaine, have been in power for 30 years.”

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