AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) – In a divisive political atmosphere, and a divided Virginia government, the 2024 election is important in the Commonwealth.

The presidential election is not Virginians’ only item on the ballot this year—the U.S. Senate spot held by Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine is up for election this year.

Kaine plans to rerun for the spot, launching his campaign in Virginia. The Republican Party is looking to take control of the seat and take down the Democrat’s lead in the Senate.

The Virginia Ballot will see five different names on June 18 when the primary elections take place. Those names are:

All of the candidates, except for Cao, were in Augusta County for a public forum to win over voters.

Though they had their differences, each of them agreed on wanting to take down Kaine in November. Kaine has held a political position since 1994, when he was elected to Richmond City Council.

Parkinson was the first to speak at the forum. He hoped to charm the audience with his dedication to his family and his desire to fix issues, like the drug problem the Shenandoah Valley faces. However, he wanted voters to understand he would protect the rights given to them by the Constitution, like the right to a comfortable life.

“I’m running on public safety, ending the illegal immigration crisis from the southern border, stopping fentanyl from getting into our communities and the cost of living is crushing the American family, the middle-class, and I want to make sure we attack “Bidenflation”, and all the policies Tim Kaine is supporting,” Parkinson said.

The next speaker, Emord, said his experience as a constitutional lawyer set him apart from the others. In his career, he “took down bureaucrats” and worked to protect people from bureaucratic leaders attempting to make legislation under the table. He said he would help Virginians keep money in their pockets and live the lives they choose.

“We don’t need bureaucrats telling us how to live, we know how to live ourselves, and we need them to get out of the way. That’s what the people of this area of Virginia believe strongly. I know that, I’ve been here many, many times,” Emord said. “They want the government out of their lives, and that’s what I want to do, I want to get there and get them out.”

Eddie Garcia, a U.S. Army veteran who served for more than 20 years, wanted the crowd to understand he comes from an average background. One of his selling points he said was the lack of endorsements/money given from people in Congress. He said he understands the working class and wants to support them, rather than be above the working class and not support them.

“The people in Washington D.C. have enriched themselves, they have increased their power and control over everybody’s lives. The working people, the farmers, the ranchers, the single moms, the landscapers, the bricklayers, the construction workers, all those people who put on their hard hats, who lace their work boots, they show up to work before the sun comes up and they don’t go up until the sun goes down,” Garcia said. “These people are getting left behind.”

Smith was the last speaker, his campaign focused on the national issues that are constantly debated in Congress but never solved. He emphasized the importance of immigration reform to voters in the crowd.

“I will stand up for the constitution, I will make sure that our border is under check. My personal belief is that we should not have any type of immigration until we get our border fixed. The people who are currently in the system can proceed, but no new applications until we can get our border under control,” Smith said.

You can find more information about each candidate’s platform on their campaign websites.

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