The wait is over—former Virginia governor and now-former DNC chair Tim Kaine is running for Senate:
So Dems get their top recruit to hold retiring Sen. Jim Webb's seat, but it'll undoubtedly be a serious dogfight. Polling has shown Kaine
in a dead heat with ex-Sen. George Allen, the likely GOP nominee. Allen could potentially get derailed by teabaggers, but a
recent PPP survey showed him performing strongly in a hypothetical Republican primary.
As for the Dem side, ex-Rep. Tom Perriello, generally seen as the main alternative to Kaine, previously said he wouldn't run if Kaine did, so count him out. But Rep. Bobby Scott said just the other day that he's still thinking about seeking the Dem nomination, and he intimated that Kaine's decision wouldn't affect his. Still, with the reality of Kaine in the race now, Scott will have to think long and hard about whether he wants to give up a safe seat in the House to challenge a heavyweight establishment favorite.
Ultimately, Kaine, whatever his faults may be, gives us an excellent chance of holding this seat and preserving our majority in the Senate. And no matter what happens, this is going to be a big, expensive battle which will likely remain very close until the bitter end.