Kaine wins big in Virginia

Democrat incumbent wins 56 percent of vote to dismiss Republican Stewart

By Jill Palermo, Times Staff Writer

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine was declared the early winner of his race against Republican Corey Stewart. Major news organizations called the race soon after the polls closed at 7 p.m., even as thousands remained in line at polling places across the state.

Kaine, 60, campaigned vigorously across the state until the last days of the campaign. He made numerous joint appearances with Democratic candidates for Congress in Virginia, his name appearing on campaign signs more commonly with other candidates than by itself.

In a statement Tuesday, Kaine called the race “a really special campaign” and quite a contrast to two years ago, in 2016, when he lost his bid for the vice presidency; he was on the ballot with Democrat Hilary Clinton. Kaine noted that things brightened for the Democrats with big wins in Virginia in 2017.

“Now, another year later, we’ve turned that flicker into a bright shining beacon of hope,” Kaine added, thanking his supporters across the state.

With 98 percent of the unofficial vote tallied by 10 p.m. Tuesday night, Kaine had garnered 56 percent of the vote statewide, while Stewart received just under 43 percent. More than 400,000 votes separated the two candidates, with Kaine winning the support of 1.7 million voters, while Stewart racked up 1.2 million votes.

Sen. Tim Kaine greets the crowd at the “Blue Wave Rally” at Prince William fairgrounds on Sunday, Nov. 4.

PHOTO BY RANDY LITZINGER

Fauquier County bucked the statewide totals, with 55 percent of voters picking Stewart over the Democratic incumbent. Stewart won 17,792 votes in Fauquier County, while Kaine received 13,724 votes.

Two Warrenton voters who turned out to Stewart’s election eve campaign rally in Haymarket said they agreed with Stewart on nearly every issue, especially his stance against abortion and his support for strong borders.

“I think Corey Stewart is more pro-Trump. That’s why we support him so much,” said Georgene Clark. “It’s not about immigration. We’d love to have everyone come as long as they come legally.”

But Stewart would go on to lose big in Prince William County, where he has held the top elected post since 2006. In his home county, Stewart was about 29 percentage points behind Kaine at 10 p.m., garnering just 34 percent of the vote to Kaine’s 63.8 percent.

Kaine drew a crowd of more than 300 to the Prince William County fairgrounds for a “blue wave rally” Sunday. He called for not only a blue wave across Virginia but a wave of “character, compassion, community and love” across the country. He cited the need to counter the sharp campaign rhetoric that critics of President Donald Trump say sparked a wave of domestic violence before Tuesday’s election.

Kaine was joined at the rally by four Democratic candidates for Congress. Only one – Vangie Williams – lost her race. Democrats Jennifer Wexton and Reps. Gerald Connolly and Don Beyer cruised to easy victories.

Voters line up to get a ballot inside the church hall at Grace Episcopal Church in The Plains. Precinct chief Connie Chintall said more than 30 people were outside when the polls opened at 6 a.m. As of about 12:30, 850 had voted.

TIMES STAFF PHOTOS/ JAMES IVANCIC

Stewart, by contrast, campaigned mostly on his own. Dogged by his past associations with white supremacists during his 2017 campaign for governor, Stewart managed to raise only $2 million for his campaign, compared to Kaine’s more than $20 million. As a result, Stewart had less to spend on the airwaves and relied mostly on social media and radio ads.

During an election-eve rally in Haymarket Monday night, Stewart promised to crack down on illegal immigration if elected. He echoed Trump, who repeatedly hit on the need to “build a wall” to keep out the migrant caravan and other illegal border crossers.

Kaine’s campaign was largely a polar opposite of Stewart’s, as he spoke often of building “a Virginia that works for all.”

Turnout was heavy across the state on Tuesday, despite the gray and rainy weather.

During his concession speech Tuesday, Stewart thanked his supporters and said his loss was a result of “the swamp not giving up yet.”

“We always knew the midterm elections were going to be very, very tough,” Stewart said. “But I want to let you know, what happened in 2016 was just the beginning. …Tonight, we hit a speed bump.”

Reach Jill Palermo at jpalermo@ fauquier.com