Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine spoke with Scripps News Tuesday about his state's role in the upcoming election and what he thinks about the Democratic Party's coalescing around Vice President Kamala Harris.
"Virginia is a battleground state," Sen. Kaine said. "We like the arc that we're on, but you take nothing for granted. I feel good about where my race is, but if you look at my schedule between now and Nov. 5, you'd say, 'That Kaine, he must be nervous about his race because he's working hard.' But I do feel the obligation not just to win my race but to try to deliver 13 electoral votes for Harris/Walz. And also we've got at least three really competitive congressional races."
Are you concerned that Virginia could be difficult to win without the right turnout?
"I think we're going to win," Sen. Kaine said. "And one of the reasons we're going to win is we're really good at early voting. Virginia, next to Pennsylvania, starts voting earliest in the country on September 20."
The other thing that excited him, Kaine said, was the flood of volunteer support throughout the state.
"The volunteer energy was so intense," Sen. Kaine said. "And so when you see that, and especially in some parts of the state that may not be the bluest, that tells you OK, people are feeling a real surge of energy. You need energy to win and you need unity to win. And I think we're finally putting that together."
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On President Biden passing the torch to Harris
"It was an enormously powerful decision," Sen. Kaine said. "I think it's going to look even bigger in history than it looks now. To put the torch of leadership in the hands of the next generation is very hard for any leader ... Joe Biden did the right thing and has modeled behavior that I think will affect other leaders in the future."
Click the video above to watch the full interview with Sen. Kaine.
