Tim Kaine vs Hung Cao: Retired U.S. Navy captain looks to unseat two-time senator
WASHINGTON - Republican candidate Hung Cao is looking to unseat Democratic incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine for Virginia Senate.
The two went head-to-head in a single debate in October, sparring over issues from illegal immigration to tariffs on foreign goods.
JUMP TO: TIM KAINE | HUNG CAO | POLLS
Who is Tim Kaine?
Kaine is a two-time senator in the commonwealth, seeking a third term. Kaine has also previously served as a former Virginia governor and a former running mate of Hillary Clinton in the 2016 elections.
Here is where Kaine stands on five major issues.
Economy
Kaine is an advocate for the expansion of infrastructure and manufacturing in Virginia. Kaine also supports tax cuts for low and middle income families, and for veteran and military families.
"I’m running on a campaign that’s very focused on the economy as the lead issue," Kaine said in a recent interview on The Final 5.
Healthcare
Amid this year’s election season, Democrats have campaigned heavily on protecting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in lieu of a potential Trump administration. The ACA increases health insurance coverage for the uninsured and implements provisions to the health insurance market.
"I was the deciding vote to save the Affordable Care Act a few years back. Hundreds of thousands of Virginians for the first time in their life – and all Virginians protected from discrimination against pre-existing conditions," said Kaine.
Kaine is in favor of supporting healthcare access. He introduced the Medicare-X Choice Act in congress. The bill would allow patient’s the choice between private and public insurance.
Reproductive Rights
Virginia is the southernmost state that has yet to widely ban or restrict abortion access following the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022.
Current state law bans access after 26 weeks of pregnancy. Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has called for banning access after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Democrats, who control both Virginia’s legislative chambers, have pushed back on that plan.
Kaine is opposed to an abortion ban. He’s a sponsor of the Reproductive Freedom for All Act. The bipartisan bill would codify the protections of Roe v. Wade as statutory protections at the federal level.
Immigration
Virginia is home to roughly over one million immigrants – making up 13% of the state’s population and about 17% of Virginia’s workforce. When it comes to reform, Kaine has advocated for border enforcement while supporting legal immigration.
According to Kaine’s campaign, he’s in favor of protecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients – who are living in the U.S. after being displaced in their home countries. Kaine has cosponsored legislation to enable TPS recipients to obtain U.S. residency and called for TPS designations for countries with humanitarian crises.
Foreign Policy
Kaine has condemned the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel and advocated for more aid.
"I’ve always voted for aid to Israel. We’ve given more aid to Israel than any other nation in the world. I helped President Obama – encouraged him to renegotiate the ten year defense. And, helped whip votes for the $14 billion aid package that we passed in April,"
said Kaine.
Kaine is in favor of prioritizing sending defensive weapons to Israel, rather than offensive weapons.
"I frankly think offensive weapons into this region is adding more gun powder to a tinder keg and is likely to lead to a bad result," said Kaine.
Who is Hung Cao?
Cao is a retired U.S. Navy captain, who served for 25 years in the military. Now, he’s aiming to make his second bid for office, after an unsuccessful run in 2022 in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District.
Here is where Cao stands on five major issues.
Economy
According to Cao’s campaign website, he’s an advocate for protecting jobs against foreign "unfair trade practices." If elected, Cao has proposed allocating funds from the Defense Production Act to create 2,500 rural jobs.
Cao has promised not to raise taxes, signing the Taxpayer Protection Pledge – a guarantee to voters to oppose any potential income tax hike legislation. He is, however, in favor of former President Donald Trump’s proposal to increase tariffs on imported goods.
Earlier in October, Cao and Kaine went head to head in their only debate in the campaign, covering a range of issues including taxes.
"What we need to do is not tax our industry here," Cao said. "What we need to do is tax other countries bringing in goods."
Healthcare
When it comes to healthcare, Cao has focused his campaign primarily on medication shortages. According to Cao’s website, he’s an advocate for lowering prescription drug prices.
"Most Americans are unaware several types of medication including antibiotics, cancer therapy, and pain medication are now unavailable at their local pharmacy," said Cao. "It is imperative that the medical industry be allowed to innovate and compete in order to drive down costs."
Reproductive Rights
Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, 14 states passed total abortion bans, while several other states across the country have implemented limitations based on the length of a pregnancy. Virginia is the southernmost state that has not passed legislation restricting access.
Cao is opposed to a national abortion ban, believing the issue is best left up to state officials. Cao supports access to invitrofertalization but is not in favor of government funding for the treatment.
Immigration
Cao, a refugee from Vietnam, views immigration as a top issue. He’s in favor of tighter border security.
"If you came here illegally, you’ve basically screwed up the whole system," Cao said on the debate stage. "You can’t jump the line. I mean, you go to Costco and jump the line, what do you think is going to happen? You can’t come here and expect the American dream if you’re not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture."
Foreign Policy
Cao is pro-Israel and has denounced the October 7 attack by Hamas.
"The United States has provided Israel with a lot of support for many years and it is more important than ever to continue to support Israel in every way that we can," said Cao.
Who is leading in the latest polls?
Cao is trailing Kaine by 14 points in a recent poll from the Schar School at George Mason University.
The poll has Kaine at 54% and Cao at 40%.
Kaine, who benefits from being a household name thanks to his time as governor, his two terms in the Senate and running on the national ticket in 2016, has been consistently ahead of Cao in polls in the last few months.
Kaine’s lead is bolstered by a 24-point margin among female voters, according to pollsters, while male voters in Virginia are "virtually split" between Kaine and Cao.