Virginia 2018 - Will Carly Fiorina run against Tim Kaine?

[Jeppe]

There's speculation that Fiorina will run for Kaine's seat, due to her sudden focus on Virginian Republican Party events, and sources close to her. The NOVA residing former presidential candidate ran previously in California against Barbara Boxer, but was defeated.

[SWE]

So Republicans aren't contesting Virginia?

[windjammer]

So Republicans aren't contesting Virginia?

[Young Conservative]

She would be an amazing candidate, despite the narrative pushed by Atlas. She is very popular among Republicans and she is a very pragmatic business woman, which I think would play very well in virginia. She has a lot of money to combat Tim Kaine and is a great speaker. I do believe she would be a prolific fundraiser too. I endorse her full heartedly should she run.

[Heisenberg]

She would be an amazing candidate, despite the narrative pushed by Atlas. She is very popular among Republicans and she is a very pragmatic business woman, which I think would play very well in virginia. She has a lot of money to combat Tim Kaine and is a great speaker. I do believe she would be a prolific fundraiser too. I endorse her full heartedly should she run.

[Young Conservative]

She would be an amazing candidate, despite the narrative pushed by Atlas. She is very popular among Republicans and she is a very pragmatic business woman, which I think would play very well in virginia. She has a lot of money to combat Tim Kaine and is a great speaker. I do believe she would be a prolific fundraiser too. I endorse her full heartedly should she run.

That's not why she moved though. She's lived there for several ears now with multiple races having come and gone.

[NeverAgain]

I sure hope so. It'll be really nice to not have to contest this race, although I would like it to be at least now a 20 point margin as it would be with Sneed.

[MT Treasurer]

If they lose the gubernatorial race in 2017, Republicans just need to give up on VA.  It's becoming clear that the state is gone for them.

[Figueira]

She would be an amazing candidate, despite the narrative pushed by Atlas. She is very popular among Republicans and she is a very pragmatic business woman, which I think would play very well in virginia. She has a lot of money to combat Tim Kaine and is a great speaker. I do believe she would be a prolific fundraiser too. I endorse her full heartedly should she run.

That's not why she moved though. She's lived there for several ears now with multiple races having come and gone.

It will probably be seen that way though, since she previously ran for Senate in California. If she was just a random former CEO who moved to Virginia a few years ago, she might have more of a shot.

Anyway, Democrats should know by now that they can't take Virginia Senate seats for granted, but I think Kaine is probably in good shape.

[Figueira]

If they lose the gubernatorial race in 2017, Republicans just need to give up on VA.  It's becoming clear that the state is gone for them.

I don't know about this one. House Republicans did great in Virginia this year, and Democrats often won gubernatorial elections there even when it was a solidly Republican state, especially in years with Republican Presidents. It's definitely moving left but it's not completely gone yet.

[Vosem]

Hard to say. Comstock is the only one who could win, and I suspect that she'll pass on seeking a promotion in a Trump midterm and instead wait for brighter days (pretty likely open seat in 2020, for instance). Perhaps she'll make the opposite calculation of the state being more Republican than her House seat (which was true in 2016, but not in 2012), but I don't think she'll want to run against an incumbent Kaine.

In which case Republicans will just need someone just credible enough to put the race on the table and force Democrats to put in effort here. Fiorina could be that person, why not?

[Mehmentum]

I'm don't think Fiorina would be that bad of a candidate for Virginia.  Sure she's a business insider establishmenty type, but this is the state that elected McDonnell, McAuliffe, and almost voted for Gillespie.  She has credentials as an anti-Trump Republican in a time where Trump will probably be about as popular as mud in the state.

She'd do better than a religious zealot or a conservative populist in NoVa, that's for sure.

[Maxwell]

I'm don't think Fiorina would be that bad of a candidate for Virginia.  Sure she's a business insider establishmenty type, but this is the state that elected McDonnell, McAuliffe, and almost voted for Gillespie.  She has credentials as an anti-Trump Republican in a time where Trump will probably be about as popular as mud in the state.

She'd do better than a religious zealot or a conservative populist in NoVa, that's for sure.

well of course that's taking Carly Fiorina in the abstract - she's actually worse in reality.

[FairBol]

I thought I heard that Kaine ruled out a run in 2020?

[FairBol]

Wait...this is VA Governor, I guess.  Never mind, LOL

[libertpaulian]

Carly Fiorina...as in...the Lyingest Liar Who Ever Lied Carly Fiorina?  The woman who sounds like a cackling hen?  The woman who desperately latched onto Ted Cruz's side the week before he had to drop out of the primary race in order for her to stay relevant?!

She'd get demolished in a Trump midterm.  And the GOP can't afford that given Virginia's political trends.

[Pandaguineapig]

I'm guessing Virginia is a state where carpet bagging is no big deal but she is probably plan C at best

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Virginia really isn't moving at all politically these days - it's a state that prefers democrats, yes, but they often underperform expectations and it's never a landslide. Obama was supposed to win by double digits in the state in '08, he only won by 6. McAuliffe was supposed to tar and feather Cuccinelli, but he only won by 3 in the end. Warner was supposed to win by at least 15 points, he won by under a point. Clinton was supposed to win by around 10 points, she won by 5. What this probably means is that while the state will vote democrat in most cases, it is not sold on the party - otherwise it would start voting democratic by double digits - and there is such a thing as the "right republican" for the state. I think Comstock or Rigell would have a good shot of defeating Kaine. Fiorina? Probably not, but who can really say for certain. The old rules of politics don't exist anymore, even in states that went for Clinton.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

Can we please have a nominee for this seat who isn't a Looney Tune?

[Figueira]

Can we please have a nominee for this seat who isn't a Looney Tune?

That would rule out Comstock as well.

[Xing]

Well, it'd be nice to not have to worry about defending Virginia.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

She would be an amazing candidate, despite the narrative pushed by Atlas. She is very popular among Republicans and she is a very pragmatic business woman, which I think would play very well in virginia. She has a lot of money to combat Tim Kaine and is a great speaker. I do believe she would be a prolific fundraiser too. I endorse her full heartedly should she run.

That's not why she moved though. She's lived there for several ears now with multiple races having come and gone.

Several ears? I didn't know her plastic surgery was that botched.

[I’m not Stu]

She will lose to Kaine if she gets the Republican nomination.

[Coolface Sock #42069]

She will lose to Kaine if she gets the Republican nomination.

Agreed - this race immediately moves to Likely D regardless of the national environment and Safe D when Kaine starts amassing 15-20 point leads.