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Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia’s junior Senator and his party's nominee for vice president in 2016, plans to unveil his intentions for the upcoming 2024 election during an event Friday morning, three sources familiar with the plans tell NBC.
Kaine has been coy about his future, but there is a real possibility the senator may choose to retire at the end of his term.
Should Kaine retire, it would put Virginia in play for 2024 as Democrats attempt to hold on to their slim majority in a year where the map favors Republicans. While Democrats have had recent success in the state, Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor's race in 2021.
If Kaine were to run for a third term he would be considered a strong favorite to win re-election.
Kaine was born in Minnesota and raised Missouri. He is a Virginia political institution who came to Commonwealth after marrying Anne Holton, the daughter of former Virginia Republican Governor Linwood Holton. He got his start in politics on the Richmond City Council.
He served as Richmond’s mayor before being elected Lt. Governor and then Governor of Virginia. Term limited in the state’s top job, Kaine was asked by then President Barack Obama to serve as the chair of the Democratic National Committee.
He served in that role until 2010, when then Senator James Webb passed on a bid to run for re-election. Kaine jumped into the race and went on to defeat former Senator George Allen.
In 2016, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton tapped Kaine as her running mate.
