United States Senate election in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Republican primary)
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 15
- Early voting: N/A
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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| U.S. Senate, Virginia |
|---|
 |
| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: March 29, 2018 |
| Primary: June 12, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent: Tim Kaine (Democrat) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Virginia |
| Race ratings |
Inside Elections: Solid Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Safe Democratic |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| See also |
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th Virginia elections, 2018 U.S. Congress elections, 2018 U.S. Senate elections, 2018 U.S. House elections, 2018 |
Corey Stewart, a Prince William County supervisor tied to President Donald Trump, defeated state Del. Nick Freitas and Minister E.W. Jackson in the Republican primary to take on incumbent U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D) in November.
Running on a promise to protect the state’s Confederate monuments, Stewart lost the 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary to Ed Gillespie by one point. After Gillespie lost the general election to Ralph Northam (D), Stewart said a pro-Trump candidate like himself would have fared better than Gillespie, who he characterized as a member of the Republican establishment.[1]
Although Freitas also supported Trump and his agenda, he made libertarian policies the focus of his campaign. He supported decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level and limiting U.S. involvement in foreign wars. Libertarian Republicans Rand Paul and Mike Lee endorsed him.
Jackson angered members of his own party in his unsuccessful 2013 lieutenant gubernatorial bid due to his rhetoric on LGBTQ issues and abortion.[2][3] In this primary he argued that as the field's only black candidate, he could attract support from non-white voters in the general election.[4]
Republican strategists and election experts disagreed on whether Freitas would compete with Stewart in the primary due to his lower fundraising and name recognition. In the finals weeks of the campaign, libertarian super PACs including the Koch brothers-aligned Americans for Prosperity and the Ron Paul-aligned America's Liberty PAC began spending to boost Freitas' candidacy.
Stewart faced Kaine in a general election that Kaine was favored to win. Without a gubernatorial or presidential race in 2018, the Senate race was at the top of the ticket for Virginia voters and could have affected turnout for down-ballot swing seats held by Republican U.S. Reps. Barbara Comstock, Scott Taylor, and Dave Brat.[1]
| Virginia voter? Here's what you need to know. | |
|---|---|
| Primary election | June 12, 2018 |
| Candidate filing deadline | March 29, 2018 |
| Registration deadline | May 21, 2018 |
| Absentee application deadline | June 9, 2018 |
| General election | November 6, 2018 |
| Voting information | |
| Primary type | Open |
| Polling locations: Go to this page to find early voting locations and your assigned precinct for election day. | |
For more on related elections, please see:
- United States Senate election in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018
- United States Senate Democratic Party primaries, 2018
- United States Senate Republican Party primaries, 2018
- Democratic Party primaries in Virginia, 2018
- Republican Party primaries in Virginia, 2018
Candidates and election results
Corey Stewart defeated Nick Freitas and E.W. Jackson in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Virginia on June 12, 2018.
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. Senate Virginia
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Corey Stewart | 44.9 | 136,610 |
 | Nick Freitas | 43.1 | 131,321 | |
 | E.W. Jackson | 12.0 | 36,508 | |
| Total votes: 304,439 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ron Wallace (R)
- Ivan Raiklin (R)
- Bert Mizusawa (R)
Candidate profiles
Nick Freitas
A libertarian-minded state delegate endorsed by U.S. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), Nick Freitas was described by conservative radio host John Fredericks as a dark horse in the race who could possibly beat frontrunner Corey Stewart.[1] Although Freitas supported President Donald Trump and his agenda, he focused his campaign on scaling back the reach of the federal government.[5] He trailed Stewart in fundraising overall, but he led in contributions in the first quarter of 2018 and in cash on hand entering the final weeks of the campaign.[6]
Freitas emphasized his support for libertarian policies like decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, changing civil asset forfeiture laws, allowing tech companies like Facebook to avoid government regulation, and requiring congressional authorization for foreign military intervention.[7][8] He also supported the construction of a border wall and ending Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.[9]
Freitas gained national prominence in March 2018 when he gave a speech on the floor of the Virginia House criticizing the Democratic response to the Parkland school shooting. A video of the speech went viral on Facebook and earned him an appearance on Fox and Friends.[10]
Freitas was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2015. Prior to that he worked for a veterans services organization. He served in the U.S. Army and completed two tours in Iraq.[11]
E.W. Jackson
A minister who ran for statewide office in 2012 and 2013, Earl W. "E.W." Jackson ran for Senate with the slogan, "Believe Again." When launching his campaign, Jackson said, “This is not going to be your typical campaign, and I am not going to be your typical candidate,” and that he would work to change the status quo in Washington. He was endorsed by Pastor Rafael Cruz, the father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).[12]
Jackson supported President Trump and his agenda. He emphasized his support for building a border wall and loosening restrictions on firearms.[12] He also spoken about issues of race, saying that Democrats use it as a political weapon. He said he would not support efforts to alter or remove Confederate monuments.[13]
Jackson was the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor in 2013. He was defeated by Ralph Northam (D) in the general election by nearly 11 percentage points. Because the GOP held a convention to select its nominee, party activists were responsible for Jackson's nomination. He was criticized by Republicans for his general election campaign, particularly an incident where he referred to the Democratic Party as the "anti-God party" because of its support for same-sex marriage and abortion.
Prior to his 2013 run for office, Jackson ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in 2012 and finished fourth. His experience includes working as a minister and a lawyer and serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Corey Stewart
Fresh off his near-win in the 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary, Corey Stewart again ran for statewide office in Virginia. Above all else, his Senate bid was based on his support for President Donald Trump. "I've always said that I was Trump before Trump was Trump," he said at his campaign announcement in July 2017. Stewart also touted his campaigning style, saying he would run the "most vicious, ruthless campaign to dethrone Tim Kaine."[14]
Stewart planned on continuing to support Trump in the Senate, saying he would fight for his agenda, particularly ending political correctness, protecting Virginia's Confederate monuments, and strengthening restrictions on unauthorized immigration.[15] Stewart criticized Senate Republicans, saying they were ineffective and that he would focus on disrupting the status quo.[16] He also advocated for regulating tech companies like Facebook, saying the social media company should be broken up by anti-trust regulators.[9]
Stewart garnered 42.5 percent of the vote in Virginia's 2017 Republican gubernatorial primary, where he ran on a platform of protecting Confederate monuments. He narrowly lost to Ed Gillespie, who won 43.7 percent of the vote. He served as the chairman of Trump's Virginia presidential campaign before being fired for protesting in front of the Republican National Committee.[14]
Stewart was elected to the Prince William Board of County Supervisors in 2003. He received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and his law degree from William Mitchell College of Law. His professional experience includes working an attorney.
Election updates
Endorsements
- April 7, 2018: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) endorsed E.W. Jackson.
Satellite spending
- June 5, 2018: The libertarian super PACs Americans for Prosperity and America's Liberty PAC spent $137,000 and $225,000, respectively, in support of Nick Freitas.
Campaign finance
- May 23, 2018: Campaign finance disclosures from May 23, 2018, showed the following:
- Corey Stewart had raised about $840,000 and had about $160,000 in cash-on-hand.
- Nick Freitas had raised about $502,000 and hadabout $147,000 in cash-on-hand.
- E.W. Jackson had raised about $286,000 and had about $26,000 in cash-on-hand.
Aftermath
President Trump
On June 13, President Donald Trump tweeted the following, "Congratulations to Corey Stewart for his great victory for Senator from Virginia. Now he runs against a total stiff, Tim Kaine, who is weak on crime and borders, and wants to raise your taxes through the roof. Don’t underestimate Corey, a major chance of winning!"[1]
Senate Republicans
On June 13, U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said the group had no plans to endorse Stewart in the general election.
Gardner said, "We have a big map, right now we are focused on Florida, North Dakota, Missouri, Indiana. I don’t see Virginia in it."[1]
Other Senate Republicans also declined to endorse Stewart, declined to speak about Stewart, or spoke negatively of his victory.[17]
- John Thune (R-S.D.): "Sometimes in the primary process, the thing we try and get done is get the most electable candidate on the ballot in the fall. And that doesn't always happen."
- Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said he could possibly endorse Tim Kaine (D) over Stewart. He added, “I don’t think he has a prayer. I won’t be doing anything for Stewart, I’ll put it that way.”
- John Cornyn (R-Texas): "I’ve just heard a few things about him. I just don’t know anything about him.”
- Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said he had "no idea who he is. Not at all."
Satellite organizations
The Koch brothers-backed group Americans for Prosperity, which supported Nick Freitas in the primary, released a statement after the primary saying it would not endorse Kaine or Stewart in the general election.
“Nick Freitas earned our support by being a champion for policies that lead to more freedom and prosperity for everyone,” a spokesman said. “We stand behind our decision to support a principled lawmaker who has a track record of fighting for policies that would help Virginians improve their lives.”[18]
Timeline
- June 5, 2018: The libertarian super PACs Americans for Prosperity and America's Liberty PAC spent $137,000 and $225,000, respectively, in support of Nick Freitas.
- May 23, 2018: Campaign finance disclosures from May 23, 2018, showed the following:
- Corey Stewart had raised about $840,000 and had about $160,000 in cash-on-hand.
- Nick Freitas had raised about $502,000 and hadabout $147,000 in cash-on-hand.
- E.W. Jackson had raised about $286,000 and had about $26,000 in cash-on-hand.
- May 10, 2018: The National Rifle Association endorsed Nick Freitas.
- May 1, 2018: Ivan Raiklin sued the Virginia Republican Party, saying he was unfairly excluded from the primary ballot.
- April 7, 2018: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) endorsed E.W. Jackson.
- March 31, 2018: Campaign finance disclosures for the first quarter of 2018 showed the following:
- Corey Stewart had raised about $608,000 and had more than $140,000 in cash-on-hand.
- Nick Freitas had raised almost $345,000 and had more than $250,000 in cash-on-hand.
- E.W. Jackson had raised nearly $160,000 and had more than $35,000 in cash-on-hand.
How did the candidates differ?
Ideology
Although all three candidates supported President Donald Trump and his agenda, including issues like constructing a border wall and ending Robert Mueller's investigation into interference in the 2016 presidential election, Nick Freitas diverged from Corey Stewart and E.W. Jackson on specific points.[9]
Unlike the other candidates, Freitas supported decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, changing civil asset forfeiture laws, and limiting U.S. involvement in foreign wars.[7]
Regulations and taxes for Facebook and other technology companies
Nick Freitas and E.W. Jackson opposed regulating Facebook. Corey Stewart supported it.
Stewart said that legislation should be passed to break up Facebook and that anti-trust regulators should focus more on the company. Freitas raised concerns about the regulation being controlled by his political opponents, naming Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.[9]
In his position on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors, Stewart advocated for increasing taxes on data centers and businesses that use computers in order to increase education funding and lower property taxes.
“We’re talking about the citizens versus Amazon and Microsoft and Google and Apple,” he said when discussing his proposal.[19]
Campaign strategies and tactics
Possible Virginia GOP preference for Freitas
Corey Stewart said that the Virginia Republican Party preferred Nick Freitas and acted to undermine his campaign.
Stewart held a press conference on May 3 where he said Republican Party leaders preferred Freitas, whom he called a "stooge for the establishment." He cited the case of Ivan Raiklin, a prospective candidate who failed to make the ballot.
Raiklin filed a lawsuit in early May claiming that party officials had interfered with the petition signature counting process to exclude him from the ballot. Although he initially said this could have been done to promote Freitas' candidacy, he later said he did not believe the party was acting unfairly to favor Freitas.[20]
Freitas responded by saying Virginia Republicans preferred him because of his position on tax policy.
“It’s no surprise or conspiracy that Virginia Republican voters want a candidate who has not raised taxes on their constituents,” Freitas said. “Corey is exploiting Ivan Raiklin for his own political expedience, much like he did during the presidential race.”
E.W. Jackson said he did not believe the state party preferred Freitas over any of the other candidates.[21]
Freitas vs. Stewart
At a debate at Liberty University on April 19, Freitas said that members of Stewart's campaign were attacking his Portuguese ancestry by drawing attention to his last name. He said it upset his daughter.
“I fought for my country. I am every bit as much a citizen as you are, Corey Stewart, and I don’t appreciate it when my kids have to ask me that question in this country,” he said.
In response, Stewart said, “I pledged to run a vicious and ruthless race against Tim Kaine in November. You know why? Because he’s going to run one against us. And if all it takes is to make a little bit of fun of your name by some supporters out there of mine, if that’s all it takes to get under your skin, you’ve got some major problems if you were ever to get this nomination.[8]
Apart from the debate exchange, Freitas generally criticized Stewart's campaigning style at an event held by the Arlington Republican party. He said, “I don’t believe in running ‘ruthless and vicious’ campaigns."[22]
Stewart's alleged connections with white supremacists
On June 6, 2018, Freitas sent an email to his supporters that said criticized Stewart's comments supportive of Paul Nehlen, who ran against Paul Ryan in his 2016 U.S. House primary. During his 2017 gubernatorial campaign, Stewart tweeted that Nehlen had endorsed him and said in a video that Nehlen was his "personal hero."[23]
“Paul Nehlen is an avowed Holocaust denier, anti-Semite, and vicious racist,” Freitas wrote. He was apparently referencing anti-semitic tweets from Nehlen's account.[23]
Freitas also criticized Stewart's participation in an anti-immigration rally with Jason Kessler, who later helped organize the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville in August 2017 that drew national attention when white supremacists and counter-protesters engaged in violence and one counter-protester was killed.
In response, Stewart said, “It’s sad to see establishment Republicans using Leftist tactics of CNN — labeling rule-of-law conservatives racists and bigots — to advance the very same open-border, pro-amnesty agenda the left wants here in Virginia.”[24]
In an interview with the Weekly Standard, Stewart said of Jason Kessler: “I don’t want his support. I didn’t know who he was when I met with him. And I only met with him twice. At that point I realized, this guy is bad news.”[25]
He also said he had cut ties with Nehlen. He said, "[Nehlen] went nuts and started spewing a bunch of stupid stuff. When he started saying all that crazy stuff, I wanted nothing to do with him after that."[26]
On June 7, CNN reported that Stewart paid Nehlen to use fundraising email list. According to CNN, Stewart's rental of the list "came before Nehlen began openly making anti-Semitic statements but well after Nehlen had begun making viciously anti-Muslim comments and promoting fringe conspiracy theories."[27]
State GOP Chairman John Whitbeck came to Stewart's defense. He said, "Over the years there have been times where Corey Stewart and I have had our differences, but this is not such an instance — we both condemned the violence in Charlottesville and the groups behind it."[28]
Jackson vs. Stewart
When announcing his campaign in December 2017, E.W. Jackson said that Corey Stewart had increased taxes as a member of the Prince William County Board of Supervisors and had dealings with the Muslim Brotherhood.
He also called Stewart a "perennial candidate," and said, "He just runs for everything that moves."
In response, Stewart said, "E.W. knows I'm a Catholic. It's over the top. He must be off his meds."[29]
Campaign advertisements
E.W. Jackson
Jackson released this television ad on May 30.
Endorsements
Know of an endorsement? Email us at editor@ballotpedia.org.
| Republican candidate endorsements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Date | Freitas[30] | Jackson | Stewart | |
| Individuals | |||||
| Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R)[31] | April 7, 2018 | ✔ | |||
| Morton Blackwell, Virginia representative to RNC[21] | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Robert McDonnell, former governor of Virginia[21] | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| U.S. Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia House Majority Leader C. Todd Gilbert | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Delegate Michael Webert | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Sen. Bryce Reeves | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Delegate Jason Miyares | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Sen. Bill DeSteph | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Delegate Brenda Pogge | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Virginia Sen. David Suetterlein | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Rafael Cruz, father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)[12] | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Jerry Falwell Jr., president of Liberty University[32] | Unknown | ✔ | |||
| Organizations | |||||
| National Rifle Association[33] | May 10, 2018 | ✔ | |||
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| U.S. Senate election in Virginia, Republican primary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Nick Freitas (R) | E.W. Jackson (R) | Ivan Raiklin (R) | Corey Stewart (R) | Other | Undecided | Margin of error | Sample size | ||||||||||
| Atlantic Media & Research (May 14-15, 2018) | Stewart campaign | 10% | 5% | 0% | 34% | 4% | 51% | +/-5.2 | 355 | ||||||||||
| Christopher Newport University (February 5-28, 2018) | Christopher Newport University | 6% | 7% | 1% | 16% | 4% | 66% | +/-2.5 | 1,562 | ||||||||||
| AVERAGES | 8% | 6% | 0.5% | 25% | 4% | 58.5% | +/-3.85 | 958.5 | |||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
Hypothetical polls
| U.S. Senate election in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Corey Stewart (R) | Tim Kaine (D) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Roanoke College (May 20-30, 2018) | Roanoke College | 33% | 44% | 23% | +/-4.2 | 555 | |||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Senate election in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | Nick Freitas (R) | Tim Kaine (D) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Roanoke College (May 20-30, 2018) | Roanoke College | 30% | 45% | 25% | +/-4.2 | 555 | |||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Senate election in Virginia | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Poll sponsor | E.W. Jackson (R) | Tim Kaine (D) | Undecided/Other | Margin of error | Sample size | |||||||||||||
| Roanoke College (May 20-30, 2018) | Roanoke College | 30% | 45% | 25% | +/-4.2 | 555 | |||||||||||||
| Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org. | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Senate election in Virginia, Republican primary | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Scott Taylor (R) | Corey Stewart (R) | Dave Brat (R) | Other | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||||||
| University of Mary Washington September 5-12, 2017 | 20% | 12% | 10% | 58% | +/-3.8 | 1,000 | |||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Satellite spending
- America's Liberty PAC, which was founded by allies of former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R), said it would run ads promoting Nick Freitas and opposing Corey Stewart.[34] On June 5, the group spent $225,000 supporting Freitas.[35]
- Americans for Prosperity, which was founded by allies of Charles and David Koch, spent about $137,000 supporting Nick Freitas on June 5.[35]
- Americans Together spent $24,000 from June 10-11, with $12,000 supporting Nick Freitas and $12,000 opposing Corey Stewart.[35]
- Defeat Career Politicians spent $15,300 between June 30 and May 1. The group spent $6,250 supporting E.W. Jackson and $9,050 opposing Corey Stewart.[35]
- FreedomWorks spent nearly $3,000 supporting Nick Freitas on June 8.[35]
- The National Association of Gun Rights spent about $9,000 supporting Nick Freitas between May 30 and June 1.[35]
Campaign contributions
| Name | Party | Receipts* | Disbursements** | Cash on hand | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim Kaine | Democratic Party | $21,963,598 | $19,571,406 | $2,519,662 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Nick Freitas | Republican Party | $605,406 | $605,406 | $0 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| E.W. Jackson | Republican Party | $355,372 | $371,063 | $-21,361 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Corey Stewart | Republican Party | $2,814,961 | $2,785,266 | $29,695 | As of December 31, 2018 |
| Matt Waters | Libertarian Party | $69,674 | $67,557 | $2,117 | As of December 31, 2018 |
|
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." |
|||||
Campaign themes and policy stances
Nick Freitas
Campaign website
Freitas’ campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
LIMITED, CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC LIBERTY & PRIVATE PROPERTY FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY EDUCATIONAL FREEDOM VIRGINIA FAMILIES SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS IMMIGRATION REFORM |
” |
| —Nick Freitas’ campaign website (2018)[37] | ||
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Nick Freitas participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 17, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Nick Freitas's responses follow below.[38]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | -Keeping the federal government within its constitutional boundaries -Rolling back administrative law and onerous regulations -Returning control of education back to parents and teachers and away from politicians and bureaucrats[39][36] |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | -Reducing federal regulations -Protecting the free market -Protecting human life -Maintaining a strong national defense -Cutting taxes -Healthcare reform -Education reformCite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[36]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Nick Freitas answered the following:
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else that best describes your political philosophy?
| “ | The Law by Bastiat[36] | ” |
| “ | My wife says I'm a character enough on my own.[36] | ” |
| “ | Senator Rand Paul and Mike Lee[36] | ” |
E.W. Jackson
Jackson’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Drain the Swamp Stand with President Trump Enjoy a Great Healthcare System Save Babies Put More Money in Your Pocket Protect Free Speech, Your Right to Conscience Have Confidence in Our Future and Solve the Debt Crisis Inspire Fear in Our Enemies Build the Wall, Stop Illegals Flooding into Our Country! Make Better Deals Promote Parent-Driven, Child-Centered Education Fight for Our Veterans Carry and Keep our Guns Stand with Law Enforcement Restore the Court Make Urban Communities Prosperous & Safe |
” |
| —E.W. Jackson's campaign website (2018)[40] | ||
Corey Stewart
Stewart’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Bringing Back Jobs Corey will focus business growth in Virginia by working to reduce federal corporate taxes to compete with other states like North Carolina – bringing jobs back to the United States. And he’ll slash through Washington’s regulatory hurdles and red tape to make the United States more welcoming to businesses, just like he did in Prince William County, which is ranked the #1 locality for job growth in Virginia and #3 in the nation. Illegal Immigration In Prince William County, Corey led the nation’s toughest crackdown on illegal immigration - resulting in over 7,500 criminal illegal aliens being turned over for deportation. Corey will fight illegal immigration, amnesty, and ban sanctuary cities as boldly as he did in Prince William County. Every illegal immigrant arrested should be deported – no questions asked. Stewart will work side-by-side with the Trump Administration to make that happen. As U.S. Senator, Corey Stewart will oppose any form of amnesty, and he won’t back down to establishment pressure. Second Amendment Corey will defend Americans' Second Amendment rights by fighting to remove any unconstitutional restrictions already in place and pro-actively ensuring this right is safely protected going forward. Protecting Life It is the duty of legislators to protect those who cannot protect themselves. He will not only defend the right to life but will fight for it. Lower Taxes He’s done it before. Corey produced the largest tax cut in the Prince William County’s history and has kept residents’ tax bills 30% lower than surrounding counties, averaging $161 lower adjusted tax bills than they were 10 years ago. Healthcare Obamacare is causing millions of Americans to lose their jobs, their doctors, their health insurance, and premiums are at a meteoric rise. Obamacare has failed. Corey will work to expand Health Savings Accounts, allow individuals to purchase insurance across state lines, and make healthcare more affordable, and free enterprise centered. Support National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Corey will support the passage and cosponsor S. 446 -- the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. Veterans Given the sacrifices our veterans make, the the Veterans Administration can and should do as much as it can to make sure Virginia offers a place for them to land after they complete their service to our nation. Corey will be a steadfast fighter in every veteran’s corner. Build The Wall Education Public Safety Corey will put American families’ safety first, just as he has done in Prince William County. In Prince William, crime has been reduced to its lowest level in 24 years- with violent crime dropping by 48.7 %. Energy |
” |
| —Corey Stewart's campaign website (2018)[41] | ||
Noteworthy events
Ivan Raiklin lawsuit against Virginia GOP
On May 1, 2018, Ivan Raiklin sued the Virginia Republican Party and the state board of elections, saying he was excluded from the ballot for the Virginia Senate Republican primary unfairly. He said Virginia GOP Executive Director John Findlay interfered with the petition signature counting process (every candidate had to collect 10,000 total signatures with at least 400 from each of the state's 11 congressional districts) and possibly did so to benefit Nick Freitas.
Findlay denied Raiklin's claim. He said, "there was no favoritism in the Party’s process and the only incompetence on display was by Ivan and his campaign. If Mr. Raiklin wants to blame someone for his failure to make the ballot I recommend he look in a mirror.”[42]
Raiklin later said he regretted suggesting that the state party was trying to help Freitas and said he did not think that was the case.[20]
Media coverage
June 7 analysis from Sabato's Crystal Ball
Geoffrey Skelley of Sabato's Crystal Ball offered the following analysis of the Senate primary. See the full analysis here.
| “ |
Conventional wisdom pegs Stewart as the favorite, and he is the only one of the three candidates with a competitive statewide primary to hang his hat on. Unlike Stewart, Jackson has been an actual statewide nominee, but he won the 2013 lieutenant governor nomination at the state party convention after winning just 5% in the 2012 U.S. Senate GOP primary. Considering Stewart’s near miss in 2017, it is worth examining where Stewart’s geographical strengths are and examining where Freitas and Jackson might find support... Stewart’s strongest areas were located in predominantly rural areas — such as Southwest Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley (along the West Virginia border), and Southside (the south-central part of the state) — as well as around his home base of Prince William County in Northern Virginia. PWC provided about 5% of the total 2017 GOP primary vote and serves as a helpful foundation for Stewart’s prospects in the 2018 primary. Generally speaking, more affluent areas went for Gillespie, such as western Richmond and the inner DC suburbs. Meanwhile, less affluent and more rural places tended to back Stewart... In the June 12 primary, a major question mark is the vote in Hampton Roads, the southeastern part of the state that encompasses major cities such as Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, and Portsmouth. In the 2017 primary, most of those localities backed Gillespie, but they also recorded heavy votes for Virginia Beach state Sen. Frank Wagner (R), a moderate third-wheel contender for the GOP nomination. Given Stewart’s statewide profile and the fact that he edged Wagner in every major locality in Hampton Roads save Virginia Beach, he may do better there without someone like Wagner in the race. Still, Jackson hails from Chesapeake, and while he only won 5% statewide in the 2012 primary for U.S. Senate, Jackson did manage to win at least 8% in many localities in Hampton Roads. With a larger profile following his 2013 lieutenant governor bid and steady activism since that time, Jackson could win a decent chunk of the vote in his home area of the state. However, he will likely finish third. Freitas may be able to make inroads in some of the rural areas where Stewart performed strongly, particularly in central Virginia. The state delegate represents parts of Culpeper, Madison, and Orange counties in the north-central part of the commonwealth, all counties that Stewart carried in 2017. Overall, it will be vital for Freitas to capitalize on the strong anti-Stewart feelings held by some Virginia Republicans. While Freitas’ libertarian-flavored conservatism does not necessarily mesh well with classic “establishment” Republicanism, he may be the de facto establishment candidate against Stewart and Jackson. To beat Stewart, Freitas will need to win over Republican voters in parts of the major metropolitan areas where Stewart performed poorly in 2017 while also trimming Stewart’s edge in rural areas... If Kaine is favored to win, a major question may be the margin in the Senate race, which could matter a great deal. As the contest at the top of the ticket, it will exert some influence on turnout in other contests. Should Kaine win by around 10 percentage points à la Ralph Northam (D) in the 2017 gubernatorial race, that might make it difficult for someone like Comstock to survive in a Democratic-leaning seat because of the effect the Senate contest might have on relative turnout among Democratic and Republican voters. A Kaine victory larger than 10 points could also complicate things for Taylor or perhaps even Rep. Dave Brat (R, VA-7), while a smaller one might help Republicans in tough congressional races hold on. Thus, it is worth noting that Republican big wigs fear Stewart’s nomination because it is likely that he will run an aggressively conservative campaign that may alienate even more suburban voters than Gillespie’s general election campaign appeared to in 2017. Back in December, Republican leaders contacted former Gov. Jim Gilmore (R) to see if he might be interested in running for Senate. To put that in perspective, Gilmore ran a quixotic campaign for president in 2016 and lost to Warner in a 2008 Senate race by 31 points. Adding to the worries of anti-Stewart Republicans, on Monday the Daily Wire published video footage of Stewart calling avowed anti-Semite Paul Nehlen one of his “personal heroes.” The clip, recorded on the night of Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, showed Stewart applauding Nehlen for challenging Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R) in the WI-1 GOP primary in 2016. While Nehlen’s anti-Semitism did not come to the fore until later in 2017, Stewart did not repudiate Nehlen when the video surfaced. Contrarily, Stewart supporters argue that his candidacy would boost rural conservative turnout and as a Northern Virginia pol, he might be able to reduce Democratic margins in Prince William and other nearby localities. Some have made similar points while arguing that Stewart would have done better than Gillespie in 2017, in part because he would have run a more resolutely populist and race-conscious campaign built on Stewart’s defense of the Confederacy, anti-immigration views, and social conservatism. While Gillespie took aspects of Stewart’s campaign rhetoric and used them in the general, Stewart supporters argue that Gillespie — a consummate GOP insider — could not make as compelling a case as Stewart. Should Stewart win the Republican nomination for Senate, he will get the chance to prove that a “vicious and ruthless” campaign against Kaine will work. [36] |
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May 18 Richmond Times-Dispatch article
On May 18, the Richmond Times-Dispatch released an article where Republican influencers disagreed on the expected result of the race.[34]
- Conservative radio host John Fredericks said, “Corey Stewart is an overwhelming favorite to be the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. The Nick Freitas campaign, although it’s interesting and he’s a great future candidate, has not really caught fire and there’s no reason not to vote for Corey Stewart if you want change in Washington. In order to take Corey down, you have to go negative on him. And [Freitas] is not prepared to do that, nor do they want the backlash. They don’t want to alienate his base.”
- GOP strategist (and Freitas supporter) Chris LaCivita said, "The thing is there’s still three weeks left. I think that it’s too soon — three weeks in politics is an eternity, number one, and it’s too soon to proclaim Corey Stewart the winner...There will be plenty of Republicans turning out to vote against Corey Stewart. The question is, how many are actually going to turn out and vote for Nick Freitas?”
Race ratings
| Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Virginia, 2018 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | October 9, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | Solid Democratic | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | Safe Democratic | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
Five of 133 Virginia counties—3.8 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
| Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Trump margin of victory in 2016 | Obama margin of victory in 2012 | Obama margin of victory in 2008 | ||||
| Buckingham County, Virginia | 11.28% | 2.43% | 0.87% | ||||
| Caroline County, Virginia | 5.02% | 8.24% | 11.97% | ||||
| Essex County, Virginia | 2.14% | 7.30% | 10.35% | ||||
| Nelson County, Virginia | 5.59% | 2.72% | 9.15% | ||||
| Westmoreland County, Virginia | 7.14% | 6.95% | 10.24% | ||||
Note: Although it is highlighted in the map above, the city of Chesapeake is not considered a county and not included in our calculations as such.
In the 2016 presidential election, Virginia was a battleground state. Hillary Clinton (D) won Virginia with 49.7 percent of the vote. Donald Trump (R) received 44.4 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic 56.67 percent of the time and Republican 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Virginia voted Democratic three times (2008, 2012, and 2016) and Republican two times (2000 and 2004).
See also
- United States Senate election in Virginia, 2018
- United States Senate election in Virginia (June 12, 2018 Democratic primary)
- United States Senate elections, 2018
- United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2018
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The Hill, "GOP fears primary fight will ruin Va. Senate chances," April 6, 2018 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "hill" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid<ref>tag; name "hill" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ Washington Post, "Jackson keeps GOP establishment at arm’s length in Va. lieutenant governor campaign," September 3, 2013
- ↑ Politifact, "In Context: E.W. Jackson's statement on the Democratic Party," May 30, 2013
- ↑ Washington Times, "Three Virginia Republicans running for Senate use different tactics to chase Trump base," June 10, 2018
- ↑ Virginian-Pilot, "Loyalty to Trump key focus of Virginia GOP Senate debate," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Roanoke Times, "Fundraising by GOP Senate candidates in Virginia doesn't come close to Tim Kaine's," April 23, 2018
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Daily Caller, "Liberty-Minded Virginia Senate Candidate Splits With Opponents. Here’s How He’s Different," April 20, 2018
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "GOP's Nick Freitas says at Liberty University debate that Corey Stewart's camp attacked his ethnicity," April 19, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Washington Post, "Republicans seeking to unseat Kaine embrace Trump at Liberty University debate," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "A state lawmaker gives Corey Stewart competition for GOP Senate nomination," March 9, 2018
- ↑ nickjfreitas.com, "About," accessed August 14, 2017
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 E.W. Jackson for Senate, "News," accessed April 9, 2018
- ↑ Daily Progress, "At local stop, Jackson says race being used to tear country apart," April 29, 2018
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 CNN, "Corey Stewart announces 'vicious, ruthless' 2018 bid for Kaine's seat," July 13, 2017
- ↑ Corey Stewart for Senate, "About," accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ Virginian-Pilot, "GOP senate candidates debate in quest to face Sen. Kaine," April 18, 2018
- ↑ Politico, "Senate GOP shuns Stewart in Virginia," June 13, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "In latest show of independence, Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity to sit out Virginia Senate race," June 14, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "Virginia Republican targets data companies as Senate primary election nears," April 23, 2018
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Corey Stewart says GOP establishment wants to stop him from winning Senate nomination," May 3, 2018
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 Washington Post, "Corey Stewart accuses GOP leaders of favoring his rival in Republican primary for U.S. Senate," May 3, 2018
- ↑ Inside NOVA, "Another U.S. Senate candidate makes pitch to Arlington GOP," "April 26, 2018
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Washington Examiner, "Corey Stewart primary rival wants 'unequivocal and specific' denunciation of Paul Nehlen and alt-right," June 7, 2018
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Senate candidate Nick Freitas unloads on rival Corey Stewart: 'Time we defeat the hate mongers,'" June 6, 2018
- ↑ Weekly Standard, "What Corey Stewart’s Senate Campaign Says About the State of the GOP," June 5, 2018
- ↑ Virginian-Pilot, "Virginia's Corey Stewart disavows ties to two white supremacists he once befriended," June 7, 2018
- ↑ CNN, "Virginia US Senate candidate previously paid anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim figure for fundraising list," June 7, 2018
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Stewart hopes to swat down GOP establishment in Tuesday's three-way Senate primary," June 10, 2018
- ↑ Washington Post, "Firebrand E.W. Jackson jumps into GOP race for U.S. Senate in Va., attacks Corey Stewart," December 11, 2017
- ↑ Nick Frietas for Senate, "Endorsements," accessed April 9, 2018
- ↑ EW Jackson for U.S. Senate, "Huckabee Endorses Jackson," April 7, 2018
- ↑ Virginian-Pilot, "Loyalty to Trump key focus of Virginia GOP Senate debate," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Inside NOVA, "Stewart Snubbed: NRA endorses Nick Freitas in U.S. Senate primary race," May 10, 2018
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Low-spending GOP Senate primary may help Corey Stewart, who has a built-in base," May 18, 2018
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 ProPublica, "Virginia’s Senate Race - 2018 cycle," May 25, 2018
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 36.8 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Nick Freitas for Senate, “Issues,” accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Nick Freitas's responses," May 17, 2018
- ↑ E.W. Jackson for Senate, “Issues,” accessed May 2, 2018
- ↑ https://www.coreystewart.com/issues Corey Stewart for Senate, “Issues,” accessed May 2, 2018]
- ↑ Washington Post, "Would-be Senate candidate sues Va. GOP, claiming party cost him spot on ballot," May 2, 2018
