Kaine opens campaign headquarters in Richmond
More than 400 people gathered Sunday at a nondescript building in Richmond to hear from Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Timothy M. Kaine, who was kicking his campaign into high gear with the opening of the headquarters.
“You’re just trying to get a good deal, so that was part of it,” Kaine said with a smile when asked about the spacious yet unremarkable office building off North Hamilton Street, adding that it was close to home.
A Richmonder who could face fellow former governor and GOP front-runner George Allen in the general election, Kaine offered up an energetic stump speech, pledging to run a positive and forward-looking campaign.
Kaine spent the bulk of his half-hour speech preaching his now-familiar message of “winning the talent war” by focusing on education and workforce development. But he eventually got to Allen.
“I listen to the rhetoric … of my opponent and folks in these presidential debates and, boy, they just make it seem like it’s doom and gloom time for America,” Kaine said. “I reject that. I reject any doom-and-gloom notion about this nation.”
The former Democratic National Committee chairman stressed that his campaign would rely heavily on volunteers.
“The other guy will have more super PAC secret money TV ads than me, but he will not have the grass-roots support that I have,” he said. “This campaign is going to be about the personal touch.”
Kaine added that he expected both his race and the presidential contest in Virginia to be decided by “razor thin” margins.
