One of the most important primary contests in Virginia this election cycle is among the Republicans hoping to win the party nomination and challenge Sen. Tim Kaine.
In the 2024 race, there are five candidates facing off — and none has held public office before.
Four of those Republican candidates live in Northern Virginia. Here are the candidates and the issues they're focused on.
Hung Cao
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The frontrunner in fundraising, Hung Cao also won the coveted endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
Cao came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1975, and was later commissioned into the Navy as a special operations officer, retiring as a captain.
For Cao, the border and immigration policy are a top concern.
"We need to secure that border now, now, now," Cao told News4. "I'm telling you right now as a legal immigrant to this county, don't ask for the American dream if you aren't willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture. I love this country so much I put my life on the line for it and I bled for it."
Chuck Smith
Smith worked for two decades as a U.S. Navy legal officer, before opening his law office in the Virginia Beach area.
He too led a distinguished military career, but is behind Cao in fundraising.
"I will stand up for the Constitution," Smith told WHSV, the ABC affiliate station for Harrisonburg. "I will make sure our border is under check. My personal belief is we should not have any type of immigration until we get our border fixed. The people who are currently in the system can proceed, but no new applications until we get our border under control."
Eddie Garcia
Garcia spent two decades in the Army, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan and later the Pentagon. Despite his storied military career, he is also behind Cao in fundraising.
Garcia is directing part of his message toward the working class.
"The people in Washington, D.C. have enriched themselves," Garcia told WHSV. "They have increased their power and control over everybody's lives. The working people, the farmers, the ranchers, the single moms, the landscapers, the bricklayers, the construction workers ... these people are getting left behind."
Jonathan Emord
Emord, an attorney, boasts that he's worked for 38 years suing federal government agencies.
He says he wants to dismantle "the administrative state."
"We don't need bureaucrats telling us how to live," Emord told WHSV. "We know how to live ourselves and we need them to get out of the way."
"They want the government out of their lives and that's what I want to do," Emord said.
Scott Parkinson
Parkinson says he's most prepared out of the candidates in the field to join the U.S. Senate, having previously worked for three U.S. Senators.
When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was in Congress, Parkinson served as his chief of staff.
Most recently, Parkinson has been a Vice President with the fiscally conservative Club for Growth.
"I understand the rules," Parkinson told News4 "The precedent, procedure, the public policy fights, federal casework, helping the Virginians navigate the federal bureaucracy."
"For me there is not going to be this gigantic learning curve on day one. I can be effective for all Virginians, and that's what we are working to do."
About the Virginia primary
No matter who wins the GOP nomination, they face a steep, uphill battle. As Tim Kaine seeks his third term in the Senate, he starts with $8 million on hand.
That's compared to a few hundred thousand dollars in his top challengers' campaign accounts.
The second Virginia primary of the 2024 election cycle is on Tuesday, June 18. Plan your vote and get more information here.
