Longtime Prince William County Delegate Bob Marshall on Wednesday delivered petitions bearing 17,100 signatures to the Virginia State Board of Elections to qualify him for the June 12 GOP Senate primary.
Both Republican frontrunner and former Senator George Allen and Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke dropped off their petitions on March 12, the first date they could be submitted.
At least two other Republicans -- Chesapeake religious leader E. W. Jackson and Virginia Beach lawyer David McCormick -- have also said they intend to run.
The deadline to submit petitions is 5 p.m. Friday.
Former governor and DNC Chairman Tim Kaine is unchallenged for the Democratic nomination.
In a statement Marshall said, "Now that I am on the ballot, my road to victory, as in the past, will depend on People Power to overcome Money Power. It will be the same in this primary election."
In 2008, when Virginia Republicans chose their last Senate candidate with a convention, Marshall narrowly lost the nomination to Jim Gilmore. Marshall is best known for his strong anti-abortion position in the General Assembly and captured attention this year by sponsoring so-called "personhood" legislation that would have defined life as starting at conception.
