Carly Fiorina is considering trying to take Tim Kaine's Senate seat in 2018


Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina is considering challenging Sen. Tim Kaine for his Virginia Senate seat next year, The Washington Post reports. "I'm certainly looking at that opportunity," Fiorina told Portsmouth-based radio host John Fredericks on Tuesday. "It's a little early to be making that decision."
Fiorina formerly ran for Senate in California, where she was handily beaten by Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in 2010. Shortly afterward, Fiorina, her husband, and her dogs moved to Lorton, Virginia.
Fiorina offers voters an anti-establishment option, much like President Donald Trump did during his campaign. Although she led in some state primary polls for short periods of time (provoking insults about her face by Trump), she dropped out of the presidential race by February 2016 after a seventh-place finish in New Hampshire.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Democrats hold all of Virginia's five statewide offices, and the state is the only one in the South to have gone to Hillary Clinton in November. Kaine additionally served as Clinton's running mate, possibly making a 2018 campaign an uphill battle for Fiorina.
"We [Republicans] should be realistic that is going to be a very, very tough race," Fiorina said. "Virginia is a purple state. Virginia has two Democratic senators. The Democratic Party is going to throw everything they have at defending Tim Kaine's seat."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration