LAURA VOZZELLA — covers Virginia politics for The Washington Post.
TOPIC: Latest on Gillespie’s gubernatorial campaign and Stewart to enter Senate race
• Gillespie’s primary scare has White House, others urging ‘Trump world’ hires. Aligning with Trump strategists could be a stomach-churner for Gillespie, whose résumé reads establishment Republican: counselor to President George W. Bush, former Republican National Committee chairman, lobbyist. Gillespie got behind Trump only after he had sewn up the 2016 nomination. Now, Gillespie studiously avoids discussing the president.
• Corey Stewart announces ‘vicious, ruthless’ 2018 bid for Kaine’s seat
• Washington (CNN)Republican Corey Stewart announced Thursday a “vicious, ruthless” bid to unseat Sen. Tim Kaine in the 2018 midterms. “I am going to run the most vicious, ruthless campaign to dethrone Tim Kaine,” Stewart said on Facebook Live outside his Virginia home. “We’re not holding back any punches. I’m going to go after him very, very hard.” Stewart, who serves as the Prince William County Board of Supervisors chair, narrowly lost the Republican nomination for governor to former Republican National Committee chairman Ed Gillespie by one percentage point last month. His campaign website, also launched Thursday, currently boasts more than 17,000 supporters.
