GOP's Hung Cao files with FEC to challenge Sen. Tim Kaine in Virginia

Republican Hung Cao has filed with the Federal Election Commission to challenge Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine for his seat in the upper chamber in the 2024 election.

A statement of candidacy filed on Thursday with the FEC includes Cao's name, and identifies him as a Republican candidate for Senate. It further designates a principal campaign committee.

He does not appear to have officially announced his campaign on any digital medium and his congressional campaign website does not include any statement.

Cao previously ran for a House seat in 2022, but was unsuccessful. His bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton in the 10th Congressional District was a closely watched race during that cycle and significantly elevated his profile in the state GOP.

Kaine, for his part, will likely prove a tough opponent. He has served in the upper chamber since 2013 and previously served as a Virginia governor. The state has generally trended Democratic in statewide elections in recent years, though Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin's upset win in 2021 seems to have emboldened the party.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.