By Aila Boyd
aboyd@mainstreetnewspapers.com
Daniel Gade emerged victorious last Tuesday in the Republican Senate primary. He garnered 67.45 percent of the vote.
Gade will face incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Warner in the general election in November.
Alissa Baldwin came in second with 18.07 percent of the vote.
Thomas Speciale came in third with 14.48 percent of the vote.
Following the statewide trend, Gade received the majority of the vote in Botetourt County, winning 77.10 percent of the vote.
Speciale, who received 12.14 percent of the vote, came in second in Botetourt County. Baldwin, who received 10.76 percent of the vote, came in third in Botetourt County.
Results for Botetourt County represent 100 percent reporting from all 11 precincts.
According to Gade’s campaign website, he resides in Alexandria with his wife of 20 years and three children.
A retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Gade served for more than 20 years in the military. During such time, he was awarded the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and two Purple Hearts.
In 2004, his unit deployed to Iraq for Operation Iraqi Freedom. While deployed, he was wounded multiple times, which resulted in the amputation of his entire right leg.
He served in President George W. Bush’s administration, working on veteran issues and military healthcare. He has also served on the National Council on Disability and the VA Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation.
From 2011 until his retirement from the Army in 2017, he taught at the United States Military Academy. He is now a professor at American University in Washington, D.C.
“I am not a career politician, nor am I interested in power or prestige at the expense of the American citizen. Instead, this is about honoring the sacred values that began and will sustain our Republic and about serving the people of the Commonwealth,” he said in a statement on his website.
He’s facing Warner, also of Alexandria, who is running for a third term to the United States Senate. Warner currently serves as the vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Prior to being elected to the Senate in 2008, he served as governor of Virginia.
“In the face of the coronavirus outbreak, what we need is straight talk, less partisanship, more science, and a coordinated response,” said Warner when he filed for re-election in March. “So while I am proud to file for reelection today, my number one concern is the health and safety of my constituents. I have decided to postpone my announcement tour across the Commonwealth to be where Virginians need me most, serving them in my capacity as their United States Senator.”
Last Monday, Warner challenged Gade to three general election primary debates.
