Democratic U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia won reelection to his third term Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Hung Cao. Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran whose past political experience was limited to a promising but failed bid in 2022 for a blue-leaning northern Virginia U.S. House seat, faced an uphill battle in the race, according to political observers. The Commonwealth hasn’t elected a Republican to the upper chamber since 2002 with the late John Warner, a centrist with an independent streak.