RICHMOND, Va. – Democratic Party of Virginia ChairwomanSusan Swecker released the following statement today following Corey Stewart's announcement that he will challenge U.S. Senator Tim Kaine in 2018:

"Corey Stewart is even more extreme than Donald Trump. Corey has completely ignored the needs of families in Prince William County to instead spend his time name calling, bashing immigrants and re-litigating the Civil War. When he rarely turns his attention to the county he was elected to represent, he calls his colleagues 'slimeballs' and pushes an anti-immigrant, backwards agenda that has left working families behind.

"The last thing Virginians need in the Senate is a rubber stamp for President Trump. We need a senator who will put working and middle class Virginians first, and that's Tim Kaine. For more than 20 years, from the Richmond City Council to the U.S. Senate, Tim has exemplified consensus-driven public service that improves the lives of Virginia’s working families, including those who serve in uniform. He is everything Corey Stewart isn't: a thoughtful, service-oriented leader that Virginia can be proud of. It's why Virginians will again reject Corey's divisiveness and re-elect Senator Kaine in 2018."