Former First Ladies campaign for husbands on Senate campaign trail

Former First Ladies Anne Holton and Susan Allen were on the campaign trail for husbands on Tuesday. Holton, the wife of Democratic Senate nominee Tim Kaine, campaigned for her husband in Northern Virginia, while Allen, the wife of Republican nominee Susan Allen, made stops in Charlottesville and Lynchburg.

Holton started her day with a small business tour in old town Herndon. After the tour, she met with local business and community leaders at the Ice House Café, where she spoke about Kaine’s Virginia-based strategies to create jobs and ensure long-term economic growth. Throughout the discussion, Holton highlighted Kaine’s agenda to develop a talent economy, balance the federal budget, and level the playing field for small businesses.

“Tim was not governor during the easiest times,” said Holton. “He served as governor during the worst national recession since the Great Depression and had to cut $5 billion dollars in state spending. And yet he did it in ways that strengthened us for the long run. When you have to make cuts, you can still protect the core priorities and you can still invest for the future. So even in tough times, Tim worked hard to make investments in things like early childhood education and infrastructure.”

Susan Allen campaigned for George Allen in Charlottesville and Lynchburg as part of the Virginia Voices initiative, listening to the voices, stories, concerns and ideas of families and business and community leaders.

Allen began her day in Charlottesville, headlining a “Politics on the Porch” event at Our Lady of Peace where she talked with neighbors and community members about their views on Washington’s policies and encouraged more local residents to make sure their voice is heard this election. Afterwards, she met with members of the Jefferson Area Tea Party, the Albemarle-Charlottesville Republican Women’s League and the Albemarle County Republican Committee at Colonial Motors for a Brown Bag Lunch discussion on growing grassroots support this election as well as their concerns and ideas for fixing Washington.

“As George and I have met with families and business leaders throughout Virginia, we share their desire for America’s Comeback built on the freedom of self-reliance, hard work and innovation,” said Allen. “We want a different future than Washington’s excessive regulations that place unfair burdens on Virginia families, prevent small businesses from investing and growing, and cause diminished opportunities for our graduates and children. That’s why George is running for U.S. Senate. He has a vision to reinvigorate our economy and preserve the American Dream for generations to come.”