EDITOR’S NOTE:The Republican Party of Virginia will hold a primary election June 12 to choose a candidate to run for the U.S. Senate seat that will be vacated when Senator Jim Webb leaves office in January.

Four candidates will be featured on the ballot this month. Three are featured here. The fourth candidate, George Allen, already has been interviewed this cycle, as has the Democratic nominee, Tim Kaine.

 

Jamie Radtke’s campaign theme is simple: “If we don’t deal with spending, nothing else is going to matter.”

Radtke is admittedly a Tea Party candidate, but she is careful to point out the Tea Party is focused on only two things — out-of-control spending and constitutional restraints.

Radtke holds a Bachelor of Science degree in government from Liberty University and a Master of Public Policy from the College of William and Mary. She grew up in a military family.

She also is president of the Richmond Tea Party and chair of the Federation of Virginia Tea Party Patriots.

While Radtke says she has opinions on every topic, she focuses on the government’s spending.

“Before my 5-year-old is even old enough to vote, all federal revenue will be consumed with debt and entitlements,” she said. “It’s a very serious and grave problem.”

Radtke blames career politicians from both parties equally for the country’s debt problem.

“We keep doing the same thing over and over again, electing these career politicians,” she said. “The average Virginian gets left out in the cold.”

Radtke said she could make a difference, because she is willing to have honest discussions about where spending cuts need to occur.

“Most of the Republicans aren’t being honest when they say we just need to tighten our belts a little bit,” she said. “We’re going to have to change the way Washington does business to eliminate trillion-and-a-half (dollar) deficits.”

She doesn’t support “gutting” the Department of Defense, but defense cuts should be on the table, she said.

“There are places in every department where we can save money,” she said. “We need to look at everywhere. We need Republicans who are willing to have that honest discussion.”

She also supports reforming the tax code and ending handouts to the private sector.

“Republicans and Democrats subsidize the free market and hand out cash like it’s candy to the private sector,” she said. “My position is we shouldn’t be handing out cash and subsidizing the private sector at all. That’s not the role of the federal government.”

Radtke said she also wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act and encourage a return to the rule of the Constitution.

For more information, visit www.radtkeforsenate.com.