PAC scandal overshadows his campaign; Republicans better off with another nominee.
By Ken Reid
Although Hung Cao did not run a great campaign for U.S. House 10th district, which he lost in 2022, when the distinguished Navy captain veteran and Vietnamese refugee announced last July for U.S. Senate, I felt he was the best candidate.
And then in April came the Staunton News Leader expose about the “Unleash America PAC” that Cao chaired in 2023, ostensibly to help GOP candidates for General Assembly in 2023.
“We need to get leaders in the Virginia House of Delegates and the State Senate that believe in our values,” he told Richmond talk radio host John Reid on a Feb. 2, 2023 broadcast, in promoting the PAC.
But as it turned out, according to federal financial reports, not one dime of the $103,000 the PAC raised was donated to any specific candidate last year – an election we lost by a hair.
Not that I would have deserved any of it in my failed race for State senate – a 30-plus Blue district – but some other worthy candidates might have benefited.
Instead, the bulk of the money raised — $68,639 — went to consulting fees, about $38,000 of which went into the pocket of Cao’s 2022 campaign manager and close adviser John (J.R.) O’Rourke, who also is running his 2024 campaign.
I was peeved. Many of us who were in the trenches in the 2023 campaign felt consultants to the Governor’s Spirit of Virginia PAC and to the House and Senate candidates walked off with millions and left us with a bare Democrat majority – which if we don’t turn around in the House races next year and Governor’s race, will doom Virginia to being a failing Blue state for years to come.
I also was disappointed because I was peripherally involved in Cao’s 2022 House campaign and heard constant grumblings about O’Rourke’s bad decisions.
But J.R. became Cao’s little buddy – not unusual for candidates to develop these symbiotic relationships with their campaign managers, but also not very healthy.
My guess is Cao and O’Rourke formed “Unleash America PAC” to keep J.R. gainfully employed in 2023 in anticipation of the 2024 Senate run. According to finance reports, O’Rourke was paid $7,200 a month to be the campaign manager.
And now, the latest scandal: Cao is ducking debates with his opponents, probably because he’s afraid of getting questions about this PAC scandal, to which Cao has not responded well.
Cao did show for an April debate in Ashburn sponsored by the Loudoun County Republican Committee, but no questions were taken from the audience nor his opponents about the PAC.
He avoided two debates in Fairfax County in recent weeks, one sponsored by the 11th District GOP, which was “sold out.”
I get incensed when candidates don’t show for debates. I feel President Trump should have debated his primary opponents, but never did. In my state Senate campaign in 2023, my Democrat opponent, Saddam Salim, ducked at least two chances to be with me on stage. I called him and other Democrat candidates out for failing to show up to one debate sponsored by a non-partisan citizens association.
Cao is also avoiding contact with Republican activists.
Cao reportedly paid $7,500 for the privilege to speak to the RPV State Convention in Hampton Saturday. Delegates I spoke with said he got a “lukewarm reception” and only engaged with people “as he was heading out.” In contrast, all the other candidates (except Jonathan Emord, who did not attend) were actively mingling with the grass roots.
Recently, Cao did not show up in person in Abingdon. telling the local GOP Unit:
“I’ll sit here [behind the camera] all night if you want to, but for me to drive six and a half hours down to Abingdon or something like that and to stand there with four other dudes and to have 30 seconds to answer questions, it’s just ridonkulous, it’s just crazy,” Cardinal News reported.
Cao lives in Purcellville, and yes, Abingdon is a six- to seven-hour drive – but when you represent the whole state in the Senate, you have to be prepared to visit the WHOLE STATE. The Pittsylvania County GOP unit also reports Cao has not even showed there while his four other opponents have.
Cao’s attitude is in stark contrast to the image of a Vietnamese refugee, who fled the communist takeover in 1975 with his family, was among the first graduates of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, the Naval Academy, and served with Special Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. He homeschools his five kids and attends an excellent evangelical church in Leesburg, too.
My new nickname for him is “Hung Cowed,” because he obviously has been cowed by this scandal to avoid debates and contact with grass roots Republicans.
The Bull Elephant contributor Bradley Driskill writes, “He also displays the attitude that he is ‘too good’ to debate with his fellow opponents and he has yet to still answer to why the money from his PAC was never seen nor received by the candidates it was suppose to benefit!”
Hung Cowed is clearly not the best choice for Republicans – although he has Donald Trump’s endorsement and raised the most of all GOP candidates – about $2 million as of March 31.
I’ll vote for the GOP nominee this fall, Cao included, but he is not the best candidate to face entrenched Democrat incumbent Tim Kaine.
I would urge voters to consider Eddie Garcia to be our nominee.
Eddie is a solid conservative, a small-business owner and Army veteran who served 22 years in the military, including six combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I also think Eddie can appeal best to Latino voters, who are voting GOP more in recent years, and we have not (in my research) nominated a Latino for U.S. Senate or House in Virginia.
Early voting for the June 18 primary has begun. Visit: https://www.eddiegarciava.com/
Ken Reid is a former Loudoun County supervisor and Leesburg Town Council member who was the GOP nominee for State Senate in District 37 in Fairfax County in 2023. He also is a journalist by trade, and published newsletters in the FDA field for 30 years.