Republican Bert Mizusawa has won the party’s nomination to challenge Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., in the 2026 U.S. Senate race. The development follows months of redistricting delays and sets up a three-way Republican primary.
Mizusawa, a retired Major General and former foreign policy advisor to President Donald Trump, defeated two other Republican candidates in the primary. He previously ran unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. House and Senate over the past 16 years.
Warner, seeking a fourth term, is a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and won his last election by roughly 12 percentage points. The race is not currently considered a top Republican target to flip a Democratic-held Senate seat.
Mizusawa’s campaign website highlights priorities including national debt reduction, affordability, and military support. He previously served as a senior advisor for national security technology and business integration at the CIA.
Two other Republicans—business leader Kim Farnington and Marine Corps Reserve Lt. Col. David Williams—also ran in the primary but did not secure the nomination.
Virginia does not hold primaries if only one candidate qualifies for a race, and Warner ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. The general election is scheduled for November 2026.
The Senate race is one of several competitive contests in Virginia, including a rematch in the 2nd Congressional District between incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., and former Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va. Additionally, Republicans are contesting seats in the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts, where primary winners will face Democratic incumbents in November.