Tea Party leader Radtke files paperwork, will run for Senate

Jamie Radtke, The former Chairwoman of the Virginia Tea Party Patriot Federation has filed paperwork and will stand for the Republican nomination to the U.S. Senate.

Radtke confirmed the information to me this morning.

While there are many presumed candidates, Radtke becomes the first to confirm that she will indeed enter the race. As of now, she is the only actual candidate for the seat. That includes the incumbent Democrat, Jim Webb who has yet to decide if he will run for re-election.

Radtke’s political profile skyrocketed in 2010 after she steered the organization of the very successful Virginia Tea Party Convention. The convention brought in thousands of political diehards from across the Commonwealth and hosted many high-profile national politicians. Radtke was front and center during the lead up to the convention and now appears on a regular basis to give her take on politics on national cable outlets like Fox News Channel.

Originally from Florida, Radtke is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and a stay at home mom to three children. She recently stepped down from her Tea Party post in what many presumed was designed to pave the way for her to mount a bid for the Senate.

While she is the first to jump into the race, it is expected that Radtke will be part of a very crowded Republican primary field. The biggest name being the former Senator and Governor George Allen, who has been crisscrossing the state and acting very much like a candidate. Allen has said he will announce his intentions sometime in early 2011, but few doubt he is anything but in.

Radtke will no doubt go after the conservative base of the Republican party, but she might have some competition from Prince William County Board of Supervisors Chair Corey Stewart, who has yet to formally announce his intentions, but has taken a few public shots at Allen and has formed his own political action committee. Also vying for the conservative base, Del. Bob Marshall who came within a few votes of upsetting former Governor Jim Gilmore for the nomination in 2008. That was during a convention, the 2012 GOP candidate will be decided in a primary. Bert Mizusawa, who lost out in a primary bid for the 2nd Congressional district seat is also mulling a run.

Keep in mind, this is for the 2012 election, which is close to two years away.