28-year Army veteran Tom Speciale is a recognized national security expert running in the Virginia Senate primary. He’s worked on U.S. war plans in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Israel and has been endorsed by Vets for Trump.

Speciale is strongly opposed to Governor Ralph Northam’s handling of the coronavirus shutdown and has called COVID-19 “psychological terrorism.” He says he’s “uncompromising” on the Second Amendment, especially because proposed Red Flag laws might prohibit veterans with PTSD from owning a firearm. Speciale started thinking about running for office after the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, after Democrats launched a series of proposed rollbacks on gun ownership. That’s when he started looking at other Democratic proposals. 

“It’s fear mongering with healthcare, it’s fear mongering with immmigration, it’s fear mongering and hate regarding racism, it’s fear mongering regarding the police,” Speciale said. “It’s a constant psychological warfare of hatred and fear that the Democrats use on a regular basis.”

Speciale and his son visited a few polling places on Tuesday. While out on the road, Speciale took to Facebook Live to tell his followers that incumbent Senator Mark Warner announced he would debate whomever is the Republican nominee. Speciale said he is happy to take him up on that offer.

Watch for live results as polls close in Virginia tonight on WDVM 25.

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