Moran Ditches Democrats, Runs Independent in VA Senate Race

0:00It's April 4th. From coast to coast, this is U.S. News Today, powered by AI, I'm Cory with the story. Mark Moran, a 34-year-old former investment banker, just dropped a bombshell in his U.S. Senate race for Virginia. He was gunning for the Democratic nomination against incumbent Senator Mark Warner, but now he's ditching the party to run as an independent. Earlier this week, Moran made the switch official in a video from Richmond right outside the historic St. John's Episcopal Church. He'll face off in the November 3rd general election against Warner or the Democratic primary winner from August 4th, plus whoever wins the Republican primary that same day. The move shakes up a crowded field where Warner's the heavy favorite. Other Democrats like LaRita Daniels, Gregory Eichelberger and Jason Reynolds are in their primary. The Reynolds has paused his run. Republicans have a pack including Kim Farrington, Bert Misasawa, Chuck Smith, David Williams, Howard Stapala, and Aldous Diminna.

1:00No other independents are on the ballot yet. Moran slams both parties for putting corporate interests over people, pointing to the $39 trillion in national debt as proof weir, in media, running like a big corporation. He's pushing his commonwealth plan with ideas like swapping 30-year mortgages for 20-year prosperity mortgages at inflation, plus 1%, and shifting to a consumption tax instead of income taxes. He won't take corporate pack cash. He's hitting the road in his 2014 Corvette, dubbed the Transparency Machine, plastered with individual donor logos to keep it real with. Bowters, this independent bid could pull some boats from the middle, making the race worth watching as primaries heat up.