By: Wesley P. Hester

Former Richmond Tea Party President and current U.S. Senate candidate Jamie Radtke has taken her first shot at her potential competition for the Republican nomination, former Sen. George Allen.

Allen has yet to formally announce his candidacy for the seat that Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., took from him in 2006, but is widely assumed to be in the running for his old job and rumors have swirled that he will make it official this week.

In response to the whispers, Radtke invited Allen to join her in a series of forums across the state.  

“I am asking Senator Allen to join me in giving Virginia a new kind of Republican primary — rather than the same old politics as usual — with a series of monthly public town hall forums across Virginia from now until the election,” said Radtke in a statement issued Monday night.

“During Senator Allen’s six years in office, he voted for budgets adding $3.1 trillion to our national debt – that’s $16,400 for every second Senator Allen was in office,” Radtke added. “I disagree with his approach, and I believe it is important and healthy that the Republican Party has this debate.

Allen spokesman Tim Nussbaum was not immediately available to comment Monday night. 

Webb has yet to announce if he will seek re-election, but is expected to do so by May.

Others have expressed interest in running for the Republican nomination, including Corey A. Stewart, chairman of the Prince William Board of County Supervisors, and state Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William.