Virginia Republican Senate candidate Jamie Radtke’s campaign sent a fundraising e-mail Friday that touted the tea party activist’s $100,000 haul in the first few weeks of the campaign and emphasized the need for the dollars to continue to flow in.

“Now that this Senate race is an ‘open seat,’ it is absolutely critical that Jamie continues to compete financially,” Radtke campaign manager Dave Johnson wrote in the e-mail. “You can also help by sharing this message with like-minded patriots and encouraging them to donate right away.”

With Democrats still searching for a candidate to replace retiring Sen. Jim Webb on the ballot, the GOP has the edge in the general election for now. Radtke is one of several candidates who may participate in the GOP primary. Ex-Sen. George Allen, unseated by Webb in 2006, is the frontrunner.