With the death of Pope John Paul II last week and the world's attention riveted on Catholicism, it's unclear how Kaine's faith will play as a political issue when voters go to the polls in seven months.
Kilgore, meanwhile, has tried to avoid any direct commentary on Kaine's faith. There could be political danger in seeming to question another man's deeply held beliefs.
That became crystal clear last week, when a quote in the Examiner, a Washington newspaper, suggested that Kilgore was questioning Kaine's faith.
The paper quoted Kilgore as saying that Kaine never mentioned his religion "until it became politically popular" to do so.
Kaine pounced, calling a news conference to denounce the comment. Kilgore insisted the reporter had misrepresented his views, a position that was borne out by a transcript that Kilgore press secretary Tim Murtaugh eventually distributed to reporters.
Both camps are mindful of last year's election, which some pundits say President Bush won by outpolling Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) on "values" in the nation's heartland. Kilgore is hoping the Virginia race follows the same pattern, while Kaine is attempting to avoid Kerry's mistakes.
It's unclear whether Kaine's profession of faith will earn him many votes in Virginia's heartland, where Kilgore was born and reared. If it does and Kaine wins, it could prove a model for Democrats in Virginia and across the country.
If he loses, some might point to the prominent mention of his religion as a key reason.
