Tim Kaine

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Tim Kaine
70th Governor of Virginia
Assumed office
January 14 2006
LieutenantWilliam T. Bolling
Preceded byMark R. Warner
Personal details
BornFebruary 26, 1958
St. Paul, Minnesota
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseAnne Holton
ProfessionLawyer, Missionary

Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American politician and the current Governor of Virginia. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is married to former Richmond Juvenile Court Judge Anne Holton, the daughter of A. Linwood Holton Jr., a former Virginia Governor. Kaine and Holton have three children. Following Thomas Jefferson's son-in-law Thomas Mann Randolph Jr., Kaine is the second son-in-law of a Virginia Governor to become governor in his own right. As of November 2006 his poll numbers indicated a 52% approval rating with 37% disapproving. [1]

Education and early career

Kaine, whose father was a worker and welder, grew up in the Kansas City area and graduated from Rockhurst High School, the University of Missouri–Columbia and Harvard Law School, taking a year-long absence during law school to work with Catholic missionaries in Honduras. Following a career as an attorney in private practice, Kaine was elected to the city council of Richmond, Virginia. He would later be elected Mayor of Richmond by the city council, which until 2004 chose the mayor from among its membership. He spent a total of 7 years on the city council, including his time as Mayor. As Mayor, Kaine was credited with helping to create the gun law Project Exile.

Lieutenant Governor

In 2001, Kaine was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, serving under Governor Mark Warner. Garnering 50% of the vote, he defeated Republican Jay Katzen (with 48% of the vote). He was inaugurated on January 12, 2002. As Lieutenant Governor, he served as President of the Senate of Virginia.

2005 Virginia election

See also also Virginia gubernatorial election, 2005 main article.

In 2005, Kaine ran for and won the seat of Governor of Virginia in the November general election, defeating Republican former Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore by a margin of 52% to 46% ; Republican State Senator Russ Potts, who ran as an independent and was considered a longshot, garnered only 2% of the vote. Kaine has said he will look to retain Warner's tax and educational policies, and keep the budget balanced, and immediately launched a statewide series of town halls focused on transportation.

An underdog for most of the race, Kaine overtook Kilgore in some polls for the first time in October 2005, and held his lead into the final week before the election, [2] despite a notable barrage of negative advertising against him by the Kilgore campaign.[3] While the previous Democratic Governor, Mark Warner was credited with doing especially well for a Democrat in rural areas of the commonwealth, Kaine's win featured surprising triumphs in traditionally Republican exurbs like Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Prince William County and Loudoun County in Northern Virginia as well as impressive showings in Democratic strongholds like Richmond and Norfolk.[4]

Kaine closely associated himself with popular outgoing Democratic Governor Mark Warner during his campaign, and won his race by a slightly larger margin than Warner. He promised homeowner tax relief, and centrist fiscal leadership but also proposed a large-budget program guaranteeing pre-kindergarten education for any family that wants it. A number of factors, from the sagging poll numbers of President George W. Bush to a public disgust over the death penalty ads run by Kilgore, have also been cited as key to his decisive win.[5][6] Kaine was inaugurated in Williamsburg on January 14, 2006. This makes Kaine the first Governor since Thomas Jefferson (in 1779) to be inaugurated in Virginia's colonial capital. Virginia's Capitol in Richmond is under renovation, which is expected to be completed in 2007.

Kaine supports smart growth, which proponents say concentrates economic growth. Critics argue it will make the reduction of urban sprawl and highway traffic a priority over economic growth.

Governor of Virginia

Gov. Kaine with U.S. Senators John Warner and George Allen

As Governor, he is a member of the National Governors Association, the Southern Governors' Association, and the Democratic Governors Association. On January 31, 2006, he gave the Democratic response to President Bush's 2006 State of the Union address. In his response, he decried the Republicans' lack of bipartisanship in Washington, and proclaimed, "There is a better way." He condemned Bush's spending and tax cuts as "reckless". Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, he has so far overseen three executions as governor as of August 2006. He has, however, spoken in favor of declaring a moratorium on the death penalty "until it's fair."[7] In March of 2006, after the General Assembly failed to create a budget, Governor Kaine called for a special session that didn't end until June. The debate was over Transportation issues and how to fund current and new projects. Most of the debate came from a battle within the Republican controlled Senate and House of Delegates.

In June 2006, Kaine signed an executive order banning smoking in all government buildings and state-owned cars.[8] He also announced that Virginia will be the first state in the Union to digitize records from the Civil War Era Freedman's Bureau. This will open up research in African-American history after the Civil War.[9]

In the 2006 elections, Kaine supported Democratic Senate Candidate Jim Webb.[10] Kaine also opposed an amendment to the Virginia Constitution that would define marriage as that between one man and one woman, though he has publicly stated that he is opposed to same-sex marriage.[11]

He is a member of the Capital-to-Capital Coalition. He is also a member of Democrats for Life.

Kaine has endorsed the Presidential campaign of Democratic U.S. Senator Barack Obama.

Tim Kaine has given his support for the cervical cancer vaccine for 6th grade boys and girls.

Cabinet

References

  1. ^ [1] APPROVAL RATINGS FOR ALL 50 GOVERNORS AS OF 11/20/06
  2. ^ VA: Kaine 49% Kilgore 46% - Rasmussen Reports, 11/4/05
  3. ^ Washington Post 11.9.2005
  4. ^ Shear, Michael D. (Oct. 18, 2005). "Kaine Sounds Slow-Growth Note in Exurbs". Washington Post.
  5. ^ "Death penalty demagoguery". (Oct. 13, 2005). The Roanoke Times.
  6. ^ "RealClear Politics - 2005 Virginia Gubernatorial Election". Retrieved Nov. 4, 2005.
  7. ^ Tim Kaine on the Issues
  8. ^ Tim Kaine Homepage
  9. ^ Tim Kaine Homepage
  10. ^ Jim Webb for Senate Endorsement Page
  11. ^ Washington Post 9.15.06

External links


Template:Incumbent succession box
Preceded by Mayor of Richmond
1998 – 2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
2002 – 2006 		Succeeded by
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