Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia:
Democrat Tim Caine was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2012. Kaine served as Virginia governor for four years, from 2006 to 2010; as lieutenant governor from 2002 to 2006; and as mayor of Richmond from 1998 to 2000.
While governor, Mr. Kaine was chosen by President Obama to chair the Democratic National Committee, a position he filled from January 2009 to April 2011.
Kaine was also reportedly on President Obama's vice-presidential shortlist.
Virginia's 2012 U.S. Senate Election Race:
In November, Democratic senatorial nominee Tim Kaine will be opposed by Republican George Allen, another former Virginia governor, from 2001 to 2007. Allen lost his 2006 bid to be U.S. senator from Virginia by an extremely narrow margin, to Democrat Jim Webb. Webb is retiring from the U.S. Senate in 2012, after one term.
See US Senate 2012 Election in Virginia for facts, analysis, and predictions. Also see 2012 Senate Elections - Who's Winning, Who's Losing.
Personal Data:
- Birth - February 26, 1958 in St. Paul Minnesota to working class parents Albert and Mary Kaine
- Education - Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri. B.A. in economics, 1979, University of Missouri. J.D., 1983, Harvard Law School.
- Family - Married since 1984 to Anne Holton, also a Harvard Law graduate. Mrs. Kaine's father, Linwood Holton, Jr., was Virginia governor from 1970 to 1974. Three children: Nat, Woody, Annella. Nat, the oldest, graduated in 2012 from George Washington University.
- Faith - Roman Catholic
Gov. Tim Kaine on the Issues:
On Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security
"Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security are fundamental programs for seniors and the disabled. I will always fight to protect and strengthen these programs.
"For decades, Social Security has been a vital safety net for our seniors, and some estimates show that without Social Security, the poverty rate amongst seniors would be as high as 44%.
"The plan sponsored by Rep. Paul Ryan, which makes deep cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, is wrong because it won't reduce costs. Instead, it just shifts costs off the federal budget onto the shoulders of our seniors or onto the books of state budgets that are already strapped. We shouldn't embrace radical reforms like the Ryan Plan or the privatization of Social Security."
On Immigration Reform
"I support comprehensive immigration reform. I value the hard work and talent that so many immigrants bring to our nation... I also believe that we must have a strong and secure border.
"In order to move our nation forward on this issue, we must require the millions of undocumented persons in the United States to admit to a violation of immigration laws and pay an appropriate penalty. Only in the event of full acceptance of responsibility and payment of appropriate fines should we allow individuals to seek lawful adjustment of their immigration status.
"This is a path that seeks strict adherence to our laws, increases border security, and also seeks to strengthen our work force and international competitiveness...
"I support the DREAM Act so that students brought to the United States by their parents are not penalized, but instead given a meaningful opportunity to educate themselves and/or serve in our nation’s military..."
(See Profile of the DREAM Act - Immigration Legislation for Educated Minors.)
On Environmental Protections and Climate Change
"I am an avid outdoorsman and will always work to protect our air, water and land resources. I will also resist ongoing efforts to weaken environmental regulations that are needed to protect public health...
"I reject the anti-science mentality of those who claim that we can be indifferent to human impact on the climate. There is a well-funded effort underway to deny that human actions are having an impact. The right strategies for dealing with climate change are complicated, and we must always take a balanced approach. But we cannot ignore our own responsibilities as stewards of our environment."