- In full:
- Timothy Michael Kaine
- Title / Office:
- United States Senate (2013-), United States
- governor (2006-2010), Virginia
- Political Affiliation:
- Democratic Party
Tim Kaine
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Who is Tim Kaine?
Tim Kaine, born on February 26, 1958, is an American politician. A Democrat, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2012, representing Virginia from 2013. Before becoming a senator, Kaine served as Virginia's governor (2006–10). In 2016, Hillary Clinton chose him as her vice presidential running mate.
Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Kaine studied economics and law, taking a year to run a technical school in Honduras. He moved to Richmond, Virginia, focusing his legal practice on housing rights. Kaine's political career began in 1994 with his election to Richmond’s city council, followed by terms as mayor and lieutenant governor.
As a senator, Kaine has focused on defense, veterans affairs, and immigration policy. He won reelection to the Senate in 2018 and 2024. He is considered a centrist Democrat.
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What is Tim Kaine's current job in the U.S. government?
Tim Kaine is a member of the Democratic Party and has been serving as a U.S. Senator representing Virginia since 2013. His current term is set to end in 2031. He was reelected in 2024.
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Which state does Tim Kaine represent in the U.S. Senate?
Tim Kaine represents Virginia in the U.S. Senate. He was elected to the Senate in 2012 and began serving in 2013. Kaine won reelection in 2024. His current term is set to end in 2031.
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What are some important issues Tim Kaine works on as a senator?
Tim Kaine, a centrist Democrat representing Virginia in the U.S. Senate since 2013, focuses on defense, veterans affairs, and immigration policy. Reflecting Virginia's diverse political landscape, Kaine sponsors legislation aiding military personnel with job training and credentialing for the civilian sector. As Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016, he retained his Senate seat and secured reelection in 2018 and 2024.
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What jobs did Tim Kaine have before becoming a senator?
Before becoming a U.S. Senator for Virginia in 2013, Tim Kaine had a diverse career. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1983, he moved to Richmond, Virginia, and opened a legal practice focusing on housing rights for the poor and disabled. In 1987, Kaine also began teaching part-time at the University of Richmond School of Law.
Kaine entered electoral politics in 1994, serving on Richmond’s city council before becoming mayor of Richmond from 1998 to 2001. He then served as lieutenant governor of Virginia (2002–06) and was elected governor of Virginia in 2005, holding that office from 2006 to 2010.
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How did Tim Kaine become the Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2016?
In July 2016, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee, chose Tim Kaine as her vice presidential running mate. Kaine, then a U.S. Senator representing Virginia, had previously served as the state's governor from 2006 to 2010. Clinton's selection of Kaine occurred at the Democratic National Convention. Despite polling that showed the Clinton-Kaine ticket ahead throughout most of the final months of the campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump was elected president on November 8, 2016. Kaine retained his Senate seat.
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Tim Kaine (born February 26, 1958, St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.) is an American politician who was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in 2012 and began representing Virginia in that body the following year. He previously served as governor of the state (2006–10). In 2016 he was selected by Hillary Clinton to serve as her vice presidential running mate in the presidential election. In 2024 Kaine won reelection in a close contest with Republican challenger Hung Cao.
Kaine grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where his father had an ironworking shop. After studying economics (B.A., 1979) at the University of Missouri, he went to Harvard Law School (J.D., 1983), taking a year off to head a Jesuit technical school in Honduras. Kaine later moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he opened a legal practice specializing in housing rights for the poor and disabled. In 1984 he married Anne Holton—whose father, A. Linwood Holton, had served as governor of Virginia in 1970–74—and the couple later had three children. In 1987 Kaine also began teaching part-time at the University of Richmond School of Law.
Kaine entered electoral politics in 1994, when he was elected to Richmond’s city council. He then served as mayor of Richmond (1998–2001) before becoming lieutenant governor of Virginia (2002–06). In 2005 he ran for governor on a platform that highlighted his Roman Catholic faith and his willingness to pursue bipartisan compromise. He won the closely contested race and took office in 2006. Kaine was an early supporter of Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential election, and he was widely believed to have been on the short list of vice presidential candidates. From 2009 to 2011 Kaine served as chair of the Democratic National Committee. In 2012 he ran for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Jim Webb. He narrowly defeated his Republican opponent, George Allen, the son of the popular Washington Redskins football coach of the same name. Kaine took office in 2013.
Kaine was a centrist Democrat, befitting a politician who was from a state that had a conservative rural sector in the south and west and liberal urban and suburban enclaves in the north and east. Virginia also had a large military presence, and Kaine took a strong interest in defense and veterans affairs issues, sponsoring legislation to help provide military personnel with useful training and credentialing for the civilian job market. In addition, he was at the forefront of numerous discussions on immigration policy.
On July 22, 2016, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee, named Kaine as her running mate. Despite polling that showed the Clinton-Kaine ticket ahead throughout most of the final months of the campaign, Republican candidate Donald Trump was elected president on November 8, 2016. Kaine retained his Senate seat, however, and he easily won reelection in 2018 and then again in 2024.