About Tim
Tim Kaine has served people throughout his adult life as a missionary, fair housing attorney, teacher, and elected official. He ran for the United States Senate because America needs optimistic doers who know how to find common ground.
Tim grew up in Kansas City and graduated from the University of Missouri and Harvard Law School. Tim began his public service career when he took a year off from law school to work with Jesuit missionaries in Honduras. After finishing law school, Tim practiced law for 18 years, specializing in representing people who had been denied housing due to their race or disability. He also began teaching at the University of Richmond, an association that continues to this day.
Tim entered political life in 1994, running for the Richmond City Council to help bridge divisions in city leadership. He served until 2001 as a Councilman and Mayor. In 2001, Tim was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and worked for four years with then-Governor Mark Warner.
In 2005, Tim was elected Virginia’s 70th Governor. In the midst of America's deepest recession in 70 years, Tim led the state to national recognition. Virginia was honored as the "Best Managed State in America" (Governing Magazine), the "Best State for Business" (Forbes.com, four years in a row) and the best state to raise a child (Education Week). Virginia maintained its AAA bond rating for fiscal management— one of only 7 states to receive the top rating from all 3 major ratings agencies – and had one of the nation’s lowest unemployment rates and highest median incomes.
During his tenure as Governor, Tim showed true fiscal stewardship in response to the national economic downturn, cutting the Virginia state budget by more than $5 billion, including a reduction in his own salary. But Tim also expanded early childhood and technical education, passed the largest bond package for higher education construction in Virginia history, reformed the state's mental health and foster care programs, reduced the infant mortality rate, protected open space, banned smoking in bars and restaurants, and secured major rail and public transit improvements throughout the state. Tim also brokered the deal to eliminate Virginia's estate tax and cut income taxes for tens of thousands of low-income residents.
Tim was the Chairman of the Southern Governors' Association in 2008-09 and served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 through 2011.
Tim has been married for 28 years to Anne Holton. Anne – the daughter of former Republican Governor Linwood Holton – served as a legal aid lawyer and juvenile court judge before becoming First Lady of Virginia. The Kaines have three children – Nat, Woody and Annella – all of whom attended Richmond Public Schools. The family is active in their church and spends all the time they can camping, hiking, canoeing and biking in Virginia's outdoors.
