Gov. Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine, the 70th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, was elected DNC Chair on January 21, 2009.

During Governor Kaine’s tenure, Virginia has been recognized as the most business-friendly state in America (Forbes.com 2006, 2007 and 2008; CNBC 2007), the top-performing state government in America (Governing Magazine, 2008) and the state where “a child is most likely to have a successful life” (Education Week, 2007).

Under Governor Kaine’s leadership, Virginia boasts one of the highest median incomes and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation. In education, Governor Kaine has helped move the focus in the classroom from competence to excellence. In health care, Governor Kaine has worked to expand care options for children and expectant mothers, the health care safety net for the uninsured, foster care services, and medical education. During his administration, the Commonwealth has seen a historic elevation of the importance of linking land use and transportation as well as significant new investments in public transportation.

Governor Kaine shares with Virginians a desire to protect the God-given beauty of the Commonwealth. As Chairman of the Southern Governors Association, he is focused on addressing climate change in the South.  He also chairs the Executive Council of the EPA's Chesapeake Bay program. He has dedicated the last year of his administration to a “Renew Virginia” initiative, which will focus on reducing greenhouse gases, protecting the environment, and developing green energy and “green collar” jobs in Virginia.

Governor Kaine has helped Virginia Democrats regain two U.S. Senate seats, a majority of Virginia’s Congressional delegation, and control of the state Senate. In addition, as State Chairman of Obama for Virginia, he helped Virginia deliver its 13 electoral votes to a Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1964.

His career of public service began when he took a year off from law school to volunteer with missionaries in Honduras.  There, he served as the principal of a small Catholic school that taught teenagers basic carpentry and welding skills.

Governor Kaine practiced law in Richmond for 17 years, representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability.  He won many precedent-setting cases in this area and was recognized by local, state and national organizations for his fair-housing advocacy. He also taught legal ethics for six years at the University of Richmond Law School.

Starting in 1994, he was elected to four terms on the City Council, including two terms as Richmond's mayor, where he worked to build Richmond’s first new schools in a generation, cut taxes and slash the city’s crime rate.  Richmond's success in reducing violent crime won national recognition from Presidents Clinton and Bush and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.  The improvements in Richmond's economy during Kaine's tenure earned the city its first-ever listing in Forbes Magazine's annual ranking of the top 10 cities in America for doing business.

Governor Kaine was elected Virginia's Lieutenant Governor in 2001. He worked for four years with Governor Mark Warner to reform the state’s budget and invest new resources in education.

Governor Kaine is married to Anne Holton, a former legal aid lawyer and juvenile court judge. They have three children -  Nat, Woody, and Annella.