Timothy Kaine

Timothy Michael Kaine is a member of the Democratic Party and has served as a U.S. Senator from Virginia since January 2013. Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and raised in the Kansas City area, Kaine earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Missouri in 1979 before attending Harvard Law School. During law school, he took a one-year hiatus to work as a Jesuit missionary in Honduras, where he ran a technical school teaching carpentry and welding. After earning his J.D. in 1983, he moved to Richmond, Virginia, where he practiced as a civil rights attorney specializing in fair housing and taught part-time at the University of Richmond School of Law. Kaine's political career began in 1994 with his election to the Richmond City Council, and he later served as the Mayor of Richmond from 1998 to 2001. He was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2001 and subsequently served as the state's 70th Governor from 2006 to 2010. Following his governorship, he chaired the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011. In 2012, Kaine was first elected to the U.S. Senate, and in 2016, he was selected as the Democratic vice-presidential nominee alongside Hillary Clinton. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2018 and 2024, continuing his service on several high-profile committees, including Armed Services and Foreign Relations.

Senator Kaine’s policy positions emphasize economic opportunity, healthcare access, and diplomatic engagement. He views healthcare as a right and has consistently advocated for protecting and expanding the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, and Medicaid, while also supporting efforts to lower prescription drug costs. Economically, he focuses on expanding career and technical education (CTE) and job training, supporting small businesses, and infrastructure investment. He has been a vocal proponent of the American Rescue Plan and the expansion of the child tax credit. In terms of immigration, Kaine supports comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants, enhanced border security, and protections for DACA recipients. On the environment, he is an advocate for clean energy initiatives and federal policies to address climate change. In foreign policy, he is notably recognized for his efforts to assert Congressional authority over war powers, advocating for the repeal of outdated Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) and strengthening the U.S. commitment to NATO.