Back in late October 2012, Tim Kaine was locked in a tight race with none other than George Allen, who Jim Webb had defeated by just over 9,000 votes (out of more than 1.3 MILLION cast) back in 2006. Then-Senator Webb had decided not to run for reelection after one term, so former Governor Kaine stepped in, and thankfully ended up winning that election by a 53%-47% margin. Kaine’s election demonstrated, clearly, that “elections have consequences”; just imagine how much worse off we’d all be if we’d elected George Allen to the Senate instead of Tim Kaine. Fortunately, Virginia voters got that election right, as well as Kaine’s reelection in 2018, giving us a superb Senate duo of Senators Kaine and Mark Warner.
And yes, believe it or not, it’s now been nearly ten years since Kaine was first elected to the Senate. To mark the occasion, check out the following video, narrated by Sen. Kaine’s wife Anne Holton. As Holton says, for Tim Kaine, public service is a “calling,” a “life’s mission.” Here in Virginia, that “calling” led Kaine to work for civil rights and racial justice and “advancing opportunity for everyone” as a member of the Richmond City Council, as mayor of Richmond, Lt. Governor of Virginia, Governor of Virginia, and now US Senator.
“And ten years ago, a new journey of service began in the United States Senate. Tim went to work for every corner of Virginia, being a voice for our military families and veterans…expanding economic opportunity through career and technical education…raising the tobacco age to 21, expanding access to affordable health care and so much more. It’s about staying true to core principles but also working across the aisle to improve people’s lives. For all our differences, we are all Virginians, we are all Americans. But this work, this service, isn’t about one office or one person, it’s about all of us, collectively taking action, getting involved, serving our communities and lifting up our neighbors. Tim has shown us politics can still be a place for positive change. And after all these years, I still see the same empathy for people and passion for service in the fellow I met in the law school study group 40 years ago. For those of us who know Tim, we see that public service is his life’s calling. And the only way forward is together.”
Well said by Anne Holton. Thank to her, and thanks to that “fellow [she] met in the law school study group 40 years ago,” for all the good they’ve done for Virginia all these years – including the past ten years in the US Senate. Here’s to many more!
Couldn’t have done it without @AnneHolton. It’s been 10 years since I was elected to the Senate, and I want to mark this milestone by thanking Anne and all who’ve helped me along the way. Energized for the work ahead! https://t.co/j8RoD9P8Wk
— Tim Kaine (@timkaine) October 25, 2022
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