WTTG, channel 5, is an owned-and-operated television station of the Fox Broadcasting Company, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C. The station's studio and office facility, and transmitter are co-located in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington.^[1]

WTTG's sister station is WDCA (channel 20), forming a duopoly owned by News Corporation, Fox Broadcasting's parent company.

History[link]

Early years[link]

The station traces its history to May 19, 1945, when television set and equipment manufacturer Allen B. DuMont founded W3XWT, the second experimental station in the nation's capital (after NBC's W3XNB, forerunner to WRC-TV).

Later in 1945, DuMont Laboratories began a series of experimental coaxial cable hookups between W3XWT and its other television station, WABD in New York City (later WNEW-TV and now WNYW). These hookups were the beginning of the DuMont Television Network, the world's first licensed commercial television network. DuMont began regular network service in 1946. Almost a year later on January 3, 1947, W3XWT received a commercial license -- the first in the nation's capital -- as WTTG. The station was named for Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr., the DuMont network's chief engineer and a close friend of Dr. DuMont.

Like its New York sister station, WTTG was far more successful than the network as a whole. In 1956, after DuMont ended network operations, WTTG and WABD became independent stations and were spun off from DuMont Laboratories as the DuMont Broadcasting Corporation. It later changed its name to Metropolitan Broadcasting in order to distance itself from its former parent company.

As an independent station[link]

In 1958, Washington investor John Kluge bought controlling interest in Metropolitan Broadcasting from Paramount Pictures and installed himself as its chairman. He changed the company's name to Metromedia in 1961. Goldsmith sat on Metromedia's board for over a quarter-century. Channel 5 gained a sister station on radio when Metromedia purchased WASH (97.1 FM) in 1968.

At first, WTTG ran on a low budget. However, in the late 1960s, it benefited from Metromedia's aggressiveness in acquiring top syndicated programming, giving it a significant leg up on WDCA, which signed on in 1966. By the 1970s, WTTG was one of the leading independent stations in the country, running a broad lineup of cartoons, off-network sitcoms, first-run syndicated shows, old movies, local news and locally produced programs. During this time period, and well into the early 1990s, WTTG was the flagship station for the Georgetown University men's basketball team. Its main claim to fame was Panorama, an afternoon talk show hosted by John Willis, and later Maury Povich.

When cable television began in the 1970s, WTTG became a regional superstation. At one point, it appeared on every cable system in Maryland and Virginia, as well as most of Delaware and in parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Transition to Fox[link]

Metromedia owned the station until 1986 when Rupert Murdoch, after buying 20th Century Fox, purchased the Metromedia television stations to form the nucleus of the Fox network. WTTG became one of the original six Fox owned-and-operated stations (O&O), all the while retaining consistently high ratings, a rarity for a Fox station then. Initially, its programming was similar to what it had run as a true independent station, since Fox only programmed for a few hours on weekends. Then, on June 25, 1990, the morning cartoon block was ended in favor of Fox 5 Morning News. It was the second Fox O&O to have a morning newscast and the fourth or fifth Fox affiliate with morning news.

As channel 5 transitioned to an O&O and more independent stations signed on, it lost much of its cable audience. Though not distributed as widely as it once was, it is still available on several Maryland and Virginia cable systems. For instance, it has long been available on cable in Harrisonburg, Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley even though WHSV-TV recently launched a digital-only Fox station in 2006. However, WTTG is still carried on basic cable in the Shenandoah Valley. Additionally, it is still carried on cable in Charlottesville, Virginia despite the city recently gaining a Fox affiliate, WAHU-CA. Both stations are carried on basic cable in the Charlottesville area. It also served as the default Fox affiliate for Salisbury, Maryland until the debut of new default Fox affiliate, Fox21 Delmarva, a subchannel of WBOC-TV, on August 21, 2006.

In the 1990s, Fox 5 added more syndicated talk shows and reality shows. It continued to air afternoon cartoons from Fox Kids until the fall of 2001, when they moved to WDCA (only to be cut to Saturdays everywhere in 2002). But WTTG later on brought back Fox children's programming under the banner 4Kids TV. On October 29, 2001, WDCA became WTTG's sister station when Fox bought it from Viacom. Fox 5 continued to run top rated off-network sitcoms in the evenings. In 2002, it added an evening 5 to 6 p.m. newscast. Today, it has 40 hours a week of local news.

WTTG has been the primary station for the Washington Redskins since 1994, when Fox bought the rights to air NFL games in which a team from the National Football Conference (which the Redskins are in) was on the road. All Redskins home games since 1965 have sold out (though the Redskins have had to deal with numerous no-shows), thus allowing them to be aired on WTTG (along with the Redskins' entire road slate) provided they are against an NFC team and are not being played at night, which will be aired on WRC-TV for Sunday Night Football, ESPN (WDCA locally) for Monday Night Football or WUSA when a team from the American Football Conference is the visiting team. This relationship is limited to regular season and postseason games, since WRC airs preseason games. Prior to 1994, WTTG aired the Redskins preseason games and training camp scrimmages during the majority of the 1980's into the early 1990's.

On May 15, 2006 WTTG launched a new website, which features more news and video with the "MyFox" name and interface. (The "My" in the MyFox name may be a reference to Fox's new network My Network TV, which is now shown locally on WDCA.) It is at www.myfoxdc.com.

The new logo and set premiered on June 25, 2006. WTTG launched "NewsEdge" (previously titled "The Edge" until October 2006), its 11–11:30 p.m. newscast, on July 31, 2006. "NewsEdge", which is anchored solo by 10 p.m. co-anchor Brian Bolter, follows its 10–11 p.m. newscast. Also with the launch of the 11 p.m. broadcast, Fox 5 has now expanded its 6 p.m. broadcast to 7 days a week. The new "NewsEdge" has gone to 7 days as well; the weekend 11 p.m. broadcast is 15 minutes long, followed by "Sports Extra."

On January 30, 2009, starting with its 6 p.m. newscast, WTTG became the third station in DC (behind CBS affiliate WUSA and ABC affiliate WJLA) to launch news in high definition. With the change to HD came the new Fox O&O HD graphics currently used on other Fox-owned stations.

After the digital conversion on June 12, 2009, WTTG moved from analog channel 5 to digital channel 36 to complete its analog to digital conversion.^[2] However, through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers will display WTTG's virtual channel as "5".

Criticism[link]

In 2004, the inner operations of WTTG during the station's first years under News Corporation's ownership were scrutinized in Robert Greenwald's documentary Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism. The documentary, through a panel of former WTTG journalists and staffers, claimed that following News Corporation's acquisition, WTTG's news reporting became biased and sensationalistic, much in the style of the Fox News Channel, which News Corporation also owns and which the film primarily criticizes. Former WTTG employees claimed that:

• they were told "from the top" to air a tribute to Ronald Reagan, as seen at the 1988 Republican National Convention, uncut;
• they were told to run a piece from A Current Affair that "rehashed the whole matter of [Senator Ted Kennedy's deadly car accident at] Chappaquiddick" which had "zero news value"; and
• an obsessive attitude over airing stories related to wedge issues such as race relations and AIDS.

News operation[link]

WTTG broadcasts a total of 45 hours of local news a week (eight hours on weekdays, two hours on Saturdays and three hours on Sundays), the most of any television station in the Washington, D.C. market^{[citation needed]}; however as is standard with Fox stations that carry early evening weekend newscasts, WTTG's Saturday and Sunday 5 p.m. newscasts are subject to preemption or delay due to sports coverage.

On September 4, 2006, WTTG began simulcasting its weekday morning and daily 10 p.m. newscasts on Baltimore's Fox-owned WUTB, under the banner of My 24 News. The higher-ups at both stations cite the decision to simulcast as a by-product of cross-regional news interests and increasing overlap between the Baltimore and Washington media markets. [1] On October 2006, while WTTG aired Fox Sports' coverage of the 2006 Major League Baseball postseason, the first half-hour of the 10 p.m. newscast was seen on Washington's Fox-owned WDCA under the banner of Fox 5 News at Ten Special Edition. The same has occurred in 2007, with a banner name of My 20 News at 10.

On July 2, 2007, WTTG discontinued its noon newscast and replaced it with an hour-long newscast at 11am, titled Fox 5 News Midday. On September 10, 2007, the station added "NewsEdge" at 6pm which is also anchored solo by Brian Bolter. The 6 p.m. edition of "NewsEdge" follows its hour-long 5 p.m. newscast. The addition of "NewsEdge" at 6 p.m. was due in part to the success of its current 11 p.m. counterpart.

On January 14, 2009, WTTG entered into talks with local NBC O&O WRC-TV (channel 4) to share helicopters and pool news video. ^[3] On September 14, 2009, WTTG expanded FOX Morning News to five hours (now airing from 5-10 a.m.), but discontinued its hour-long 11 a.m. midday newscast. In early 2010, WTTG became the second station (behind WUSA) to start news at 4:30 a.m.

On-air staff[link]

Current on-air staff[link]

Anchors[link]

• Brian Bolter - weeknights at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.
• Shawn Yancy - weeknights at 5 and 10 p.m.
• Laura Evans - weeknights at 5 p.m.
• Sarah Simmons - weekday mornings "Fox 5 Morning News" (4:30-7 a.m.)
• Holly Morris - Sunday mornings; also morning feature reporter
• Allison Seymour - weekday mornings "Fox 5 Morning News" (7-10 a.m.)
• Tony Perkins - weekday mornings "Fox 5 Morning News" (9-10 a.m.)
• Will Thomas - weekends at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.
• Maureen Umeh - weekends at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.

Fox 5 Weather Team[link]

• Sue Palka (NWA Seal of Approval) - Chief Meteorologist; weeknights at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.
• Gary McGrady (AMS Seal of Approval) - Meteorologist; weeknights at 5 p.m.
• Tony Perkins - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Fox 5 Morning News" (5-9 a.m.)
• Tucker Barnes - Meteorologist; weekday mornings "Fox 5 Morning News" (4:30-5 a.m. and 9-10 a.m.)
• Gwen Tolbart - Meteorologist; Sunday mornings, and weekends at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.

Sports team[link]

• Dave Feldman - Sports Director; weeknights at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.
• Lindsay Murphy - Sports Anchor; weekends at 6, 10 and 11 p.m.; also sports reporter
• Dave Ross - sports producer; occasionally on "Fox 5 Morning News"

Reporters[link]

• Matt Ackland - general assignment reporter
• Melanie Alnwick - special projects reporter
• Bob Barnard - general assignment reporter
• Audrey Barnes - general assignment reporter
• Roby Chavez - general assignment reporter
• Claudia Coffey - general assignment reporter
• Stacey Cohan - general assignment reporter
• Tom Fitzgerald - general assignment reporter
• John Henrehan - general assignment reporter
• Karen Gray Houston - general assignment reporter
• Sherri Ly - general assignment reporter
• Wisdom Martin - general assignment reporter
• Beth Parker - general assignment reporter
• Roz Plater - general assignment reporter
• Paul Wagner - general assignment reporter
• Allyson Wilson - general assignment reporter
• Julie Wright - morning traffic reporter

Former on-air staff[link]

• James Adams – anchor/reporter (1977–1990)
• Ed Alwood – reporter/business anchor (1977–1982)
• Brooke Baldwin – reporter (2006–2008) (Now at CNN)
• Ric Barrick – meteorologist(2001–2002)
• Mike Barry – meteorologist (2004–2006)
• Dave Bender – reporter (1990–1993; now at KOVR-TV)
• Jackie Bensen – reporter (1987–1999; now at WRC-TV)
• Dave Benz – sports anchor/reporter (1998-2009; now at Comcast SportsNet California)
• Josh Binswanger – "Fox Morning News" anchor (1998–2000) (later with WBZ-TV Boston)
• Steve Buckhantz – sports anchor (1987–2001; now with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
• Alan Campbell – weekend anchor/staff announcer (1961–1963)
• Connie Chung – reporter (1970–1971)
• Jack Conaty – reporter (1986–1987)
• Vince DeLisi – sports anchor and reporter (1990–1992)
• Rory Devine – reporter (1982-1983)
• Gurvir Dhindsa - anchor (2004-2011; now at Good Day Atlanta on WAGA-TV)
• Stacey Donaldson – meteorologist (1998–2002)
• Mike Dunston – reporter (now anchor at WOFL in Orlando)
• Barton Eckert – anchor/reporter (1975–1984)
• Darya Folsom – morning anchor/reporter (1994–1998; now at KRON-TV)
• Joe Fowler – sports anchor/reporter (1986–1987)
• Michael Garguilo – morning anchor/reporter (2000–2006; now at WNBC-TV)
• Jeff Gilbert - meteorologist (1971-1976)
• Bill Gormly – host of children's show Countdown Carnival/staff announcer (1963–1968)
• Delores Handy – 10 p.m. anchor (1978–1981; now at WBUR in Boston)
• Brett Haber – sports anchor/reporter (1997–2000; now with WUSA-TV)
• Kerri Lee Halkett – traffic reporter (1997–2000; now reporter at WVIT-TV)
• Chick Hernandez – sports anchor/reporter (1993–2000; now with Comcast SportsMet Mid-Atlantic)
• Lou Holder – weekend sports anchor/reporter (2002-2007)
• Hillary Howard (Statter) – meteorologist (1990s–2000; now at WTOP radio)
• Bill Johnson – staff announcer and children's show host (1949-1967)
• Gus Johnson – weekend sports anchor/reporter (1991–1992)
• Morris Jones – anchor/reporter (1983–2001; now at TBD TV)
• Jim Karvellas – sports anchor/reporter (1969-1979, deceased)
• Dennis Ketterer – meteorologist (1983–1985)
• Mike Landess – anchor/reporter (1998–2001; now at KMGH-TV in Denver)
• Jeff Lawson – meteorologist (1984–1989)
• Lark McCarthy – Fox 5 Morning News co-anchor (1990–2007)
• Patrick McGrath – national correspondent (1983–2009; retired)
• Pat Mitchell – anchor/Panorama host (1977–1979)
• Tracey Neale – anchor/reporter (1994–2003)
• Maury Povich – anchor/reporter/Panorama host (1967–1976 and 1983–1986; now hosting The Maury Show)
• John Raye – anchor 1976–1981
• Lee Reynolds – children's show host Captain Tugg (1958–1966), Grandpa Reynolds (1956–1959), and Captain Lee and Mates (1964–1966)
• Mike Ritz – sports reporter (1987–1991)
• Amy Robach – anchor/reporter (1998–2003; now with NBC News)
• Diane Roberts – sports reporter and substitute sports anchor (1984-1990)
• Nathan Roberts – anchor/reporter (1988–1991, formerly of TBD TV)
• Angela Robinson – anchor/reporter/Panorama host (1983–1993)
• Al Roker – weather anchor (1976–1978; now with NBC News The Today Show)
• Steve Rudin – meteorologist (2001–2004; now with WJLA and TBD TV)
• Tom Sater – meteorologist (1998–2005)
• Bob Schieffer – reporter (1969–1977; now CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent)
• Kevin Schultze – reporter (1993–1996)
• Bob Sellers – weekday morning anchor (2006–2008; now at WSMV-TV in Nashville, TN)
• Michelle Sigona – traffic reporter (2004–2006; correspondent for Fox's former America's Most Wanted)
• Aleen Sirgany – anchor/reporter (1999–2001)
• Karna Small – anchor (1976–1978)
• Alan Smith – anchor (1966-1974)
• Bernie Smilovitz – sports anchor (1978–1986)
• Jill Sorenson – reporter (2004–2005; now with Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic)
• Cynthia Steele – weeknight 10 p.m. anchor (1990–1995)
• Jackie Stone – reporter (1983–1991)
• Sara Underwood – reporter (1991-2000; now freelance at WFXT-TV in Boston)
• Todd D. Wallace – morning anchor (2000–2002; later with WRTV-TV in Indianapolis)
• Tim White – morning anchor (1990–1992; retired)
• Brian Williams – anchor/reporter/Panorama host (1985–1986; now anchor/managing editior for NBC Nightly News)
• John Willis – anchor (1967-1977)
• Brian Wilson – anchor/reporter (1996-2000).

Translator[link]

WTTG is broadcasted on a low powered translator called W46BR in Moorefield, West Virginia.^[4] W46BR is owned by Valley TV Cooperative, INC instead of WTTG and Fox Television Stations.

References[link]

• History of WTTG Fox 5. Fox5DC.com.

External links[link]

• WTTG website
• Query the FCC's TV station database for WTTG
• Query the FCC's TV station database for W46BR
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on WTTG-TV
• BIAfn's Media Web Database -- Information on W46BR-TV

Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine in 2008
51st Chairman of the Democratic National Committee
In office January 21, 2009 – April 5, 2011
Preceded by	Howard Dean
Succeeded by	Debbie Wasserman Schultz
70th Governor of Virginia
In office January 14, 2006 – January 16, 2010
Lieutenant	William T. Bolling
Preceded by	Mark Warner
Succeeded by	Bob McDonnell
38th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
In office January 14, 2002 – January 14, 2006
Governor	Mark Warner
Preceded by	John H. Hager
Succeeded by	William T. Bolling
76th Mayor of Richmond, Virginia
In office 1998–2000
Preceded by	Larry E. Chavis
Succeeded by	Rudolph McCollum Jr.
Personal details
Born	Timothy Michael Kaine (1958-02-26) February 26, 1958 (age 54) Saint Paul, Minnesota
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Anne Holton
Children	Nat Kaine Woody Kaine Annella Kaine
Residence	Richmond, Virginia
Alma mater	University of Missouri (B.A.) Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession	Lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

Timothy Michael "Tim" Kaine (born February 26, 1958) is a Virginia politician. Kaine served as the 70th Governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010, and was the chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2009 to 2011. He was elected governor in 2005, after serving as the 38th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and Mayor of Richmond, Virginia.

Kaine was considered as a possible running mate for Barack Obama in 2008, but was not chosen.^[1]

On April 5, 2011, after weeks of speculation, Kaine announced his candidacy for the United States Senate seat in Virginia that would be opened up by the announced retirement of Jim Webb at the end of his term.^[2]

Early life and education[link]

Kaine was born at Saint Joseph's Hospital in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to Mary Kathleen (née Burns) and Albert A. Kaine, a welder and the owner of a small iron-working shop.^[3][4][5] Kaine grew up in the Kansas City area and graduated from Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kaine graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.A. in economics in 1979.^[6] Kaine was a Coro Foundation fellow in Kansas City^[7] in 1978. He attended Harvard Law School, taking a year-long break during law school to work with the Jesuit order as a Catholic missionary in Honduras.^[8] Kaine is fluent in Spanish as a result of his year in Honduras.^[9] He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1983 with a Juris Doctor, and was admitted to the Virginia Bar. In 1984, Kaine married former Richmond Juvenile Court Judge Anne Holton. Holton is the daughter of former Virginia governor A. Linwood Holton, Jr. Kaine and Holton have three children, Nat, Woody, and Annella.

Kaine practiced law in Richmond for 17 years, specializing in representing people who had been denied housing opportunities because of their race or disability. He was recognized by local, state, and national organizations for his advocacy of fair housing. He also taught legal ethics for six years at the University of Richmond Law School.^[10] More than ten years into his legal career in 1994, he was elected to the city council of the independent city of Richmond from the portion of the city in which he resided under Richmond's system of nine wards.

Mayor of Richmond[link]

He was elected mayor of Richmond by the city council in 1998. (Until 2004, the mayor of Richmond was chosen by the city council from among its membership; under the present system, the mayor is chosen by popular vote.) He spent seven years on the city council, including two terms as mayor.

Under Kaine's leadership, Richmond saw the construction of its first new schools in a generation, tax cuts, and a reduction in the city’s crime rate. Richmond’s success in reducing violent crime, including a 55 percent drop in the city's homicide rate during his tenure,^[11] earned national recognition from Presidents Clinton and Bush and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Richmond's economic success 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.^[12]

As mayor, Kaine gained national attention following the implementation of a gun law known as Project Exile, an initiative that moved trials for armed defendants to federal court, which has stiffer sentencing guidelines.^[13][14]

During his tenure as Mayor, Kaine drew criticism for designating public funds for an anti-gun-violence rally.^{[15][16][17][18]} After a constituent raised concerns about the funding at a Richmond City Council meeting, Kaine raised the money privately and reimbursed the city.^[19]

Lieutenant governor[link]

In the Virginia general elections of November 2001, Kaine ran for lieutenant governor and won with 925,974 votes (50.35%).^[20] His opponents were Republican state Delegate Jay Katzen, with 883,886 votes (48.06%) and Libertarian Gary Reams, with 28,783 votes (1.57%). Kaine was inaugurated on January 12, 2002. As lieutenant governor, he also served as president of the Virginia Senate.

Gubernatorial election[link]

Tim Kaine at the Buena Vista
Labor Day Parade

In 2005, Kaine ran for and won the office of governor of Virginia in the November general election, defeating Republican former Attorney General Jerry W. Kilgore with 52% of the vote to Kilgore's 46%.^[21] Kaine said he would look to retain the tax and education policies of his predecessor, Mark Warner, and keep the budget balanced.^{[citation needed]} He held a series of statewide "town hall" meetings focused on transportation.

An underdog for most of the race, Kaine led in some polls for the first time in October 2005, and held his lead into the final week before the election.^[22] While the previous Democratic Governor, Mark Warner, was credited with doing especially well for a Democrat in rural areas of the commonwealth, Kaine's win featured surprising triumphs in traditionally Republican areas such as Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and the Northern Virginia exurbs of Prince William County and Loudoun County, as well as impressive showings in Democratic strongholds such as Richmond and Norfolk.^[23]

Kaine closely associated himself with popular outgoing Democratic Governor Mark Warner during his campaign; he won his race with a slightly smaller portion of the vote than Warner did, but achieved a slightly wider margin on account of the third-party candidate's comparatively greater success in 2005. He promised homeowner tax relief, centrist fiscal leadership and universal pre-kindergarten.^{[citation needed]}. A number of factors, from the poll numbers of President George W. Bush to public reaction to the death penalty ads run by Kilgore, have also been cited as contributing to his decisive win.^[24][25] Kaine was inaugurated in Williamsburg on January 14, 2006. This makes Kaine the first governor since Thomas Jefferson (in 1779) to be inaugurated in Virginia's colonial capital. Virginia's capitol building in Richmond was under renovation at the time, a process that was completed in mid-2007.

Governor of Virginia[link]

Tim Kaine, 5th from the right,
along with Virginia Tech officials, receives a donation to the Virginia Tech memorial fund from East Carolina University given during the Hokies' 2007 football home opener

Democratic response to State of the Union address

On January 31, 2006, Kaine gave the Democratic response to President Bush's 2006 State of the Union address. In his response, he argued that the Republicans failed to support bipartisanship in Washington and he condemned Bush's spending increases and tax cuts as "reckless".^[26]

Budget special session

In March 2006, after the Virginia General Assembly failed to come up with a budget, Kaine called for a special session that continued until June. The debate was over transportation issues and how to fund current and new projects. Most of the debate originated in a struggle within the Republican-controlled Senate and House of Delegates. In 2007, however, a transportation bill was passed and signed into law by Kaine.^[27]

Conservation

In May 2006, Governor Kaine announced his plan to conserve 400,000 acres (1,600 km²) of Virginia real property from development before the end of his service as Governor of Virginia.^[28] The Commonwealth of Virginia's landowners favor land conservation, although Virginia lags behind other states' per capita expenditures on land conservation.^[29] As of 2007, according to government statistics, Maryland spends as much as $21 per capita on land conservation, while Virginia spends $1.45.^[30] On the other hand, Virginia also has a higher proportion of its total land area under permanent protection than many other states, with about 13.69% of it currently protected.^[31]

Smoking

In June 2006, Kaine signed an executive order banning smoking in all government buildings and state-owned cars.^[32] He also announced that Virginia would be the first state in the Union to digitize records from the Civil War Era Freedman's Bureau. This would facilitate research into post-Civil War African-American history.^[33]

HPV vaccinations

Kaine has signaled his support for vaccinating sixth-grade girls in Virginia with the HPV vaccine. In 2007, Virginia, along with 20 other states, was considering a law to expand such vaccinations. Accordingly, in 2007, the Republican-controlled state legislature passed a law that mandated such vaccinations, while allowing parents to opt out of the requirement without citing a reason. After expressing "some qualms", Kaine signed the bill into law.^[34]

Gov. Kaine with U.S. Senators
John Warner and George Allen

Virginia Tech massacre

When news of the Virginia Tech massacre broke, Kaine canceled a trade mission to Japan and India to attend to the situation.^{[citation needed]} Kaine spoke at the convocation held in Blacksburg the day after the shooting in which he invoked the Biblical story of Job.^{[citation needed]} Kaine said he would appoint a panel of independent law-enforcement officials to determine what the university knew about the student responsible for the massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 32 people. The commission, led by former Virginia State Police Superintendent Gerald Massengill and former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, began work on April 28, 2007, and issued its findings and recommendations on August 30, 2007. On April 30, 2007, Governor Kaine signed an executive order instructing state agencies to step up efforts to block gun sales to people involuntarily committed to inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment centers.^[35] Appearing alongside Attorney General Bob McDonnell (R), Kaine said the order would help prevent people like the shooter from illegally obtaining firearms in the future.

Metro

In July 2007, Kaine supported an above-ground solution to the debate on building the Silver Line of the Washington Metro through Tysons Corner. Some people disagreed and preferred a tunnel.^[36]

Education

During the 2008 General Assembly session, Governor Kaine backed a $22 million proposal to make Pre-K education more accessible to at-risk four-year-olds.^[37]

Omeish resignation

Kaine appointed Dr. Esam Omeish to the Virginia Commission on Immigration, which was examining whether Virginia should do more to restrict illegal immigration. In September 2007, Omeish resigned as a commission member—as requested by Kaine—three hours after remarks made by Omeish on a call-in show on WRVA radio in Richmond were brought to Kaine's attention, specifically his criticisms of the Israel lobby and call for Bush's impeachment on account of the Iraq War.^[38] "I have been made aware of certain statements he has made which concern me," Kaine said in accepting Omeish's resignation. Kaine added that background checks would be more thorough in the future.^[39]

Coal power plant

Kaine's support of a coal-fired power plant in Wise County^[40] that would emit an estimated 5.4 million tons of carbon dioxide per year was opposed by environmentalists.^[41] In a radio interview, Kaine said "We are not going to eliminate coal, a native source that we have, as one of the sources that will power our country."

Cabinet[link]

• Chief of Staff — William Leighty (2006–07), Wayne Turnage (2007–10)
• Secretary of Administration – Viola Baskerville (2006–10)
• Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry – Robert Bloxom (2006–10)
• Secretary of Commerce and Trade – Patrick Gottschalk (2006–10)
• Secretary of the Commonwealth – Katherine Hanley (2006–10)
• Secretary of Education – Thomas Morris (2006–10)
• Secretary of Finance – Jody Wagner (2006–2008), Richard D. Brown (2008–10)
• Secretary of Health and Human Resources – Marilyn Tavenner (2006–10)
• Secretary of Natural Resources – Preston Bryant (2006–10)
• Secretary of Public Safety – John W. Marshall (2006–10)
• Secretary of Technology – Aneesh Chopra (2006–09), Leonard M. Pomata (2009–10)
• Secretary of Transportation – Pierce Homer (2006–10)
• Assistant for Commonwealth Preparedness – Robert P. Crouch (2006–10)
• Senior Advisor for Workforce – Daniel G. LeBlanc (2006–10)

Political positions[link]

Despite his personal opposition to capital punishment, often cited during the 2005 campaign by both sides, Kaine oversaw eleven executions as Governor, including the execution of John Allen Muhammad, the Beltway Sniper, on November 10, 2009. He has vetoed eight death-penalty expansion bills although some of the vetoes were overturned,^[42][43] and opposed the electric chair as an option.^[44] On June 9, 2008, Kaine commuted the death sentence of Percy Levar Walton to life in prison without parole.^[45]

While Governor, Kaine signed the Marshall-Newman Amendment into effect. The amendment solidified that marriage would only be between a man and a woman in Virginia. When talking about gay marriage in 2005, Kaine said that "No couples in Virginia can adopt other than a married couple -- that's the right policy. Gay individuals should be able to adopt."^[46] In 2011, however, Kaine would change his position and become more open to the idea of adoption. Kaine said he believed that the judges would be able to make effective case-by-case analyses when dealing with unmarried couples applying to be possible parents. He said that he was open to consideration being made available to all couples, regardless of if they are gay or straight.^[47]

Tim Kaine, a Roman Catholic, is opposed to abortion for religious reasons,^[48] but also opposes overturning Roe v. Wade. Instead he has encouraged policymakers to focus on bringing down the number of abortions by reducing teen pregnancy through abstinence-focused education, ensuring women's access to health care and contraception, and promoting adoption.^[49] He supports some legal restrictions on abortion, such as requiring parental consent and banning partial-birth abortions in cases where the woman's life is not at risk.^[50]

Kaine supports some "smart growth"-style policies to manage sprawl and transportation issues; he refers to these plans as "balanced growth."^[51]

2008 vice presidential speculation[link]

Barack Obama campaigned for
Tim Kaine in 2005 for the
gubernatorial election.

Kaine first supported Senator Obama's presidential bid in February 2007. It was maintained that Kaine's endorsement was the first from a state-wide elected official outside of Illinois^[52] Since Kaine was a relatively popular governor of a southern state, there was media speculation that he was a potential nominee for Vice President.^[53] Obama had supported Kaine in his campaign for governor and had said about him: "Tim Kaine has a message of fiscal responsibility and generosity of spirit. That kind of message can sell anywhere."^[54] On July 28, 2008, Politico.com reported that Kaine was "very, very high" on Obama's shortlist for vice president,^[55] a list which also included then Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Senator Joseph Biden of Delaware.^[56] Obama ultimately selected Biden to become the vice-presidential nominee.^[57]

Democratic Party chairman[link]

In January 2009, Kaine became the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee. He took the position at the request of President Obama, and during his tenure has overseen a significant expansion of the party's grassroots focus through Organizing for America.

In February 2011, it was reported that President Obama had joined Wisconsin's budget battle and would oppose the Republican anti-union bill. The Washington Post reported that Organizing for America, the political operation for the White House, got involved after Kaine spoke to union leaders in Madison. They made phone calls, sent emails, and distributed messages via Facebook and Twitter to work on building crowds for the rallies.^[58]

2012 U.S. Senate candidacy[link]

Kaine announced on April 5, 2011 that he is running for United States Senate in 2012. He filmed two announcement videos, one in English and the other in Spanish.^[59][60] Kaine was unopposed for the Democratic nomination.^[61]

Electoral history[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tim Kaine

Wikisource has original works written by or about: Timothy M. Kaine

• Tim Kaine for U.S. Senate official campaign site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances on Charlie Rose
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Collected news and commentary at The New York Times
• Works by or about Tim Kaine in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography at the National Governors Association
• Campaign contributions at FollowTheMoney.org
• 2005 campaign contributions at the Virginia Public Access Project
• Democratic response to State of the Union MSNBC, January 31, 2006, transcript of Governor Kaine's State of the Union Rebuttal
• Mason Asks: Tim Kaine Mike Lucier, "Mason Votes", April 27, 2012

Archived records

• Moving Virginia Forward Tim Kaine's PAC^{[dead link]}
• Moving Virginia Forward Archived Web Site, 2007 part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2007 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory
• Moving Virginia Forward Archived Web Site, 2009 part of Virginia's Political Landscape, 2009 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory
• Tim Kaine for Governor Archived Web Site, 2005-2006 part of Virginia's Political Landscape, Fall 2005 Web Archive Collection at Virginia Memory
• Governor Tim Kaine Administration Web Site Archive, 2006-2010 at Virginia Memory
• A Guide to the Records of Lieutenant Governor Timothy M. Kaine, 1995-2005 (bulk 2002-2005) at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Executive Office-Governor, Records, 2005-2009 at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Executive Office-Chief of Staff, Records, 2006-2009 at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Executive Office-Counselor's Office, Records, 2001-2009 (bulk 2006-2009) at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Policy Office Records, 2002-2010 (bulk 2006-2009) at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Press Office Records, 2004-2010 (bulk 2006-2009) at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Senior Advisor to the Governor for Workforce Records, 2006-2009 at The Library of Virginia
• A Guide to the Governor Timothy M. Kaine, Latino Liaison Records, 2004-2009 at The Library of Virginia

v t e Lieutenant Governors of Virginia Leake McComas Jackson Montague S Price Cowper Lewis Marye Withers Thomas Walker Lewis Massey Tyler Kent Echols Willard Ellyson Buchanan West J Price Holt Tuck Collins Stephens Godwin Pollard Reynolds Howell Dalton Robb Davis Wilder Beyer Hager Kaine Bolling

v t e Governors of Virginia Henry Jefferson Fleming Nelson Harrison Henry E. Randolph B. Randolph H. Lee Brooke Wood Monroe Page Cabell Tyler Sr. G. Smith Monroe G. Smith P. Randolph Barbour Nicholas Preston T. Randolph Pleasants Tyler Jr. Giles J. Floyd Tazewell Robertson Campbell Gilmer Patton Rutherfoord Gregory McDowell W. "EB" Smith J.B. Floyd Johnson Wise Letcher W. "EB" Smith Pierpont Wells Walker Kemper Holliday Cameron F. Lee McKinney O'Ferrall J.H. Tyler Montague Swanson Mann Stuart Davis Trinkle Byrd Pollard Peery Price Darden Tuck Battle Stanley Almond A. Harrison Godwin Holton Godwin Dalton Robb Baliles Wilder Allen Gilmore Warner Kaine McDonnell