Hillary Clinton chose Virginia Senator Tim Kaine for her running mate in the U.S. Presidential race 2016. The man has an impressive political resume with a time as a mayor, governor and senator under his belt.
He's been the mayor of Richmond from 1998 to 2001, Virginia Lt. Gov from 2002 to 2006, Virginia governor from 2006 to 2010 and was the Democratic National Committee chairman from 2009 to 2011.
The 58-year-old currently holds the position of United States Senator from Virginia and serves on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Budget and Aging Committees. His term expires in January 2019.
A graduate of Harvard Law school, he's also spent time volunteering in Honduras and speaks fluent Spanish, which is expected to influence the Hispanic community towards Clinton.
A complete family man and practising Catholic, he's personally opposed to abortion. However, he supports a woman's right to choose. He supports restrictions on "certain types of abortion, parental consent laws and 'informed consent' practices," BBC noted.
He was also considered as President Barack Obama's running mate in 2008.
I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H pic.twitter.com/lTVyfztE5Z
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 23, 2016
Just got off the phone with Hillary. I'm honored to be her running mate. Can't wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami! — Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) July 23, 2016
Already reaching out to the Hispanic community, he tweeted the same in Spanish on Friday.
The man has proved himself in the political arena repeatedly and also has experience in foreign policy, which a Vice President is required to have. He's also being seen as a safe choice, unlike the firebrand Bernie Sanders and progressivist Elizabeth Warren.
When New York Times asked Clinton if Kaine was a boring choice, she said, "I love that about him." She added, "He's never lost an election."
Clinton and Kaine are believed to have a good rapport and have similar view on many policies. Kaine is pro-free trade and deregulating local banks.
The other candidates who were considered for the position were Thomas E. Perez, the secretary of labor, a Hispanic candidate; Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, an African-American candidate; and James G. Stavridis, a retired four-star Navy admiral who served as the supreme allied commander at NATO.
Kaine grew up in Kansas and is originally from Minnesota, but lived most of his life in Virginia. His popularity could swing the state's support for Clinton in this presidential race.
He's married to Anne Holton and has three children — Nat, Woody, and Annella.
Hurdles in front of Kaine
He could face opposition from progressive members of the party for his support to free trade. He is also unpopular among the Black community for his Project Exile during his tenure as Virginia governor. The project has been criticised as racially biased against the African-American community, forcing Black men into lengthy jail terms. However, his tough stance on crime is not unlike Clinton's, who has also supported tough-on-crime policies that increased the U.S. prison population.
