George Allen (American politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Allen
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Official Senate portrait
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| United States Senator from Virginia |
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| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Chuck Robb |
| Succeeded by | Jim Webb |
| 67th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 1994 – January 17, 1998 |
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| Lieutenant | Don Beyer |
| Preceded by | Douglas Wilder |
| Succeeded by | Jim Gilmore |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district |
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| In office November 5, 1991 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | French Slaughter |
| Succeeded by | Thomas Bliley |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 58th district |
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| In office January 12, 1983 – November 5, 1991 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Peter T. Way |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Felix Allen
March 8, 1952 Whittier, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Anne Rubel
(m. 1979; div. 1983)Susan Brown
(m. 1986) |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | Virginia Beach, Virginia, U.S. |
| Education | University of Virginia (BA, JD) |
George Felix Allen, born on March 8, 1952, is an American politician. He is a member of the Republican Party. He served as the 67th governor of Virginia from 1994 to 1998. Later, he was a U.S. Senator for Virginia from 2001 to 2007.
George Allen is the son of National Football League coach George Allen. Before becoming governor, he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1983 to 1991. He then won a special election for Virginia's 7th congressional district in November 1991. After his district changed due to redistricting, he decided not to run for Congress again. Instead, he ran for Governor of Virginia in 1993. He won against Democratic Attorney General of Virginia Mary Sue Terry.
Virginia law did not allow him to run for governor right after his first term. So, he worked in private business until the 2000 election. He ran for the United States Senate and won, defeating the two-term Democratic Senator Chuck Robb. Allen tried to get re-elected in 2006. However, after a very close and talked-about race, he lost to Jim Webb. When Webb decided to retire, Allen ran for his old Senate seat again in 2012. He lost once more, this time to former governor Tim Kaine. Today, Allen is involved with the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors.
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Early Life and Education (1952–1982)
George Allen was born in Whittier, California, on March 8, 1952. His father, George Herbert Allen, was a famous National Football League (NFL) coach. He was even put into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2006, it was shared that Allen's mother, Henrietta Lumbroso, was born to Sephardic Jewish parents in Tunisia. Allen once described his mother as "French-Italian, with a little Spanish blood."
He has a younger sister, Jennifer, who is an author. He also has two brothers, including Bruce Allen, who worked as an NFL team executive. His family moved several times because of his father's coaching jobs. They lived in Chicago and then in Palos Verdes, California.
Allen finished high school in 1970 at Palos Verdes High School. He played quarterback on the school's football team. He first went to the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1971, he moved to the University of Virginia. He earned a degree in history in 1974. He was also class president in his final year and played on the university's football and rugby teams.
After college, Allen earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. In 1976, he led the "Young Virginians for Ronald Reagan" group. After law school, he worked as a law clerk for a judge.
Virginia House of Delegates (1982–1991)
Allen first ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 1979 but did not win. He ran again in 1982 for the 58th House District. He won that election by a very small number of votes. He won a rematch in 1983. He ran without opposition in 1985, 1987, and 1989. The seat he held was once held by Thomas Jefferson.
He served as a delegate from 1983 to 1991. He represented parts of Albemarle and Nelson counties. These areas are near Charlottesville.
Allen strongly supported the death penalty. He worked to expand its use in Virginia. He tried to pass a bill each year to add murder during an attempted robbery to the list of crimes punishable by death.
Allen also supported a statewide vote on whether to create a state lottery system.
U.S. House of Representatives (1991–1993)
In November 1991, Allen won a special election for the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented Virginia's 7th congressional district. The previous representative had resigned due to health reasons. Allen won against Kay Slaughter.
After the 1990 U.S. Census, Virginia's voting districts were redrawn. Allen's district was removed. His home was placed in a different district. He decided not to run for Congress again. Instead, he planned to run for Governor of Virginia in 1993.
Governor of Virginia (1994–1998)
In November 1993, George Allen was elected the 67th Governor of Virginia. He served from 1994 to 1998. His opponent, Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, was ahead in early polls. However, Allen's idea to end parole for criminals was popular. He won with 58.3% of the vote. This was a large victory margin.
Virginia's constitution does not allow a governor to serve two terms in a row. So, Allen could not run for re-election in 1997.
Welfare Reform
During his campaign, Allen promised to change Virginia's welfare system. He believed welfare should help people get back on their feet, not be a permanent way of life. In March 1995, Allen signed his welfare reform bill. This bill was called the Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW). It limited how long people could receive benefits. It also required them to work soon after getting benefits.
After VIEW started, the number of families on welfare dropped by 33%. This reform saved taxpayers a lot of money. The law also made sure that mothers receiving welfare named the child's father. This helped locate non-custodial parents. Virginia became very successful at identifying paternity.
Truth-in-Sentencing
Allen also promised to end parole for people convicted of serious crimes. This idea helped him win the election. In January 1995, this "truth-in-sentencing" law went into effect. It meant that criminals would serve at least 85% of their prison sentence. Before this, many offenders were released much earlier.
This change meant that people convicted of serious crimes served much longer sentences. For example, first-degree murderers went from serving about 15 years to 46 years. This reform aimed to make sure that criminals spent more time in prison for their crimes.
Standards of Learning
In June 1995, Governor Allen's team suggested new statewide tests. These tests would measure what students learned. They would also hold schools responsible for student success. The Virginia Board of Education approved these tests, called the Standards of Learning (SOLs). They cover subjects like English, math, history, and science.
The plan also created an annual "report card" for each public school. This report card would show how well schools were performing. Allen believed that if students weren't learning, their schools should be held accountable. The SOLs helped monitor how well schools taught basic subjects.
Virginia Water Toxins Issue
In 1994, Allen's administration ended Virginia's water toxins monitoring program. A database with important information about pollution levels in Virginia's waters was hidden. Scientists and government groups could not access this data. News reports led to an investigation. The investigation found that some documents were destroyed. It also showed that the hidden data included high levels of dangerous chemicals in rivers.
Return to Private Sector (1998–2001)
After his term as governor ended, Allen worked in the private sector. In 1998, he became a partner at a law firm called McGuireWoods. He led their business expansion team. He also joined the boards of some technology companies. These companies often worked with the government.
U.S. Senate (2001–2007)
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2000 Election
In 2000, Allen ran for the U.S. Senate. He defeated the Democratic Senator Chuck Robb by a small margin. He was the only Republican to win against a Democratic Senator that year.
2006 Election and Controversy
Allen ran for re-election in 2006. The election was very close. During the campaign, Allen made a controversial remark at a rally. He used a word that some people found offensive to refer to a person filming the event. This incident was widely reported and caused a lot of discussion.
Allen lost the election to Jim Webb by a very small number of votes. Two days after the election, Allen accepted his defeat. Many people believe his controversial remark played a big part in his loss.
Senate Work
During his time in the Senate, Allen worked on several important bills:
- He proposed a change to the Constitution to balance the budget.
- He introduced a bill to allow the President to veto specific parts of a bill.
- He worked on the National Innovation Act to support American science and engineering.
- He helped write the Internet Tax Nondiscrimination Act, which stopped certain taxes on the internet.
Allen also helped pass the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act. This law supported research into tiny technologies called nanotechnology. It created a large government program to fund this research. Allen was the first chairman of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus.
After the Senate (2007–Present)
Political Ambitions
Before losing the 2006 Senate election, Allen was thought to be a possible candidate for president in 2008. He had visited states important for presidential campaigns. However, after his defeat, it was widely believed he would not run. In December 2006, Allen confirmed he would not seek the 2008 presidential nomination.
In 2009, there was talk of him running for governor of Virginia again. However, he decided not to. He did leave open the idea of running for the Senate again in 2012.
Political Activities
In 2007, Allen became a scholar with Young America's Foundation. He also started his own consulting firm, George Allen Strategies. In 2009, he helped start the American Energy Freedom Center, a group that studies energy policy.
In 2010, Allen published his first book. It was called What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports. In the book, he compared politics to sports. He suggested that government could learn from teamwork and fair play in sports.
2012 U.S. Senate Election
On January 24, 2011, Allen announced he would run for the U.S. Senate again. He wanted to win back the seat he lost to Jim Webb. In the Republican primary election, he won the nomination.
In the main election, Allen faced former Virginia governor Tim Kaine. Allen lost the election to Kaine.
Personal Life
George Allen married Anne Patrice Rubel in 1979. They divorced in 1983. In 1986, Allen married Susan Brown. They have three children together. The Allens live in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Allen is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He often uses football terms and ideas when he talks about politics. This is something many journalists have noticed about him.
Images for kids
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Official Senate portrait
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George Allen and President Ronald Reagan
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Governor Allen visiting the USS George Washington in July 1996.
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Allen shakes hands with President George W. Bush in the Oval Office, September 2001
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Allen campaigning at the July 4, 2011 parade in Crozet, Virginia
See also
