Jim Gilmore facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jim Gilmore
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Official portrait, 2019
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| United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe | |
| In office July 2, 2019 – January 20, 2021 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Dan Baer |
| Succeeded by | Michael R. Carpenter |
| 68th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 17, 1998 – January 12, 2002 |
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| Lieutenant | John Hager |
| Preceded by | George Allen |
| Succeeded by | Mark Warner |
| Chair of the Republican National Committee | |
| In office January 18, 2001 – December 5, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Nicholson |
| Succeeded by | Marc Racicot |
| 38th Attorney General of Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 1994 – June 11, 1997 |
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| Governor | George Allen |
| Preceded by | Stephen Rosenthal |
| Succeeded by | Richard Cullen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
James Stuart Gilmore III
October 6, 1949 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Roxane Gatling
(m. 1977; died 2024) |
| Education | University of Virginia (BA, JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | US Army |
| Years of service | 1971–1974 |
| Unit | 650th Group, Military Intelligence Corps |
| Awards | Joint Service Commendation Medal |
James Stuart Gilmore III (born October 6, 1949) is an American politician and diplomat. He served as the 68th Governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Gilmore also led the Republican National Committee in 2001. Later, he became the U.S. Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This happened during the first term of President Donald Trump.
Born in Virginia, Gilmore studied at the University of Virginia. He earned degrees in arts and law. After college, he joined the U.S. Army. He worked as a special agent in military intelligence.
Before becoming governor, Gilmore was a county prosecutor. He also served as the Attorney General of Virginia. After his time as governor, he tried to run for the U.S. Senate in 2008. He also sought the Republican nomination for President of the United States in 2008 and 2016, but was not successful.
In November 2018, President Donald Trump chose Gilmore for a new role. He was nominated to be the U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. This job has the same rank as an ambassador. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination on May 23, 2019. Gilmore officially started his duties on July 2, 2019.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jim Gilmore was born in Richmond, Virginia, on October 6, 1949. His mother, Margaret Evelyn, was a church secretary. His father, James Stuart Gilmore Jr., worked as a meat cutter in a grocery store.
He went to John Randolph Tucker High School. In 1971, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Virginia.
Military Service
In 1971, Gilmore volunteered to join the United States Army. He trained at the United States Army Intelligence Center in Arizona. He also learned to speak German at the Defense Language Institute in California.
For three years in the early 1970s, Gilmore worked in the 650th Military Intelligence Group. He served in West Germany during the Vietnam War. His job was a U.S. Army Counterintelligence Agent. This means he helped protect U.S. secrets and find out about enemy activities.
Legal Career
Jim Gilmore earned his law degree from the University of Virginia Law School in 1977. Ten years later, he was elected as the Commonwealth's Attorney for Henrico County. A Commonwealth's Attorney is a lawyer who represents the state in criminal cases. He was re-elected in 1991.
In 1993, he became Virginia's Attorney General. He won against William D. Dolan III by a large number of votes. Gilmore left this job in 1997 to run for governor.
Governor of Virginia
In 1997, Gilmore ran for governor of Virginia. He promised to hire 4,000 new teachers for public schools. He also promised to remove Virginia's personal property tax on cars. This tax was often called the "car tax."
Gilmore won the election with 56% of the votes. His opponent, Don Beyer, received 43%.
Car Tax Reduction
In his first year as governor, Gilmore worked to reduce the car tax. The state's lawmaking body, the General Assembly, passed his plan. The law reduced car taxes on all cars. It aimed to completely remove the tax on cars valued over $1,000 by 2002.
In 2001, Virginia's economy slowed down. Tax money coming into the state decreased. The economy in Northern Virginia was also hit hard after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the Pentagon. Despite this, Gilmore continued with the car tax reduction plan. He ordered state agencies to spend less money, except for education. This helped keep the state's budget balanced.
Economic Development
In April 1998, Governor Gilmore traveled to Germany. He went with his Secretary of Commerce to find ways to create more jobs and bring in investments. German companies had already invested over $2 billion in Virginia.
During his time as governor, Gilmore focused on creating jobs. He led several trade missions to other countries. These included trips to South America in 1999, Asia in 2000, and Europe again in 2001.
Education Reforms
The Gilmore Administration brought in new "Standards of Learning" for Virginia's public schools. These standards set a common curriculum for subjects like mathematics, science, English, and social studies. New tests were also put in place for students in different grades.
During Gilmore's term, student scores on these state tests improved. Their scores on national tests also went up.
In 1999, Gilmore proposed a law to lower tuition at public colleges and universities by 20%. He also created a special commission to study how public colleges were managed. This commission helped create a plan for universities to have more control over their own rules.
Civil Rights and Technology
Gilmore proposed and signed a law to create Virginia's first stand-alone Martin Luther King Holiday. Before this, Virginia celebrated a combined holiday. Gilmore and his wife hosted Coretta Scott King at the Governor's Mansion.
He also started a new African-American History Trail in Virginia. He asked the State Board of Education to include more diverse historical figures in the social studies curriculum. During his term, the "achievement gap" between minority and white students became smaller. He also increased funding for two historically black universities in Virginia.
Gilmore created the first state Secretary of Technology position in the nation. This new role helped set up a statewide technology commission. They also signed the first state Internet policy into law.
End of Term
The Virginia Constitution does not allow a governor to serve two terms in a row. So, Gilmore could not run for re-election in 2001. He was followed by Democrat Mark Warner, who became governor in early 2002.
Later Political Campaigns
Running for President in 2008
In August 2006, a group formed to encourage Jim Gilmore to run for President of the United States. On December 19, 2006, Gilmore announced he would explore running for president. He officially announced his candidacy on April 26, 2007.
Gilmore said he represented the "Republican wing of the Republican Party." However, he struggled to raise enough money for his campaign. On July 14, 2007, Gilmore announced he was ending his presidential campaign. He said it was "impractical" to continue without enough funds.
Running for Senate in 2008
After ending his presidential campaign, Gilmore was asked to run for a U.S. Senate seat. Senator John Warner was retiring. Gilmore decided to run for the Senate.
He formally announced his candidacy in a YouTube video on November 19, 2007. He said he wanted to give Virginia "a strong and steady hand" in the Senate. Gilmore won the Republican nomination at a state convention.
In the November election, Gilmore faced Mark Warner, who had succeeded him as governor. Gilmore was defeated, winning only 34 percent of the vote. This was a difficult election for Republicans in Virginia.
Running for President in 2016
On July 7, 2015, Gilmore announced his plan to run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. He officially filed his candidacy on July 29. He announced his campaign with an internet video the next day.
Gilmore's campaign focused on issues like protecting the right to own guns, improving border security, healthcare reform, and strengthening the economy.
He was consistently the lowest-polling candidate among the Republicans. He rarely got more than 1% support in national polls. He also failed to qualify for most of the debates. Gilmore insisted he would continue his campaign.
On January 26, 2016, Gilmore was invited to an "undercard" debate. This was his first debate since August. In the Iowa Republican caucuses, Gilmore received only 12 votes. He then got 133 votes in the New Hampshire primary. Gilmore ended his campaign on February 12, 2016, a week before the South Carolina primary.
Other Roles and Appointments
While governor, Gilmore led the Congressional Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce. This group advised the United States Congress on taxing the Internet. The Commission's report said that the Internet should not be taxed.
From 1999 to 2003, Gilmore chaired the "Gilmore Commission." This group advised Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush and Congress on how to protect the country from terrorism involving dangerous weapons.
From January 2001 to January 2002, Gilmore was the Chairman of the Republican National Committee. This is the main organization for the Republican Party.
Gilmore is also the President and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation. This is a conservative research group. He has also led the National Council on Readiness & Preparedness, which focuses on homeland security. He is also President of USA Secure, a non-profit group that studies homeland security.
From 2005 to 2017, he served on the board of directors for the National Rifle Association.
In 2021, Gilmore was interviewed about his time as United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He also discussed the European Union, U.S.-China relations, and the foreign policy of the Biden Administration.
Ambassador to the OSCE
In November 2018, Gilmore was nominated to be the next U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). This role has the rank of ambassador. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination on May 23, 2019. Gilmore took his oath of office on June 25, 2019. He officially started his duties on July 2, 2019.
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