AP Photo/Andrew HarnikIt's official! Hillary Clinton has declared her running mate for the 2016 election.
The presidential candidate revealed today that she's chosen Senator Tim Kaine as her vice presidential pick, which she shared with followers on Twitter. "I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H," Clinton tweeted.
The former Virginia governor followed up with, "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!"
So, who exactly is Tim Kaine and what does he stand for? Here are seven things you should know about the Vice President for the Democratic Party:
1. He's a Family Man: Kaine is married to his Harvard Law sweetheart Anne Bright Holton, who has served as a judge for juvenile and domestic relations court in Richmond and was appointed as Virginia Education Secretary in 2014. The couple have three children together.
2. He Was a Professor: After practicing law in Richmond for 17 years, where he specialized in fair housing law and representing clients discriminated against on the basis of race or disability in hopes of fighting housing discrimination and homelessness, Kaine became an adjunct professor for University of Richmond Law School for six years, teaching legal ethics.
3. He Was in the Running for Obama's VP: Kaine was actually considered to be President Barack Obama's running mate during his election in 2008. Obama had supported Kaine in his campaign for governor and had said, "Tim Kaine has a message of fiscal responsibility and generosity of spirit. That kind of message can sell anywhere." As we all know now, Obama ended up picking Joe Biden as his VP.
4. He's Fluent in Spanish: Kaine is a Roman Catholic who grew up in the Kansas City area and attended a Jesuit boarding school. During his time at Harvard Law School, Kaine took a break to spend time as a Catholic missionary in Honduras, an experience that his family has said shaped him and helped him become fluent in the language. Kaine worked in Honduras for nine months from 1980 to 1981, helping Jesuit missionaries who ran a Catholic school in El Progreso.
5. He Took Action After Tragedy: Kaine was governor of Virginia during the horrific Virginia Tech shooting that left 32 people dead in 2007, and led the state through such tragedy in a manner that was praised by many.
Kaine assembled a panel to review the tragic event, which ultimately proposed many mental health reforms, along with a $42 million investment in mental health programs and reforms, which included "boosting access to outpatient and emergency mental health services, increasing the number of case managers and improving monitoring of community-based providers."
In April 2007, 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.
When it comes to gun control, Kaine also urged the United States Senate to find a "small measure of courage" to fight the gun lobby and promoted tougher background checks on gun ownership. Kaine has openly said he is a gun owner, himself, but has supported expanded background checks for weapons purchases as well as "restrictions on the sale of combat-style weapons and high-capacity magazine."
6. He Doesn't Mix Personal Beliefs With Politics: Kaine is personally against abortion, but is "largely inclined to keep the law out of women's reproductive decisions."
On the matter, Kaine said, "I have a traditional Catholic personal position, but I am very strongly supportive that women should make these decisions and government shouldn't intrude. I'm a strong supporter of Roe v. Wade and women being able to make these decisions. In government, we have enough things to worry about. We don't need to make people's reproductive decisions for them."
7. He Supports Gay Marriage: In 2013, Kaine announced his support for same-sex marriage, saying, "I believe all people, regardless of sexual orientation, should be guaranteed the full rights to the legal benefits and responsibilities of marriage under the Constitution."
Furthermore, Kaine has also tried to push the envelope for more LGBTQ rights. In the Senate, Kaine has co-sponsored the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would bar employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and has also spoken out in support of gay couples' right to adopting a child.
"If a judge thinks adoption by an unmarried couple—gay or straight—meets that standard, then the couple should be allowed to complete the adoption." In 2012, he stated that, "There should be a license that would entitle a committed couple to the same rights as a married couple."