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Kaine’s Resume Not as Unique as Advertised

VP nominee's biography undercounted lawmakers who've completed the mayor, governor and senator trifecta

Sen. Tim Kaine is part of a select group of officials who have served as mayor, governor and senator, though not necessarily in that order. (CQ Roll Call)
Sen. Tim Kaine is part of a select group of officials who have served as mayor, governor and senator, though not necessarily in that order. (CQ Roll Call)

PHILADELPHIA — Tim Kaine has an impressive resume to be sure, but it is not quite as unique as advertised.  

The junior senator from Virginia and Democratic vice presidential hopeful had said he was one of just 20 people to have served as a mayor and a governor as well as a senator. But it turns out that claim was somewhat incomplete.  

It was built off a list of people who were mayors and governors before they arrived in the Senate, not instances in which the offices were held in different orders. Twenty-one people accomplished that, including Kaine.  

The biography on Kaine’s official Senate website has already been updated to reflect that the total is now 30.  

One of the members of that group, Francis Emroy Warren, served as governor of Wyoming for only one month while it was a state, having been the territorial governor before his election to the Senate.  

A more recognizable group became governors after their Senate service. That list includes Republicans Pete Wilson of California and Dirk Kempthorne of Idaho.  

The Senate Historical Office provided Roll Call with an updated list Tuesday afternoon, which appears below:  

John J. Blaine, R-Wis.  

Fred. H. Brown, D-N.H.  

William A. Buckingham, R-Conn.  

Morgan Bulkeley, R-Conn.  

William J. Bulow, D-S.D.  

Person C. Cheney, R-N.H.  

John H. Gear, Iowa.  

David B. Hill, N.Y.  

Mike Johanns, R-Neb.  

Andrew Johnson, Tenn.  

Frank Lausche, D-Ohio.  

Burnet R. Maybank, S.C.  

Zell Miller, D-Ga.  

Cameron Morrison, N.C.  

Frederick G. Payne, Maine  

Alexander Ramsey, Minn.  

Andrew F. Schoeppel, Kan.  

Park Trammell, Fla.  

Gorge V. Voinovich, R-Ohio.  

Francis Emroy Warren, Wyoming.  

Individuals who served as a senator between serving as a mayor and as a governor:  

Lincoln Chafee, R.I.  

Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho.  

Matthew M. Neely, W.Va.  

Pete Wilson, R-Calif.  

Individuals who were governors before serving in the Senate who later became mayors:  

De Witt Clinton, R-N.Y.  

Robert Y. Hayne  

William Pinkney Whyte  

Contact Lesniewski at NielsLesniewski@cqrollcall.com and follow him on Twitter @nielslesniewski.


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