Jim Gilmore Biography Quotes 4 Report mistakes

Early Life and Education
James Stuart Gilmore III was born on October 6, 1949, in Richmond, Virginia. Raised in the capital city, he attended Virginia public schools before enrolling at the University of Virginia, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He continued at the University of Virginia School of Law, receiving a legal education that would ground his later career in prosecution, statewide office, and national leadership. The institutional networks he formed at Charlottesville and in the Richmond legal community helped launch a path that combined courtroom experience with public service.

Military Service
After college, Gilmore served in the United States Army in counterintelligence in the early 1970s. Stationed in West Germany during the Cold War, he developed language skills and an appreciation for alliance politics and European security that later informed his approach to homeland security policy and, much later, to diplomacy.

Legal and Local Service
Returning to Virginia, Gilmore practiced law and entered public service as the elected Commonwealth's Attorney for Henrico County. In that role he worked closely with local law enforcement and community leaders to prosecute cases and manage the office's responsibilities. The prosecutorial experience strengthened his profile as a law-and-order lawyer and acquainted him with the practical demands of public administration.

Attorney General of Virginia
Gilmore was elected Attorney General of Virginia in 1993 and took office in 1994. As the state's top lawyer, he focused on criminal justice, consumer protection, and the emerging challenges of internet-enabled crimes. He worked with other statewide officials, legislators of both parties, and Virginia's community of Commonwealth's Attorneys to coordinate policy and litigation strategy. His tenure positioned him for a bid for the governorship as a Republican statewide figure with both courtroom and executive experience.

Governor of Virginia (1998-2002)
Elected in 1997, Gilmore served as the 68th Governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002. He succeeded George Allen and was followed by Mark Warner, whom he had defeated the previous year's Democratic ticket mate Don Beyer in the gubernatorial campaign. Gilmore's signature initiative, widely known as the No Car Tax plan, sought to phase out the personal property tax on most automobiles. The proposal dominated budget negotiations with the General Assembly and required complex arrangements to reimburse local governments. Working with Lieutenant Governor John H. Hager, legislative leaders, and local officials, he pursued phased implementation tied to revenue triggers as the state navigated the late-1990s boom and the early-2000s slowdown.

Gilmore emphasized technology-driven economic development, Y2K preparedness, and K-12 accountability, continuing the Standards of Learning reforms initiated under his predecessor. His administration also confronted disasters and emergencies, and it placed priority on modernizing state operations. During this period, he chaired a congressionally mandated advisory panel officially known as the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, widely called the Gilmore Commission. Beginning its work before September 11, 2001, the panel issued recommendations on coordination, preparedness, and federal-state responsibilities that presaged the creation of a federal Department of Homeland Security. In the days after 9/11, Gilmore's panel became a reference point for federal officials, including those around President George W. Bush and Tom Ridge, as the nation built a new homeland security architecture.

National Party Leadership
In 2001 Gilmore was selected to chair the Republican National Committee. As RNC chair, he worked alongside the new administration of President George W. Bush and with party strategists to prepare for the midterm cycle. He was succeeded by Marc Racicot after about a year in the position, closing a period that connected Virginia's statehouse leadership to national party management.

Subsequent Campaigns and Public Policy Work
Gilmore sought a return to elected office in 2008 as the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate from Virginia, running against former Governor Mark Warner in a high-profile contest. Warner won the seat, but the race kept Gilmore engaged in statewide and national issues. He later entered the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, participating in debates but gaining limited traction before suspending his campaign. Between campaigns, he remained a commentator and participant in policy discussions on security, federalism, and economic competitiveness, building on his experience from the Attorney General's office, the governorship, and the Gilmore Commission.

Diplomatic Service
Drawing on decades of exposure to transatlantic issues, Gilmore was nominated in 2019 to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Confirmed by the Senate, he represented the United States in Vienna and worked with fellow ambassadors and the rotating Chairs-in-Office to address European security, conflict prevention, election observation, and human rights concerns. His tenure included engagement on the OSCE's work in and around Ukraine, reflecting the long arc from his Cold War military service to modern multilateral diplomacy.

Personal Life and Legacy
Gilmore is married to Roxane Gatling Gilmore, an educator who, as First Lady of Virginia, emphasized historic preservation and civic education at the Executive Mansion. Family life and the Virginia institutions that shaped him remained central to his public identity. His legacy is closely tied to three themes: a defining tax-cut campaign that reshaped fiscal debates in Richmond; early, detailed work on homeland security that influenced federal policy after 9/11; and continued involvement in national politics and diplomacy. The people around him at key junctures underscore that arc: allies in Richmond such as John H. Hager, rivals and successors like Don Beyer and Mark Warner, national party colleagues including President George W. Bush and Marc Racicot, and diplomatic counterparts across the OSCE. Through legal practice, state leadership, party stewardship, and international service, James S. Gilmore III built a career at the intersection of Virginia governance and national and transatlantic policy.

Our collection contains 4 quotes who is written by Jim, under the main topics: Leadership - Vision & Strategy - Teaching - Travel.

Other people realated to Jim: George Allen (Politician), Jo Ann Davis (Politician)