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[[Image:Gilmore.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Governor Gilmore addressing the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee.]]

|party=[[Republican]]

|spouse=Roxane Gatling Gilmore

|state=Virginia

|terms=January 17, 1998 – January 12, 2002

|preceded=[[George Allen]]

|former=n

|succeeded=[[Mark Warner]]

 

'''James S. Gilmore III''' is a former governor of [[Virginia]] and was a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for the [[2008 Presidential Election]].   

'''James S. Gilmore III''' is a former governor of [[Virginia]] and was a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for the [[2008 Presidential Election]].   

== Early career ==

== Early Career ==

Gilmore has lived in [[Virginia]] his entire life except for three years he spent in the [[U. S. Army]] during the [[Richard M. Nixon]] administration.  He spent his service helping break up [[Soviet|Soviet Union]] [[espionage]] rings and gathering intelligence on [[terrorists]] in [[Germany]].  Upon his discharge from the Army in 1974, Gilmore entered [[law school]] at the [[University of Virginia]], graduating in 1977.  He went to work at the [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]] firm of Benedetti, Gilmore, Warthen and Dalton for ten years.  During this time he married the former Roxane Gatling.  The Gilmores have two sons, Jay and Ashton.

Gilmore has lived in [[Virginia]] his entire life except for three years he spent in the [[U. S. Army]] during the [[Richard M. Nixon]] administration.  He spent his service helping break up [[Soviet|Soviet Union]] [[espionage]] rings and gathering intelligence on [[terrorists]] in [[Germany]].  Upon his discharge from the Army in 1974, Gilmore entered [[law school]] at the [[University of Virginia]], graduating in 1977.  He went to work at the [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]] firm of Benedetti, Gilmore, Warthen and Dalton for ten years.  During this time he married the former Roxane Gatling.  The Gilmores have two sons, Jay and Ashton.

Gilmore's first foray into electoral politics was as [[district attorney]] of [[Henrico County, Virginia]], of which Richmond is the seat, in 1987.  All told, he has been the Republican nominee in four elections -- for district attorney in 1987 and 1991, [[attorney general]] of Virginia in 1993, and [[Governor]] in 1997 -- and beat the Democrat every time.

Gilmore's first foray into electoral politics was as [[district attorney]] of [[Henrico County, Virginia]], of which Richmond is the seat, in 1987.  All told, he has been the Republican nominee in four elections -- for district attorney in 1987 and 1991, [[attorney general]] of Virginia in 1993, and [[Governor]] in 1997 -- and beat the Democrat every time.

== Governorship of Virginia and current ==

== Governorship of Virginia ==

One of Gilmore's most significant campaign promises was to abolish Virginia's tax on [[automobiles]], in keeping with his general belief in starving the beast.  As it happened, he was able only to reduce the tax by 70%.  This led to significant spending reductions under Gilmore's [[Democratic]] successor, [[Mark Warner]].

One of Gilmore's most significant campaign promises was to abolish Virginia's tax on [[automobiles]], in keeping with his general belief in starving the beast.  As it happened, he was able only to reduce the tax by 70%.  This led to significant spending reductions under Gilmore's [[Democratic]] successor, [[Mark Warner]].

Halfway through his term, Gilmore was tapped for an important national security role by [[President]] [[Bill Clinton]] -- the chairmanship of the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction.  His first report in this capacity was presented to Clinton and to [[Congress]] on December 15, 1999.  Like most analysts, Gilmore did not anticipate that civilian [[airliners]] could be used in this capacity, but like [[Rudy Giuliani]] he had to take charge of relief efforts following the crash of United Airlines Flight 77 into [[The Pentagon]] in [[Arlington, Virginia]].  While Gilmore stepped down as Governor of Virginia, in keeping with that state's [[constitution]] (which does not authorize re-election of governors), in 2001, he continued to serve as chairman of the panel until December 2003.

Halfway through his term, Gilmore was tapped for an important national security role by [[President]] [[Bill Clinton]] -- the chairmanship of the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction.  His first report in this capacity was presented to Clinton and to [[Congress]] on December 15, 1999.  Like most analysts, Gilmore did not anticipate that civilian [[airliners]] could be used in this capacity, but like [[Rudy Giuliani]] he had to take charge of relief efforts following the crash of United Airlines Flight 77 into [[The Pentagon]] in [[Arlington, Virginia]].  While Gilmore stepped down as Governor of Virginia, in keeping with that state's [[constitution]] (which does not authorize re-election of governors), in 2001, he continued to serve as chairman of the panel until December 2003.

===Presidential Primary Race===

== Presidential Campaign ==

As of December 2006, Gilmore felt that the declared candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination for President were insufficiently [[conservative]] and launched an exploratory committee, enabling him to start raising money for his run.  Despite a disappointing showing in the first quarter of 2007's [[money primary]] (he even came in behind [[Dennis Kucinich]]), Gilmore pressed on, officially declaring his candidacy on April 26, 2007, which entitled him to participate in all three of the televised [[debates]] that spring. In his campaign speeches, Gilmore continued to emphasize that he was more conservative than the [[first tier]], which he dismissed with the phrase "Rudy McRomney," a clever conflation of their names. On July 14, 2007 he withdrew from the race to get the Republican presidential nomination<ref>http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=128449&ran=117844</ref>.

As of December 2006, Gilmore felt that the declared candidates for the 2008 Republican nomination for President were insufficiently [[conservative]] and launched an exploratory committee, enabling him to start raising money for his run.  Despite a disappointing showing in the first quarter of 2007's [[money primary]] (he even came in behind [[Dennis Kucinich]]), Gilmore pressed on, officially declaring his candidacy on April 26, 2007, which entitled him to participate in all three of the televised [[debates]] that spring. In his campaign speeches, Gilmore continued to emphasize that he was more conservative than the [[first tier]], which he dismissed with the phrase "Rudy McRomney," a clever conflation of their names. On July 14, 2007 he withdrew from the race to get the Republican presidential nomination<ref>http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=128449&ran=117844</ref>.