James S Gilmore III

JAMES S. GILMORE III was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. He received an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia in 1971. After a three-year tour as a U.S. Army counterintelligence agent in West Germany, he entered the University of Virginia Law School, graduating in 1977. He worked for a decade in community service and as a lawyer in private practice, after which he was elected Commonwealth's Attorney in his home county of Henrico in 1987 and 1991. He was elected Virginia Attorney General in 1993 and Governor in 1997. As Governor, he established a record of success in improving education in Virginia and providing tax relief to Virginia's working families. Governor Gilmore oversaw the successful implementation of rigorous academic standards and testing to ensure improvement in student learning and accountability for teachers and administrators. Governor Gilmore had a solid record of cutting taxes. In the first two years of his administration, he enacted more than a dozen tax cuts, led by the virtual elimination of Virginia's personal property tax on cars and trucks - the largest tax cut in the state's history. He also cut income taxes for military personnel living in Virginia, lowered college tuition by 20 percent, and eliminated Virginia's tax on prescription drugs. A noted leader on technology issues, Governor Gilmore created the nation's first secretariat in technology, established a statewide technology commission, and signed into law the nation's first comprehensive state Internet policy. Partner at the law firm of Kelley, Drye & Warren.