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Va. Guv Kaine to Lead DNC

Longtime Obama friend will become voice of the new administration

By Laurel Jorgensen,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 4, 2009 6:13 PM CST

(Newser) – Virginia Gov. Timothy Kaine will take the top post at the Democratic National Committee later this month, the Washington Post reports. With a year left in the governor’s office, Kaine will juggle his gubernatorial responsibilities with his new role as the voice for the Obama administration. Kaine has gotten credit for helping Obama win in Virginia, the first time a Democrat won the state since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.

Kaine, a personal friend of the president-elect, was one of the first governors to endorse Obama. He was considered a strong contender for Cabinet positions and also one of Obama’s vice presidential finalists this summer. But his decision to take the job could be risky, as former Virginia governors have struggled after appearing to be more interested in Washington than Richmond.

Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine  talks on the program Ask the Governor at the studios of WRVA radio in Richmond, Va., Thursday, July 31, 2008.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine talks on the program "Ask the Governor" at the studios of WRVA radio in Richmond, Va., Thursday, July 31, 2008.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine gestures as he speaks to the media after delivering opening remarks at the start of the Governor's Campus Security Conference in Richmond, Va., Monday, Aug. 13, 2007.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine gestures as he speaks to the media after delivering opening remarks at the start of the Governor's Campus Security Conference in Richmond, Va., Monday, Aug. 13, 2007.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, right, gestures as he and Attorney General Bob McDonnell speak during a press conference at the Capitol  in Richmond, Va., Monday, April 30, 2007.
Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, right, gestures as he and Attorney General Bob McDonnell speak during a press conference at the Capitol in Richmond, Va., Monday, April 30, 2007.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
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