I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Tim Kaine’s leadership
I worked on Tim Kaine’s campaign for governor — and I’ve been organizing Virginia ever since
I met Tim Kaine on my very first day volunteering for his 2005 campaign for governor. I was leaving the office, and as I walked out I passed this guy who looked familiar. I asked him, “Are you who I think you are?” And he said, “Yes, I am.”
I assumed he didn’t want to be bothered by some random stranger, so I started walking away — but I didn’t get very far. Tim shouted after me, “No, wait! Come back here.” He shook my hand and introduced himself, then asked me my name. Out loud, I said, “Oh, I’m Chris.” In my head, I said, “I didn’t realize you would actually want to talk to me, Important Person Who I Just Started Working For.” But he did.
That’s the kind of person that Tim Kaine is.
That morning, I’d walked into a campaign office for the first time in my life. I was 20 years old, and hadn’t ever been that interested in politics. I didn’t think I had a say in what the government did, to be honest. Politics always felt like something other people were handling, not something I could participate in.
But after the 2004 presidential race, something changed. I felt like I needed to get involved. The only problem was that I wasn’t sure where to start. But I’d been driving past the Tim Kaine for Governor campaign office every day on my way to class at Virginia Commonwealth University, and as someone born and raised in Richmond, I knew I liked Tim Kaine and what he stood for.
So, one day, I just walked into the office and started making calls. I’d never made calls before in my life, but I guess I was good at it—on my way out a staffer offered me an internship with the campaign. I had no idea what that meant at the time, but I instantly said yes. I wasn’t going to turn down an opportunity to get more involved. Just minutes after that, I met Tim for the first time — and I knew I had made the right decision.
Now I’m here, 11 years later, organizing Virginia to send Hillary Clinton and my first boss ever to the White House.
Walking into that office and meeting Tim Kaine changed my life. Tim changed the way I thought about politics. Through him, I learned that each of us has the power to actually shape the lives of those around us. We really can create change. Tim empowered me to see that in myself, and I’ve continued to work as an organizer for over a decade. Now, as Virginia’s organizing director, I’m following his lead.
I want people to know that no matter who you are, what you look like, or where you come from, you are powerful. You can create change. But you’ve got to take that first step into the office and get involved — and having a leader like Tim helps a lot, too.
The one thing I tell everyone who asks me about Tim Kaine: He is a genuinely good guy who fights for what he believes in. And because of him, I’m able to fight for what I believe in — getting Democrats across Virginia elected. We’re going to need a lot of help to do that this year, so you should join our team. I promise you won’t regret it.
I definitely didn’t.
Get involved today: Click here and sign up to volunteer with Hillary for Virginia!
