| George Allen | |
|---|---|
| United States Senator from Virginia |
|
| In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Chuck Robb |
| Succeeded by | Jim Webb |
| 67th Governor of Virginia | |
| In office January 15, 1994 – January 17, 1998 |
|
| Lieutenant | Don Beyer |
| Preceded by | Douglas Wilder |
| Succeeded by | Jim Gilmore |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th district |
|
| In office November 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | D. French Slaughter, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Felix Allen March 8, 1952 Whittier, California |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | (1) Anne Patrice Rubel Allen, divorced (2) Susan Brown Allen |
| Children | Forrest, Tyler, and Brooke |
| Residence | Mount Vernon, Virginia |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia University of Virginia School of Law |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
George Felix Allen (born March 8, 1952) is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000. Allen's re-election in the 2006 race seemed likely until he was accused of using a racist epithet when referring to a staffer of his opponent, Democrat Jim Webb. Allen lost the election to Webb by fewer than 10,000 votes.[1] Allen now serves on the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors of Young America's Foundation where he is a Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar. On January 24, 2011, Allen announced his intention to seek the Republican nomination in the 2012 election for the U.S. Senate seat he previously held.
Allen was born in Whittier, California. Allen's father, George Herbert Allen, was a legendary NFL coach who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.[2] During the 2006 senatorial campaign it was revealed that Allen's mother, Henrietta Lumbroso, was born to Sephardic Jewish parents in Tunisia.[3] He has a younger sister, Jennifer, an author and correspondent for NFL Network, and two brothers, including Bruce Allen, the current general manager of the Washington Redskins and former general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He and his family lived there until 1957. They moved to the suburbs of Chicago after George Sr. got a job with the Chicago Bears. Then, the family moved back to Southern California (Palos Verdes) in 1966 after Allen's father was named head coach of the Los Angeles Rams.[4]
Allen graduated in 1970 from Palos Verdes High School, where he was a member of the falconry club and the car club. He was also quarterback of the varsity football team.
Allen attended the University of California, Los Angeles, for a year. His father had in the meantime taken over the head coaching duties with the Washington Redskins in 1970 and the younger Allen transferred to the University of Virginia, in 1971, where he received a B.A. degree with distinction in history in 1974. He was class president in his fourth year at UVA.
After graduating, Allen completed a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1977. In 1976 he was the chairman of the "Young Virginians for Ronald Reagan".
Allen married Anne Patrice Rubel in June 1979. They divorced in 1983. In 1986 Allen married Susan Brown. The couple have three children: Tyler, Forrest and Brooke. The Allens are residents of Mount Vernon, Virginia.
Allen is a member of the Presbyterian Church. He is fond of using football metaphors, a tendency that has been remarked upon by journalists and political commentators.[5][6] Allen has been chewing tobacco since he was introduced to it in high school by his father's football players.
After earning his law degree, Allen served as clerk for a federal judge and then opened a law office in Charlottesville. Allen's first race for the Virginia House of Delegates was in 1979, two years after he graduated from law school. He placed third in a field of four candidates. Allen states that he lost because he wasn't himself and was listening to the advice of his campaign manager who suggested he wear wingtips instead of his usual cowboy boots. He ran again in 1981 with the cowboy boots and won the election, beating Jim Murray. Peter Way, then Paul Harris succeeded Allen.[7] The seat he held was the same one held by Thomas Jefferson.[8] He was a delegate from 1982 to 1991, representing a district in Albemarle County.
On November 5, 1991, Allen won a special election to fill the seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Virginia's 7th District. Incumbent congressman D. French Slaughter, Jr. had resigned due to a series of strokes. Allen's opponent was Slaughter's cousin, Kay Slaughter. Allen won with 63 percent of the vote.[9]
Allen's career in the House was short-lived. In the 1990s round of redistricting, Allen's district, which stretched from the fringes of the Washington suburbs to Charlottesville and included much of the Shenandoah Valley, was eliminated even though Virginia gained a congressional seat as a result of the 1990 Census. While Republican partisans claim the principal factor in redistricting were partisanship of the Democratic controlled Virginia General Assembly, available new GIS technology were forecasting likely election behavior of some hypothetical districts. The U.S. Department of Justice was mandated to create a majority minority district under the Voting Rights Act. Allen's district was eliminated as a result.[10]
The 7th, which had been the home district of the Byrd family dynasty, was split among three neighboring districts. While his home in Earlysville was placed in the 5th District of Lewis F. Payne, Jr., most of his district was placed in the 10th District of Frank Wolf. Allen moved to Mount Vernon and prepared to challenge Wolf in a primary. However, he bowed out of the primary a short time later; state Republican leaders had let it be known that he could not expect any support for his planned run for governor in 1993 if he made such a challenge.
In November 1993, Allen was elected the 67th Governor of Virginia, serving from 1994 to 1998. His opponent in the 1993 election, Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, had an early 29-point lead in public opinion polls[11] and a million-dollar fundraising advantage.[12] However, Allen struck a hot button with voters across party and racial lines with his campaign proposal to abolish parole. This response to a surge of crime in the state connected with voters, in contrast to Terry's proposal to increase gun control as a remedy.[13] Allen overcame the deficit and won with 58.3% of the vote, the largest margin (+17.4 points) since Albertis S. Harrison Jr. defeated H. Clyde Pearson with a margin of +27.7 points in 1961.[14][15]
Allen could not run for re-election because Virginia's constitution does not allow a governor to succeed himself; as of 2007[update] Virginia is the only state that has such a provision.[16]
During his 1993 campaign for Governor, Allen vowed to reform Virginia's welfare system, stating that "Our obligation as a society is to provide a hand up to those in need, rather than a handout ...Welfare is not to be a permanent status for anyone in life."[17] At the time welfare caseloads climbed 36 percent from 1988 while one out of twelve Virginians were receiving food stamps.[18] In March 1995, after an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of support, Allen signed his welfare reform bill propelling Virginia ahead of the national welfare reform effort,[19][20][18] Among the key provisions outlined in the bill, the Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW) limited Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) benefits for welfare recipients to two years while recipients are required to work within ninety days of receiving benefits.[20] Following VIEW's implementation, welfare caseloads decreased 33 percent, from 73,926 families in March 1995 to 49,609 families in July 1997.[21] In areas where VIEW existed for twelve months, 74 percent were employed versus only 31 percent nationally,.[18][22] According to the Virginia Department of Health and Human Resource's 1996 annual report, VIEW saved taxpayers 24 million dollar in its first year of existence; with an addition to federal welfare money, the savings total over the following two years comes to just over $70 million[18] (December 19, 1995) "Savings Estimated On Welfare Reform," Richmond Times Dispatch. pg. A14.)
The Allen Administration's welfare reform law also addressed concerns over single-parent recipients of welfare requiring mothers to name the child's father and provide three additional pieces of information to help locate the non-custodial parent or face loss of all TANF benefits.[23] Since 1995, Virginia has achieved a 98.5 percent rate of paternity identification, the highest in the country.[24] By removing the incentive to break up families, the Allen welfare reform allowed two parent households the same time to receive benefits as single parents. Because this law reversed the incentive of being a single parent TANF cases represented by two parent households increased by over 180 percent.[25]
In November 1993, Allen’s campaign promise to abolish parole for violent criminals drove him to a landslide victory after trailing from a 33 percent point deficit in the polls to Democrat Mary Sue Terry,[26][27][27]
Notwithstanding a Democratic Party majority, Truth-in-sentencing (TIS) and abolition of parole were ultimately passed in a Special Session of the General Assembly with the House voting 89–7 and the Senate voting 34–4 in favor of the measure. On January 1, 1995, Allen’s central campaign promise became a reality when TIS and abolition of parole went into effect.[28][29] According to the law, prison sentences increased for offenders without prior convictions for violent crimes by 125 percent, 300 percent for those with a prior felony conviction that originally had a maximum penalty of less than 40 years, and 500 percent for those with a felony conviction of a violent crime that originally had a minimum penalty of more than 40 years.[28] Between 1994 and 1995, statistics show on average that first degree murders with violent records went from serving 15 years to 46 years.[30]
In 1993, nearly half of all offenders released from prison were re-arrested for a new crime within 3 years.[28] TIS ensured that inmates serve a minimum of 85 percent of their sentence. As a result of TIS, first degree murderers went from serving 29.3 percent of imposed sentence to 91 percent,.[28][31] While parole was eliminated for repeat violent offenders convicted after January 1, 1995, parole remained in effect for individuals incarcerated prior to TIS reform resulting in a rapid decline in the parole grant rate from 46 percent in 1991 to 5 percent in 1998.[28]
In June 1995, the Virginia Board of Education adopted Governor Allen’s Commission on Champion Schools recommendation for statewide standardized tests for academic accountability. The Board of Education voted in favor of implementing the Standards of Learning (SOLs) which measures student achievements and ensures accountability for schools in the core subjects of English, mathematics, history, economics, and science.[32][33] The commission also recommended the creation of an annual ‘report card’ to grade each public school's performance stating that: “If Virginia’s youngsters can’t make the grade, then neither should their schools”[34][35] (2)(9). Experts suggested that in order to improve the quality of learning, a school should emphasize academic goals and effective leadership. By using measurement through tests, the state, teachers, and parents can monitor the effectiveness of schools teaching the basic fundamental subjects[32] (1). Allen’s legislation used public data of SOLs test scores along with school attendance and drop-out rates to ensure that unsatisfactory schools are accountable by the threat of state takeover through court action.[34]
Initially, Allen succeeded in keeping Virginia’s educational reform independent from federal funding by using a line-item veto in the state’s budget, a power granted to Virginia governors.[36] Allen argued that federal funding would force the Commonwealth to adhere to federal regulation, therefore, restricting the freedom of Virginia to craft its own high academic standards education plan.[37] Despite Allen’s efforts to keep Virginia independent from federal education funds, the Virginia Board of Education applied for federal funds through the program Goals 2000.[38]
During Allen’s tenure as Governor, the American Federation of Teachers rated the SOLs “exemplary” in the four core subjects.[39] Under Allen’s legislation Virginia led 13 other states in aligning critical common core college and career-ready standards with American Diploma Project (ADP) English Benchmarks.[40] College Board’s evaluation of the Virginia’s Mathematics SOLs found strong alignment with the College Boards Mathematics Standards.[36] On the tenth anniversary of the SOLs, Virginia saw an impressive increase to the Commonwealth’s schools achieving or exceeding test scores for full accreditation from 2.7 percent in 1998 to 84 percent in 2005.[41] As of 2009, a record 98 percent of Virginia's public schools achieved full accreditation according to information released by the Virginia Department of Education. Students in 1,826 of the state's 1,867 schools passed the SOLs in 2008–09 school year.[42] In the late 1980s, one third of Virginia sixth-graders failed the Literacy Passport Test, a rudimentary literacy test, with no evidence improvement at the end of the decade.[32] In 2009, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessments show that Virginia elementary and middle school students outperformed their peers nationwide in both reading and mathematics. Virginia fourth and eighth grade students both scored four points higher nationally for mathematics while fourth graders scored seven points higher nationally for reading.[43] As Virginia students achieve higher passing rates on the SOLs and NAEPs, more of Virginia's high school students plan taking the SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, which signal interest in pursuing a post-secondary education.[41] In June 2010, Governor Bob McDonnell withdrew Virginia from President Obama’s Race to the Top education program citing that for fifteen years Virginia has been successful in making its educational standards superior.[44]
In February 1998, Allen became a Richmond-based partner at the law firm McGuire Woods Battle & Boothe (now McGuireWoods LLP), as head of its business expansion and relocation team. At the time, Allen said "I think it's healthy to get out of government. If you stay in too long, you lose track of reality and the real world."[45] According to a disclosure form Allen filed on May 12, 2000, he was paid $450,000 by the firm between January 1999 and April 2000.[46]
While out of office, Allen became a director at two Virginia high-tech companies and advised a third, all government contractors that he had assisted while governor.[47]
In mid-1998, Allen joined the board of Xybernaut,[48] a company selling mobile, flip-screen computers. The firm never made a profit – it posted 33 consecutive quarterly losses after it went public in 1996.[49] In September 1999, Allen and the rest of the company's board dismissed the company's accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, which had issued a report with a "going concern" paragraph that questioned the company’s financial health.[50]
Allen made almost no money from the stock, according to his communications director, John Reid.[46] According to the Associated Press, Allen steered compensation from his board service, other than stock options, to his law firm.[47] He was granted options worth $1.5 million at their peak.[46] Allen listed them on his disclosure forms for 2002 and 2003,[46] but never exercised them.[46]
Allen joined Commonwealth's board of directors about two months after leaving the governor's office in January 1998. "I learned a lot on their board and enjoyed working with 'em, and they seem to be doing all right, I guess," Allen said in October 2006.
Commonwealth granted Allen options on 15,000 shares of company stock at $7.50 a share in May 1999. Allen steered other compensation from his board service to his law firm, McGuire Woods. As of late 2006, Allen had not cashed in any options; the stock as of that date was well under $5 per share, making the options valueless for the moment. Commonwealth reported its first full year of profitability in 2005.[47]
Allen became a member of the advisory board of Com-Net Ericsson in February 2000. The advisory board's responsibility was to meet at least twice a year and provide advice and service. Allen terminated his service on the board before the end of 2000. He was paid approximately $300,000 for his services.[51]
Allen was elected to the Senate in November 2000, defeating the Democratic incumbent, Chuck Robb. George Allen was the only Republican to unseat a Democratic incumbent that year.[52] Allen was a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Allen was appointed in the last Congress to serve as the chairman of the High Tech Task Force. Allen was elected as a member of the Senate Republican leadership as Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2002, and oversaw a net gain of four seats for the Republicans in the 2004 Senate elections. His successor as NRSC chair was Senator Elizabeth Dole. Dole was chairman of the NRSC in 2006, when Allen was defeated for re-election by Jim Webb.
The bills that Allen introduced or authored in the Senate include:[53]
In 2002, Allen co-sponsored, together with Senators Ron Wyden and Joe Lieberman, bipartisan legislation that promoted nanotechnology research and development in the United States.[60] The 21st century Nanotechnology Research & Development Act[60] was signed into law by President Bush on December 3, 2003.[61]
The Act launched the National Nanotechnology Program, to establish goals, priorities, and metrics for evaluation of federal nanotechnology research and development, investment in federal nanotech research and development programs, and provide for interagency coordination of federal nanotechnology activities.[62] The National Nanotechnology Program, the single largest federally-funded, multi-agency scientific research initiative since the space program in the 1960s, got $3.63 billion of funding over the period of four years.[63]
Allen was the founding Chair of the Congressional Nanotechnology Caucus.[63] In 2009, he joined the board of the company Nano Risk Assessment, Inc.[62]
Allen's term in the Senate expired in January 2007. He sought re-election in 2006. Allen won the Republican nomination on August 11, 2006, and faced two opponents in the general election: the Democratic Party nominee, former Secretary of the Navy James H. Webb,[64] and Gail Parker, a retired Air Force officer and retired civilian Pentagon budget analyst who ran on the Independent Green Party ballot line. Allen ran a campaign that appealled to cultural conservatives. During the campaign the Marshall-Newman Amendment was also on the ballot.
While the Virginia State Board of Elections still withheld its certification of the election results as of nightfall on November 8, Allen appeared in the initial count to fall short of winning re-election. Webb held a lead of approximately a third of a percent– 8,805 votes– for most of November 8; by the afternoon, he had named a transition team to plan the staffing of his Senate office.[65][66] On November 9, 2006, Senator Allen held a press conference in Alexandria, announcing he had conceded the race to challenger James Webb, and would not seek a recount, even though he was legally entitled to do so.[67]
It was reported on August 8, 2006, that Allen owned stock in Barr Pharmaceuticals, maker of the Plan B "morning after pill". The Webb campaign criticized Allen for holding stock in a company that makes a product that many of his supporters oppose. Allen responded by saying that he holds the stock because Barr has created jobs in Virginia, and by pointing to his consistently pro-life voting record.[68] As governor, Allen pushed successfully for parental notification of teenagers' abortions, and in the Senate, he opposed the approval of Plan B for over-the-counter sales, though he still favors its legality.[69] Allen opposes the use of public funding for elective abortions, although he supports the legality of abortions in cases of incest, rape, or when the woman's life is endangered.[70]
On August 11, 2006, at a campaign stop in Breaks, Virginia, near the Kentucky border, Allen twice used the word macaca to refer to S.R. Sidarth, an Indian-American, who was filming the event as a "tracker" for the opposing Webb campaign. Allen apologized, first saying he intended to say "mohawk," an incorrect reference to Sidarth's hair cut. He then revised his story, saying he meant to call Sidarth "caca" and then claiming that he did not know the meaning of the word.[72] In 2008, The Washington Post speculated that, were it not for this double utterance, Allen would have been a strong candidate for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination.[73][74] Macaca is a pejorative epithet used by francophone colonialists in Central Africa's Belgian Congo for the native population. It is derived from the name of the genus comprising macaque monkeys whose name has also itself been used as a racial slur. The macaque's genus name, Macaca, is a latinization of the Bantu (Kongo) ma-kako, meaning "monkey".
On September 24, 2006, Salon.com Washington correspondent Michael Scherer reported that the magazine had interviewed 19 of his teammates and that "[t]hree former college football teammates of Sen. George Allen say that the Virginia Republican repeatedly used the racial epithet 'nigger' and demonstrated racist attitudes toward blacks during the early 1970s."[75] One of Allen's classmates who made such a claim is University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato. Sabato later said his information was second hand.[76] However, seven teammates have stated they do not recall any racist behavior on Allen's part. Four of these have made statements that were released by the Allen campaign.[77] Allen dismissed the claims as "ludicrously false."[78]
On August 25, 2006, the Jewish periodical The Forward reported that in all likelihood, Allen's mother Etty Allen, née Henrietta Lumbroso, was Jewish.[79] At a debate on September 18, 2006, WUSA-TV reporter Peggy Fox noted to Allen, "It has been reported that your grandfather Felix, whom you were given your middle name for, was Jewish." Fox went on to ask, "Could you please tell us whether your forebearers include Jews, and if so, at which point Jewish identity might have ended?" Allen responded "You know what our first freedom in our country was? Freedom of religion. So I'd like to ask you, why is that relevant, my religion, Jim's religion, or the religious beliefs of anyone out here?"[80] He went on to criticize Fox for making his religious heritage an issue, stating that "one of those values is freedom of religion and not making aspersions about people".[81] This incident was then used to prompt speculation that he wanted to conceal his Jewish ancestry. The next day, Allen issued a statement confirming his mother's Jewish ancestry. Allen said his mother feared retribution against her family if her religious and ethnic background became public, and had originally asked Allen to keep that information private.[82]
On August 19, 2010, Allen, the keynote speaker, addressed the Jewish Learning Institute’s National Jewish Retreat in Reston, Virginia. In a late August 2006 visit, Allen asked his mother about her Jewish ancestry. After she revealed her Jewish ancestry, Allen described the discovery of his true roots as “interestingly positive.” In referring to Allen’s mother concealing her Jewish heritage, Allen said that “I’m proud of my family and heritage. And I wanted to learn more about it, which I have...”[83] During World War II, Allen’s Jewish grandfather, Felix Lumbroso, was imprisoned by the Nazis for his resistance efforts in French Tunisia. Allen's middle name, Felix, honors his grandfather.[83] Allen went on to add that:
“The core principle of freedom of conscience, beliefs and religion was no longer a matter of enlightened philosophy to me; it became deeply personal in my heart-wrenching realization of how fear and persecution so tormented my loving, loyal mother’s life.”[83]
Allen’s speech also covered his devoted interests to stop racism and anti Semitism:
“A salient lesson I learned is: when injustice or the ugly head of racism, anti-Semitism, or repression arises, leaders must deplore it. Otherwise, people may believe it to be acceptable or condoned...We need to understand that the denial of freedom and opportunity to any person anywhere is an injustice that should be intolerable to freedom-loving people everywhere”[83]
The speech ended with a standing ovation as Allen blew the symbolic shofar, a ram’s horn used for Jewish Holy days[84]
Allen wore a Confederate flag pin for his high school senior class photo. In 1993, Allen's first statewide TV campaign ad for governor included a Confederate flag. Greg Stevens, the political consultant who made the 1993 TV ad, confirmed its inclusion. Allen has confirmed that the pin in his high school yearbook was a Confederate flag. Allen, who was observed by classmates at Palos Verdes High School driving his Ford Mustang with the Confederate flag in the front license plate frame, has said "it is possible" that he had a Confederate flag on his car in high school.[85]
Some minority groups, especially African-Americans, in Virginia criticized Allen for his policies and his embrace of the Confederate flag. Allen however claimed that the confederate flag is a symbol of southern and state heritage as Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy. Allen also opposed a separate state holiday commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.[86] The state holiday in favor of Martin Luther King Jr. was initially attached to Lee-Jackson day, a day honoring noted Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.
In 1995, 1996, and 1997, Allen proclaimed April as Confederate History and Heritage Month and called the Civil War "a four-year struggle for independence and sovereign rights."[87]
On October 2, 2010, columnist Robert McCartney of the Washington Post reported that Allen supports current Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell's plan to name April 2011 "Civil War in Virginia" month.[88]
"Allen in a two-sentence response to my request for comment, said he agreed with McDonnell's 'decision to recognize all aspects of this pivotal and tragic time in our nation's history.' Although he didn't use the word 'slavery,' Allen indirectly welcomed the Union's victory in 1865 as an advance for liberty. 'It is vital that we understand the motivations, lives and deaths of the men and women of every background, race and social status who were part of this important struggle to fulfill the words of the Declaration of Independence, that all men and women should enjoy the freedom and rights given to them by God,' Allen said."[89]
While serving in the Senate, Allen played a minor role as a Confederate officer in the 2003 film Gods and Generals, a movie that included many cameos of politicians such as Senator Robert Byrd and former Senator Phil Gramm [1]. His role included singing "The Bonnie Blue Flag".
In 2000, Allen's younger sister Jennifer Allen Richard wrote in her memoir Fifth Quarter: The Scrimmage of a Football Coach's Daughter (Random House Publishing, 2000) that Allen sometimes violently attacked his younger siblings and his sister's boyfriend during his childhood.[90]
In May 2006, Richard qualified some of the claims made in the book.[91] She stated that the book was a "novelization of the past" and written from the perspective of a young girl "surrounded by older brothers and a larger-than-life father." She states that she has a good relationship with her brother and noted that Allen stepped in for their father to walk her down the aisle at her wedding.
Prior to his loss to Webb in the November 2006 senatorial election, Allen had traveled a number of times to Iowa (the first state with a presidential caucus) and New Hampshire (the first state with a presidential primary). He had been widely assumed to be preparing a run for president.[92]
In a survey of 175 Washington insiders by National Journal, released in April 2005, Allen was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination for the 2008 presidential election.[93] In an insider survey by National Journal a year later, in May 2006, Allen had dropped to second place, and John McCain held a 3-to-1 lead over Allen.[94]
After the November 2006 election, it was widely assumed that Allen was no longer a viable candidate for the Republican nomination, principally because of the damage caused by the incidents that caused his double-digit lead in the polls to turn to a narrow defeat that contributed to the Republicans' loss of control of the Senate.[95][96][97]
On December 10, 2006, Allen gave an interview in which he stated that he would not seek the 2008 nomination.[98]
In March 2007, Allen became a Reagan Scholar with Young America's Foundation. He is also the President of George Allen Strategies, a lobbying and consulting firm based in Alexandria, Virginia,[99], a position he had held since July 2007. Between January 2010 and August 2011, he was paid $347,000 by the firm.[100]
In 2009, Allen started the American Energy Freedom Center, a non-profit conservative think tank that is a project of the Institute for Energy Research.[101] He was paid $20,000 to be the center's chairman in 2010; he ceased his affiliation with the organization in December of that year.[100]
In May 2010, Regnery Press published Allen's first book, What Washington Can Learn From the World of Sports, in which he drew parallels and contrasts between two of the nation’s favorite passions. Allen suggested that government needed to look no further than the football field, baseball diamond, or basketball court to solve today's pressing problems because, in sports, teamwork is essential, cheating is frowned upon, and the rules don’t change.
In October 2007, the campaign of GOP presidential candidate Fred Thompson announced that Allen was one of three national co-chairs for the 2008 presidential campaign. That month, Allen declined to speculate on his political future. Commenting on the 2009 governor's race in Virginia, Allen not only said that he had made no decisions but that "Susan and I have listened to a lot of people encouraging us to do that."[102] On January 8, 2008, Allen said that he would not run for governor in 2009, but later left open the possibility of challenging Democratic Senator Webb in 2012.[103]
On January 24, 2011, Allen officially announced, through a video on his campaign website, that he was running for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate, to reclaim the seat held by Senator Jim Webb, who defeated Allen in November 2006.[104] As of January 2011, the only other announced Republican candidate was Virginia Tea Party leader Jamie Radtke.[104]
In February 2011, Webb announced he was not running for reelection.[105] Allen is expected to win the Republican nomination in 2012, and to face former Virginia state governor Tim Kaine in the November 2012 general election.[106]
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by D. French Slaughter, Jr. |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 7th congressional district November 5, 1991 – January 3, 1993 |
Succeeded by Thomas J. Bliley, Jr. |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Douglas Wilder |
Governor of Virginia January 15, 1994 – January 17, 1998 |
Succeeded by James S. Gilmore |
| United States Senate | ||
| Preceded by Charles S. Robb |
United States Senator (Class 1) from Virginia January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2007 Served alongside: John W. Warner |
Succeeded by James H. Webb, Jr. |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Bill Frist |
Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee 2003–2005 |
Succeeded by Elizabeth Dole |
| Preceded by J. Marshall Coleman |
Republican Party nominee for Governor of Virginia 1993 |
Succeeded by James S. Gilmore |
| Preceded by Oliver North |
Republican Party nominee for United States Senator from Virginia (Class 1) 2000, 2006 |
Most recent |
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