The New York Times is reporting that former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore is considering a run for the Republican nomination in 2008:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 ? James S. Gilmore III, a former governor of Virginia and chairman of the Republican National Committee, announced Tuesday that he would form a committee to explore a presidential bid in 2008, saying the Republican field lacked a ?committed conservative? capable of making a credible campaign for the White House.
?A void exists,? Mr. Gilmore said in an interview. ?There is just no conservative right now who can mount a national campaign.?
Mr. Gilmore, 57, was governor for one term; Virginia does not allow governors to serve consecutive terms. He also served one year as chairman of the Republican National Committee before being forced out by the White House after clashing with Karl Rove, the president?s chief political adviser.
While Mr. Gilmore is not particularly well-known nationally, he and his associates argued that there might be a path for a little-known candidate who could corral support of the party?s critically important conservative wing.
Mr. Gilmore said he had always been what he described as an unvarying Ronald Reagan conservative. In what appeared to be an effort to distinguish himself from other candidates, particularly Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, he said: ?I didn?t run someplace and pretend I was a liberal and run someplace else as a conservative. I just didn?t do that.?
Ouch.
For whatever it’s worth, Gilmore was an intensely popular Governor here in Virginia when he was in office. He was best known for campaigning, and actually following through with, a promise to cut the dreaded personal property tax on automobiles. Unfortunately, Gilmore’s tax-cutting legacy has largely been gutted and abandoned by Republican leaders in Richmond, but his name is still mentioned as a possible candidate for statewide office here, either for Senate or the Governor’s mansion again in 2009.Whether he can translate any of that into success at the national level will be interesting to watch.
December 20th, 2006 at 9:19 pm
[...] Doug Mataconis at Below the Beltway says: For whatever it?s worth, Gilmore was an intensely popular Governor here in Virginia when he was in office. He was best known for campaigning, and actually following through with, a promise to cut the dreaded personal property tax on automobiles. [...]
February 14th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/index.html
Check this out, Gilmore has some great ideas!