Business & Government

Q&A: Virginia US Sen. Tim Kaine on the State of Democracy

July 29, 2024 • By Jane Kelly, jak4g@virginia.edu Jane Kelly, jak4g@virginia.edu

Sen. Tim Kaine addresses the Mandela Washington Fellows in the Dome Room. He stressed the importance of youth empowerment. “The key to progress is youth engagement,” he said. “When young people engage, things get better. When they don’t engage, things get worse.” (Photo by Drew Precious, The Presidential Precinct)

U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia had just wrapped up an appearance on “First Look,” the Washington Post’s live politics news program, when his press secretary patched through a call with UVA Today.

Kaine was heading to the University of Virginia on Friday morning to address the Mandela Washington Fellows, 25 young African leaders participating in a federal government program who have been in Virginia for six weeks of leadership training.

The Presidential Precinct, the host institution that includes UVA, was founded 11 years ago. It is the 10th anniversary of its fellows program. This summer, 28 institutions are hosting Mandela Washington Fellows. The Presidential Precinct is one of eight that have hosted all 10 years of the program.

The young African leaders have had a front-row seat to the dramatic twists and turns taking place in the U.S presidential race. In the last three weeks, there was an assassination attempt on Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump, and President Joe Biden ended his bid for a second term and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.

UVA Today sought to speak with Kaine, a Democrat and 2016 vice presidential candidate, about his views on the state of democracy in the United States.

Q. The past few days must have felt like whiplash for Democrats. Can you put into perspective how frenetic and unusual this has been?

A. “Frenetic” and “unusual” are good words. Because I am in my own campaign, I’ve been doing intense events around Virginia. Since July 1, think I’ve done at least 11 days of full-time events, and that has really put me up close and personal with how people are feeling. There was just significant anxiety, stress, concern and worry. In any event I was walking into, that was the emotion.

I was in Hampton Roads on (July 21), doing events there with my staff, when the news broke that President Biden was not going to run for another term and was endorsing Kamala Harris and it was just an emotional sea change from … division and anxiety to unity and energy.

Q. Is all this – calls for Biden to step down, his reticence to do that, and then his change of mind – a sign that democracy is working, or that something in the process is broken?

A. I think it’s a sign that it’s working. (Biden’s) the most powerful person in the world. You’ve done a really good job … and you want to continue to do it. To make a decision of that magnitude in three weeks is actually kind of remarkably swift. I think it is a sign that democracy is working.

Q. You’ve spent a lot of time at UVA, a public university that prides itself on graduating citizen-leaders equipped to serve the public. In these polarized times, what do you say to students about a career in politics? Is it something interested students should still pursue?

Kaine poses with 25 Mandela Washington Fellows from 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa in the Lower East Oval Room of UVA’s Rotunda. (Photo by Drew Precious, The Presidential Precinct)

A. Yes, I do believe that, because it is a very effective way to improve society. There are other effective ways to improve society.

UVA has a great track record of graduates going into the foreign service. It has a great track record of graduates going into the Peace Corps. There’s a lot of different ways to serve.

Q. What can the electorate do right now to stay engaged and have their voices heard?

A. Obviously, in a presidential election year, the most important thing to do is learn about the candidates, to vote and encourage others to. Even in a presidential race, the number of people who are eligible to vote and chose not to is shockingly high. It’s in the double-digit millions of people who are eligible to vote, in a race that will have a dramatic impact all around the world. (The figure of people who did not vote in the 2020 election was estimated at 80 million.)