Chuck Robb

Charles Spittal Robb, born June 26, 1939, in Phoenix, Arizona, is an American former politician and military officer. He served as the 64th governor of Virginia from 1982 to 1986 and as a United States senator representing Virginia from 1989 until 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Robb sought re-election in 2000 but was defeated by Republican George Allen.

Robb is the son of Frances Howard (née Woolley) and James Spittal Robb. He was raised in the Mount Vernon area of Fairfax County, Virginia, and graduated from Mount Vernon High School. He attended Cornell University before earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1961. During his time at Wisconsin, he was a member of the Chi Phi fraternity. Robb served in the United States Marine Corps, completing training at Quantico as an honor graduate, and subsequently became a White House social aide. It was in this capacity that he met Lynda Bird Johnson, the daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The couple married in 1967 in a ceremony held at the White House, the first such marriage since 1942.

Robb served a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he commanded Company I of the 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines in combat. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Star for his military service. Following his promotion to the rank of major, he was attached to the Logistics section (G-4) of the 1st Marine Division.

He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973, after which he clerked for Judge John D. Butzner Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Robb resided in McLean, Virginia, and practiced law with Williams & Connolly subsequently becoming active in Democratic politics. His involvement included membership in the Fairfax County Democratic Committee and the Virginia Democratic State Central Committee.

In 1977, Robb was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia, serving from 1978 to 1982. He was the only Democratic statewide candidate that year to win election. He then became the governor of Virginia in 1982 after winning the 1981 gubernatorial election, which saw Democrats securing all three statewide offices in Virginia for the first time in decades. He was re-elected in 1985.

As governor, Robb was known for balancing the state budget without raising taxes, and he allocated additional funds to education. He appointed a record number of women and minorities to state positions, including the first African American to serve on Virginia’s Supreme Court. Robb was also the first Virginia governor in 25 years to use the death penalty. He played a role in establishing the Super Tuesday primary and was a co-founder of the Democratic Leadership Council.

Robb was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1988, taking office in 1989. He was re-elected in 1994, defeating Oliver North, a controversial figure associated with the Iran-Contra affair. Throughout his Senate tenure, Robb was recognized for his centrist positions and for serving on all three major national security committees: Armed Services, Foreign Relations, and Intelligence. He supported some military and defense policies, such as voting for the Gulf War resolution in 1991 and supporting the "Contract with America" in 1995, while maintaining liberal stances on social issues. He opposed the Defense of Marriage Act and supported the "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Robb's political career included leadership roles such as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1992. Despite his efforts, he was narrowly defeated in the 2000 Senate election by George Allen.

Robb's career was occasionally marked by allegations and rumors. In 1991, former Miss Virginia USA Tai Collins claimed an affair that Robb denied, stating only that he shared champagne and received a massage in a hotel room. Rumors about his presence at parties with drug use in Virginia Beach also circulated but were never substantiated.

Since leaving the Senate, Robb has served on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, co-chaired the Iraq Intelligence Commission from 2004 to 2005, and has been a member of the board of trustees of the MITRE Corporation since 2001.