Vince Callahan
Encyclopedia
Vincent F. "Vince" Callahan Jr. (born 30 October 1931 in Washington, DC) is an American politician who served for 40 years as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates
. From January 1968 to January 2008, he represented the 34th district, which covers McLean
, Great Falls
, Tysons Corner
, and parts of Herndon
and Vienna
. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving Republican
in the Virginia
General Assembly.
in Korea
from 1950 to 1952. He attended Georgetown University
and earned a B.S. in Foreign Service in 1957. After serving four years as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard
, Callahan ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
in 1965, but lost to Fred G. Pollard
. He ran for Delegate in 1967 and won. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S House of Representatives in 1976.
Prior to 2007, he had last been challenged in 2001 by Dale Evans, a real estate agent, and won with 60.05% of the vote.
, Callahan was considered a target by Democrats keen to secure their hold on Northern Virginia
. On 2007-03-06, Callahan announced that he would not run for re-election in November 2007.
He endorsed his former legislative aide for appropriations Dave Hunt to succeed him but Hunt lost to Margaret Vanderhye
, the Democratic candidate, in the November election.
Virginia House of Delegates
The Virginia House of Delegates is the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbered years. The House is presided over by the Speaker of the House, who is elected from among the...
. From January 1968 to January 2008, he represented the 34th district, which covers McLean
McLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, Great Falls
Great Falls, Virginia
Great Falls is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 15,427 at the 2010 census.Although primarily a bedroom community for Washington, D.C., one major attraction is Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac River, for which...
, Tysons Corner
Tysons Corner, Virginia
Tysons Corner is an unincorporated census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. Part of the Washington Metropolitan Area located in Northern Virginia, Tysons Corner lies between the community of McLean and the town of Vienna along the Capital Beltway . The population was...
, and parts of Herndon
Herndon, Virginia
Herndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
and Vienna
Vienna, Virginia
Vienna is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 15,687. Significantly more people live in zip codes with the Vienna postal addresses bordered approximately by Interstate 66 on the south, Interstate 495 on the east, Route 7 to...
. At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in the Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
General Assembly.
Early life
Vince Callahan served as a MarineUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
in Korea
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
from 1950 to 1952. He attended Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
and earned a B.S. in Foreign Service in 1957. After serving four years as a lieutenant in the Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
, Callahan ran for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
The Lieutenant Governor is a constitutional officer of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Lieutenant Governor is elected every four years along with the Governor and Attorney General. The office is currently held by Republican William T. Bolling. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected...
in 1965, but lost to Fred G. Pollard
Fred G. Pollard
Frederick Gresham Pollard of Richmond, Virginia was a lawyer and politician. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates and was Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. - Early life :...
. He ran for Delegate in 1967 and won. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the U.S House of Representatives in 1976.
House of Delegates
Callahan was considered by many to be a moderate Republican and was relatively popular in his district. While he has introduced legislation to restrict the death penalty to those 18 and older, Callahan also introduced a bill to ban all stem-cell research in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In addition, Callahan introduced legislation in 2007 that would have increased the minimum wage in Virginia. He was also awarded the Equality Public Servant Award by Equality Virginia, a gay-rights group which rarely supports Republicans.Prior to 2007, he had last been challenged in 2001 by Dale Evans, a real estate agent, and won with 60.05% of the vote.
2007 election and retirement
As the only Republican state legislator within the Capital BeltwayInterstate 495 (Capital Beltway)
Interstate 495 is a Interstate Highway that surrounds the United States' capital of Washington, D.C., and its inner suburbs in adjacent Maryland and Virginia. I-495 is widely known as the Capital Beltway or simply the Beltway, especially when the context of Washington, D.C., is clear...
, Callahan was considered a target by Democrats keen to secure their hold on Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...
. On 2007-03-06, Callahan announced that he would not run for re-election in November 2007.
He endorsed his former legislative aide for appropriations Dave Hunt to succeed him but Hunt lost to Margaret Vanderhye
Margaret Vanderhye
Margaret G. "Margi" Vanderhye is a McLean, Virginia community activist and a former delegate from the 34th district of Virginia. She was the Democratic nominee in the 2007 Virginia general election to fill the seat held by retiring incumbent Republican Vince Callahan, defeating Republican...
, the Democratic candidate, in the November election.