Long odds aren’t keeping Republican Jim Gilmore out of the 2016 presidential race.
The former Virginia governor, who has already made multiple visits to the crucial early-voting state of New Hampshire, is expected to officially announce his candidacy today after filing his official paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday afternoon.
Several other current or former governors have already waded into the crowded Republican race — including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who are both expected to wield well-funded campaign war chests.
But for now, Gilmore is resolved to find a place in the field: "I bring to the table experience that others don't have," he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch earlier this month.
Gilmore’s resume certainly boasts some credentials that differentiate him from his rivals.
A former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Gilmore led the Gilmore Commission, a congressional panel that advised both President Bill Clinton and President George W. Bush about the country’s ability to respond to domestic terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction. He also served as Virginia’s governor during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Since December 2009, Gilmore has served as the president and CEO of the Free Congress Research and Education Foundation, a conservative think tank based in Virginia.
Here’s more about Gilmore’s financial and political past:
Sources: Center for Public Integrity reporting, as well as the Center for Responsive Politics, Federal Election Commission, GilmoreGlobalGroup.com, Internal Revenue Service, Virginia Department of Elections and Washington Post.
Image sources: Gage Skidmore/Flickr, Charlie Neibergall/AP, Michael Vadon/Flickr