[Updated July 30, 2015] Mr. Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia (1998-2002), filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on July 29 to run for president. He is the 17th Republican in the race.
An acknowledged long shot, Gilmore says his campaign will focus on national security and the economy.
“I don’t think we’re addressing the threat to the country,” Gilmore told the Richmond Times-Dispatch on July 7. He adds: “I bring to the table experience that others don’t have.”
Gilmore was governor on Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers crashed a plane into the Pentagon, which is located in northern Virginia.
Gilmore told Politico he plans to use the New Hampshire primary as a springboard.
“If I make progress in New Hampshire, I can turn south to South Carolina. As a former governor of Virginia, I have an affinity with that state,” he said.
