Allen, George Felix (1952-…), was a member of the United States Senate from 2001 to 2007. Allen, a Republican, represented Virginia. Prior to becoming a senator, Allen had served as Virginia’s governor.
Allen was born in Whittier, California, on March 8, 1952. His father, George H. Allen, was a National Football League coach from 1966 to 1977.
Young George Allen earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia in 1974. In 1977, he graduated from the University of Virginia Law School. After law school, Allen settled in Charlottesville, Virginia, and opened his own law firm.
Allen’s political career began in 1982, when he won election to the General Assembly, Virginia’s state legislature. He served in the Assembly until 1991. In that year, he was chosen by special election to fill a vacant seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
From 1994 to 1998, Allen served as the governor of Virginia. During his term as governor, he focused on economic issues and promoted the growth of new businesses in Virginia. Allen also supported tougher sentencing for criminals and abolished the state’s parole system. In 2000, he defeated his Democratic opponent, Senator Charles S. Robb, another former Virginia governor, to win a Senate seat. Allen took office in 2001. In November 2006, Allen lost a reelection bid to his Democratic challenger, novelist and former Secretary of the Navy James H. Webb, in an extremely close race.
In 2012, Allen was again the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat. He lost to Democrat Tim Kaine, another former governor, in the November election.
