Elisa Hale

**Elisa Anne Hale** (nee **Clarke**; born August 7th, 1970) is an American politician serving as as the 46th President of the United States. She was previously a U.S Senator for Virginia from 2009 to 2016, Senate Democratic Whip from 2009 to 2016, the 69th Governor of Virginia, and a Commonwealth Attorney for Albemarle County Hale is also the first woman to serve in all her roles, except for President.

## Early life, education, and career

Clarke was born in Hollymead, Virginia to Susan and Andrew Clarke. She has a younger sister, Rebecca Reed, and graduated from Western Albemarle High School in 1988. After graduating, she became the first person in her family to go to college; at the University of Virginia, she met her future husband, Colin Hale. College friends described Clarke as passionate about political matters, but she did not participate in the university's College Democrats organization. She graduated with a Juris Doctor in 1995 and began working as a criminal lawyer with Colin, her husband, in Charlottesville.

Clarke married Colin Hale on January 16th, 1995. The two welcomed their first child in May 1995 and had other two children, Jennifer and Catherine, were born in September 1996 and July 1998, respectively.

After practicing law in the private sector for three years, Hale ran for Albermale County Commonwealth Attorney in 1997. She won with 56% of the vote and used her position to implement reforms which reflected her own political beliefs, something which enabled her to run for Governor in 2001.

## Governor of Virginia

In 2001, Hale ran for Governor of Virginia. After winning the Democratic Primary in June, she resigned as Commonwealth Attorney to prevent conflicts of interest and focus on the campaign. Hale campaigned for governor as a moderate Democrat, facing off against Republican Mark Earley, the state's attorney general, and Libertarian William B. Redpath. Hale won with 52.16 percent of the votes, 96,943 votes ahead of her opponent. She performed better than most democrats did at the time in suburban areas and the central Virginia region; however, she under-performed in rural areas. Hale had a significant funding advantage, spending $10 million more than Earley.

Once elected to office, Hale worked with the Republican General Assembly to reform Virginia's tax law. The bipartisan bill lowered some food and income taxes, increased the sales and cigarette taxes, and cut small businesses from the corporate bracket to lower taxes on the former. The bill also increased Virginia's alcohol, recording, and lottery taxes. Put together, Hale's package amounted to a $1.5 billion increase in taxes- something she credited with saving the state's AAA bond rating. While most of the increased revenue was put into the General and Rainy Day funds, the rest of it was used to make largest investments into Virginia's infrastructure and education.

Hale's popularity helped Democrats gain seats in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2003 and 2005, reducing the majorities built up by Republicans in the 1990s. Hale chaired the National Governors Association in 2004-05, chaired the Southern Governors' Association, and was a member of the Democratic Governors Association. Virginia and Utah received the highest averages ratings, with both states receiving an A- rating overall, by the Government Performance Project's *Governing* magazine, prompting Hale to dub Virginia the best managed state in the nation.

On November 29, 2005, Hale commuted the death sentence of Robin Lovitt to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. Lovitt was convicted of murdering Clayton Dicks at an Arlington pool hall in 1999. After his trial in 2001, Lovitt's lawyers stated that a court clerk illegally destroyed evidence that was used against Lovitt during his trial, which could have possibly exonerated him upon further DNA testing. Lovitt's death sentence would have been the 1,000th carried out in the United States since the Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment as permissible in 1976.

Democrat Caroline Molloy, Virginia's Lieutenant Governor and a former Mayor of Richmond, won the 2005 election to succeeded Hale (Virginia's constitution prohibited governors from running for immediate re-election until voters approved a referendum to change that in 2008). Molloy defeated Jerry Kilgore, who was Virginia's Attorney General until he resigned in February 2005 to campaign, with 52% of the vote. Hale had supported and campaigned for Molloy, prompting many national pundits considered Molloy's victory to be further evidence of Hale's political clout in Virginia.

## United States Senate

Hale announced she was running for the U.S Senate Seat that John Warner was vacating on October 12th, 2007. Pundits had expected her to run for President before she decided against it, citing her wish to keep her young family's life "somewhat normal". Hale immediately gained the endorsement of most national Democrats and held a wide lead over her Republican opponent, former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore (who was Hale's predecessor), for virtually the entire campaign.

Even though she was running for Senate, pundits suspected Democratic nominee Hillary Corning might consider her for Vice President; however, this speculation came to an end when Hale withdrew her name from consideration. On election day, Hale defeated Gilmore, winning exactly 65% of the vote to his 33.7%. She won all but five localities in the state- Augusta, Colonial Heights, Hanover, Powhatan, and Rockingham. As a result of Hale's victory, Virginia had two Democratic U.S. Senators for the first time since Harry Byrd, Jr. left the Democrats to become an independent (while still caucusing with the party) in 1970.

Despite having just been elected to the Senate, Hale ran for Senate Democratic Whip at the start of the 111th Congress. Several members ran for the position, but Hale won with 40 votes to her nearest opponent's 11. She was challenged by longtime Colorado Senator John Adams after the 2010 midterms but prevailed with 32 votes to his 24.

Hale has introduced several bills since she was inaugurated in January 2009. Some of her most consequential bills include the Safer America Act, Ending Corporate Agriculture Subsidies Act, and the Working Families Act. The first bill imposed stricter gun legislation, the second banned subsidies to multinational food companies, and the third raised the minimum wage and established paid leave. Hale voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the National Health Care and Medicare Expansion Act. She has been identified as a liberal willing to compromise to pass reforms when necessary.

Following the election of Jason Miner as President, Hale expressed her commitment to "work with him where it benefits Virginia". However, Miner was unable to pass a budget for the entirety of FY 2014. The Stop STUPIDITY Act, which was introduced by Hale and provided funding based on the previous fiscal year to all departments, kept the government open until a new budget was passed for FY 2015. During the crisis, Hale announced her support for abolishing the debt ceiling and introduced legislation to do so. Her bill never received a vote, but the debt ceiling was increased to $22.5 trillion in a bipartisan budget deal.

Despite briefly considering a run for Governor of Virginia following the inauguration of Jason Miner, Hale opted against it. She announced her bid for a second term as Virginia's Senator on December 27th, 2013 and was promptly supported by the both the state and national party organizations. Hale ran unopposed for the the party's nomination, reflecting her dominance among Virginia's Democratic Party, and faced Ed Gillespie in the general election. Many Republicans hoped Gillespie, a former lobbyist turned strategist, could perform well in or win Virginia's suburbs; however, Hale won 17 of Virginia's 20 most populous counties- losing only Hanover, Spotsylvania, and Stafford. Hale won 52.8% of the vote to Gillespie's 46.9%, a 5.9 point margin of victory.

## 2016 Presidential Election

Hale announced her Presidential campaign in Charlottesville, Virginia on April 19th, 2015. She joined a crowded field, consisting of figures like former President Corning, Senator Bernie Sanders, and Senator Dylan Agarwal. Hale emphasized her upbringing and desire to restore the middle class, which she called the soul of America, in her announcement speech. At the first Democratic Presidential debate, the candidates virtually agreed on all policy positions; however, Hale performed well in the debate. Despite this, Hale lost the first three primaries (Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada). This did not prevent her from she swept the primaries in South Carolina and Michigan, setting her on a course to sweep Super Tuesday and enter a close-fought contest for the nomination with Hillary Corning. Hale won a plurality of the delegates, but this was not enough to win the nomination outright; at the first contested convention since 1952, Hale prevailed by a narrow margin and nominated Governor Avianna Panetta of Michigan as her Vice President. This marked the first time a major party nominated two women.

The Republicans nominated Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and celebrity Donald Trump of New York in the general election. Experts believed the election would be close even though President Jason Miner opted against running for re-election, but the Republican ticket effectively sabotaged their chances at winning in the debates. Graham endorsed Medicare for All, the use of torture, and a Muslim ban at the Presidential debate- at one point saying "ban them Muslims". In the Vice Presidential Debate, Trump appeared to admit accusations he sexually assaulted women were true and questioned Elisa Hale's judgement if she were to become pregnant while President. Following these poor debate performances, the Hale-Panetta ticket visited conservative-leaning states like Missouri and Georgia.

Elisa Hale and Avianna Panetta won the 2016 election with 367 electoral votes, winning every swing state besides Indiana, Ohio, and Texas. Hale and Panetta also received the most electoral votes for any candidate since 1996, the greatest percentage of the popular vote since 1984, and the most votes for any candidate in American history. She and Panetta led the country's first all-female administration after being sworn in.

## First Term (2017-2021)

In her inaugural address Hale said her administration would act swiftly and without delay on the issues she discussed during the campaign. This promise was kept as the Senate and House passed several important bills, including a $15 minimum wage and the most comprehensive tax reform since Ronald Reagan, on party-line votes. Other important reforms passed during Hale's first year in office ranged from a voting rights to criminal justice reform and environmental legislation. Congress also passed bills to admit Puerto Rico and Washington DC as states during her first year, which Hale signed into law. During her second year, Hale passed her signature G3 program in a bill which also made college free for students from families earning less than $250,000 each year. She signed a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and a base teacher salary into law that year as well.

Hale has issued more executive orders than Presidents Miner and Corning combined, ending an eight-year drought. During her first 100 days in office, Hale signed orders to reverse the Miner administration's border wall study and enter the Paris Climate Agreement. She also provided $30 billion in relief for Flint, Michigan's water crisis, banned the use of torture, normalized relations with Cuba, and implemented the strong protections for LGBTQ+ individuals. Other notable orders from Hale include steel and aluminum sanctions on various nations, revoking the Keystone XL pipeline permit, blocking oil subsidies, and terminating the 1033 program; the last two of these executive orders were overturned by the Supreme Court.

Most Presidents, including George W. Bush, have been a net negative at some point in their first terms; however this is not the case for Elisa Hale. A net majority of Americans have approved of her performance thus far. Her approval ratings are typically at or above 50%, sometimes slipping into the 47-49% range. Despite this, Republicans regained the House of Representatives- something which Hale blamed on rural Democrats- and gained several senate seats during the 2018 midterms. Keeping the Senate was seen as crucial for future Supreme Court vacancies even though Hale appointed three justices (Srinivasan, Jackson, and Kruger) within her first two years in office. Hale and Congressional Republicans reached a deal to expand free college and vocational training to al veterans. The bipartisan deal also made all veterans eligible for free public housing and expanded the work opportunity tax credit for small businesses which hired veterans. This bipartisanship did not last long as House Republicans censured President Hale for two executive orders that were overturned six months ago on a party-line vote. Political experts believe the censured backfired and was the reason why Hale's approval ratings rose to 53% as 2019 came to a close.

Following the 2018 midterms, Hale renegotiated the North American Free Trade agreement and made a trade agreement with the European Union. Her proposals (USMCA and TTIP) passed the Senate with only a few Republicans voting against, even though prominent Republicans opposed both deals. Hale's trade policies have been characterized as generally pro-free trade with a hint of protectionism; in addition to tariffs for steel and aluminum, Hale's administration has sought to promote buying American through executive actions. In terms of foreign policy, Hale has been characterized as a hawk on some issues and a dove on others. This is primary due to her expanding on sanctions on Russia and reaching military cooperation agreements with nations in the region while hosting summits with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. Hale has also sought to promote India as a counterbalance to China's growing influence in Asia and across the world.

Colin Hale, Elisa's husband and the second man to serve as First Gentleman, focused his agenda on primary and higher education because his wife's signature campaign promise was about the issue and all three of their daughters were in college when she took office. The Hales have appeared at multiple charity fundraisers, holiday festivals, and family-related events while in office. The couple also celebrated their 25th anniversary from the White House in January 2020.

A few days after the first cases of SARS-CoV-2, also known as the coronavirus and Covid-19, were discovered on the west coast of the United States, President Hale established a White House Task Force and issued a travel ban on China. American nationals and their immediate families were excluded from the ban, but any returning individuals could not enter the country without a mandatory 14-day quarantine. About a month after issuing a travel ban on China, Hale also prohibited travel from countries within the European Union, the United Kingdom, Russia, and South Korea. The same exemption for American nationals that was in the China travel ban existed, but persons coming from countries where travel was permitted were also required to quarantine for 14-days at a government-provided hotel or facility.

On March 8th, 2020, Hale signed guidelines for a nationwide stay at home order into law. She also announced states that opted against implementing the guidelines within the order would be declared Covid-19 hotspots. Another order Hale signed on that day implemented a nationwide eviction and foreclosure moratorium until June 1st. Following the lead of Congress and multiple states, Hale also established a national mask mandate three weeks after signing the stay at home orders. Around one month after all three orders were in effect, Congress passed a coronavirus relief package that would provide most Americans with $1,400 direct payments (referred to as stimulus checks). The bill gave Hale the ability to renew payments thrice and she authorized the first round immediately after signing the bill into law. She authorized the second round of payments on July 4th and renewed payments for the third time in late October.

On May 15th, Hale extended Executive Orders 38 and 39 (the stay at home order and eviction moratorium, respectively); however, the extension was carried out in a new order (Executive Order 42) and contained a four-tier plan for reopening. Hale announced that the country would enter Phase 1 in July, but states could opt to stay behind. Phase 2 was set to begin in October, Phase 3 would begin in December, and Phase 4 (lifting of nearly all restrictions) would not start until an executive order was signed to do so.

## 2020 Presidential Election

Elisa Hale was uncontested for the Democratic nomination and was formally renominated for President at the DNC in August 2020. She selected Vice President Panetta to serve a second term as her running mate, as has been tradition since Dwight Eisenhower won re-election. Republicans nominated Kentucky Senator Hudson Kessler to be their nominee and he selected Pamela Isley, then the House Majority Whip, as his Vice President; Isley became the first woman to be on the GOP ticket in history. Nicholas Biden, who finished second in the primary, launched an independent campaign and picked South Carolina Governor Cynthia Harris to be his running mate. The 2020 election took place in the midst of a pandemic, but Hale and Kessler participated in three debates. Their running mates participated in one after the first presidential debate.

Hale came into the election with an approval rating that consistently remained above 50%, but even though the country was in a crisis, she was widely expected to do worse than her 2016 landslide since Kessler was a competent opponent. Despite having been a popular southern governor in the early 2000s, the tossup electoral votes came from southern states, such as North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Hale was largely expected to hold Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania; however, Iowa, Nevada, and Arizona were tossups. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the United States saw higher turnout and more people voted early or by mail than ever. After all states were called, Hale won re-election with 302 electoral votes to Kessler's 242. She won the most votes for a candidate in American history, beating her own record in 2016, and won a 50.8% majority of the popular vote. Hale became the first President to be re-elected since 2004, the first Democrat to be re-elected since 1996, and became the first woman to serve two terms as President on January 20th, 2021. Avianna Panetta became the first woman to serve two terms as Vice President.

## Second Term (2021-2025)

In the time between the election of Speaker Riviera in a tied House and her second inauguration, Hale drafted and negotiated a bipartisan infrastructure the bill. Even though the bill cost an estimated $1.5 trillion and raised taxes on the two highest income groups, Minority Leaders Berkman and Cook agreed to it. The bill, titled the American Infrastructure Modernization Act, passed with no votes against and Hale issued a lengthy statement after signing it into law. Provisions within AIMA created a large high-speed rail network in the United States, complete the interstate highway system, repave roads, rebuild bridges and tunnels, expand broadband, and inspect the quality of America's critical infrastructure (water, sewage, and electricity). Since Congress did not extend relief other than unemployment insurance, Hale used an executive order and Section Five of AIMA in April to begin a mass-hiring campaign on infrastructure projects for unemployed and disadvantaged Americans.

Following her second inauguration, Hale approved a plan drafted by the CIA to sow discontent in Venezuela and render the nation too instable to defend. The plan was classified at the time, but US advisors were sent to southern parts of Venezuela, including its Amazonian regions, to train rebel groups that would fight for Juan Guidado and against Nicolas Maduro. The operation successfully brought instability to Venezuela, but Guidado did not replace Maduro until after her presidency.

Some of the other major accomplishments in Hale's second term included a ban on fossil fuel subsidies and the passage of a New Civil Rights Act for education. In her second term, the free and reduced-prince lunch program was expanded to summer and covered all meals for eligible students. However, Hale's approval dipped into the negatives for brief portions of her second term. This enabled Republicans to win back the House and control the Senate for the first time since 2007. Despite the gridlock in her final two years, Hale left office with a 60% approval rating and is regarded as one of the best and most consequential Presidents of the United States.

## Personal Life

Elisa Hale has been married to Colin Hale (born March 28, 1970), whom she met in college, since 1995. Colin Hale is not active in politics but has described his wife's campaigns as "leaps of faith [he] love[s] taking".

The Hales have three daughters: Elizabeth (born May 14, 1995), Jennifer (born September 9, 1996), and Catherine (born July 21, 1998).