Kaine was born Feb. 26, 1958, in St. Paul, the oldest of three boys. The family moved to the Kansas City, Mo., area, where his father owned a small iron-working shop.

He has a degree in economics from the University of Missouri in 1979 and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1983.

Married Anne Holton in 1984. She is Virginia's secretary of education. They have two sons and a daughter.

Kaine was the governor of Virginia from 2006 to 2010 and the mayor of Richmond from 1998 to 2001.

The senator is a fluent Spanish speaker, having learned the language while serving as a volunteer in Honduras.

Kaine's career through the years

1998-2001, Richmond, Va., mayor: He was chosen by the black-majority City Council, becoming the first white mayor in more than a decade.

2002-2006, Virginia's lieutenant governor: Kaine narrowly won the general election with 50.35 percent of votes over his Republican opponent.

2006-2010, governor of Virginia: In office, he focused on energy, the environment and conservation, protecting land from development and establishing a climate change commission.

2009-2011, Democratic National Committee chairman: He oversaw a significant expansion of the party's grass roots focus. In 2011, he helped organize opposition to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's anti-union efforts.

2013-present, U.S. senator from Virginia: He serves on the foreign relations, armed services, budget and aging committees. He endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid and had been atop the list of her prospective running mates for months.

Reaction to Kaine

"Tim is a great pick. … Here's a fun fact you might not know: Tim was born in
St. Paul, Minnesota." Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.

"[The choice doesn't] unify a fractured Democratic base which is repelled by her dishonesty and cronyism." GOP chairman Reince Priebus

"Tim Kaine is the son of an ironworker and a teacher, and is grounded in the values of working people." AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka

"Trying to count the ways I hate @timkaine. Drawing a blank. Congrats to a good man and a good friend." Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.

Staff and wire reports