Kate Obenshain

{{Infobox officeholder |name=Kate Obenshain |image=Kate Obenshain by Gage Skidmore.jpg |caption=Obenshain in 2013 |office= Chair of the [[Republican Party of Virginia|Virginia Republican Party]] |term_start= September 7, 2003 |term_end= November 15, 2006 |predecessor= Gary R. Thomson |successor= [[Ed Gillespie]] |birth_name= |birth_date= {{birth year and age|1969}}  |birth_place=[[Richmond, Virginia]], U.S. |death_date= |death_place= |alma_mater=[[University of Virginia]] |occupation=[[Journalist]] and [[politician]] |party=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] |spouse= |children= |father=[[Richard D. Obenshain]] |relatives=[[Mark Obenshain]] (brother)<br>[[Chris Obenshain]] (cousin) |website= }} '''Kate Obenshain''' (born November 14, 1968) is an American journalist and politician. She is a [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] political commentator, who formerly served as Vice President of the [[Young America's Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Kate Obenshain|url=https://www.yaf.org/speakers/kate-obenshain/|website=yaf.org|accessdate=12 June 2020}}</ref> She regularly appears as a guest on the [[Fox News Channel]].<ref name="cblpi1">{{cite web |url=http://www.cblpi.org/programs/bio.cfm?ID=40&Type=Speaker |title=CBLPI Speaker – Kate Obenshain |publisher=Cblpi.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222031114/http://www.cblpi.org/programs/bio.cfm?ID=40&Type=Speaker |archive-date=2014-02-22 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Education/career== Obenshain is a graduate of the [[University of Virginia]] where she was editor of the campus conservative newspaper, ''The Virginia Advocate''.<ref name="cblpi1"/>

==Political experience== From 1995 to 2000, Obenshain served as an appointee of Governors [[George Allen (U.S. politician)|George Allen]] and [[Jim Gilmore]] on the [[State Council of Higher Education for Virginia]], implementing each governor's vision for budgetary reform and program accountability.<ref name="cblpi1"/>

She also served as the first woman chairman of the [[Republican Party of Virginia]] from 2003 to 2006. She was elected party chair on September 7, 2003 after incumbent chair Gary R. Thomson resigned after pleading guilty in federal court to a misdemeanor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Melton |first=R. H. |date=2003-09-07 |title=Virginia GOP Elects Griffin As Chairman |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2003/09/07/virginia-gop-elects-griffin-as-chairman/e0ac6751-df52-4930-8d6b-31509141c5fe/ |access-date=2023-11-16 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> She stepped down from that post on November 15, 2006, following the [[2006 midterm]] elections to serve as Senator George Allen's [[Chief of staff (politics)|Chief of Staff]] for the remainder of his term in the [[U.S. Senate]] following the Senator's loss.<ref name="cblpi1"/>

As state GOP chair, she garnered national attention for her active opposition against tax increases and the expanding role of government at the state and national levels. During her tenure, she was referred to by ''[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]'' as one of the rising stars in the GOP.<ref name="cblpi1"/>

==Speaking on college campuses== Obenshain is a campus speaker for both the [[Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute]]<ref name="cblpi1"/> and Young America's Foundation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yaf.org/SpeakerDetails.aspx?id=299 |title=Kate Obenshain |publisher=Yaf.org |date= |accessdate=2013-11-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150521063926/http://www.yaf.org/SpeakerDetails.aspx?id=299 |archive-date=2015-05-21 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

She has spoken on college campuses for eighteen years on such topics as "The New Face of Feminism: It’s Wearing Lipstick," "Our Descent into Liberalism," and "America’s Noble Heritage: Hope from the Founding Fathers." Kate speaks across the nation on a wide variety of issues including life, national security, education, economic policy, political correctness on campus, and the changing role of women in public policy.<ref name="cblpi1"/>

==Family and personal life== Obenshain is the daughter of former party chair and 1978 U.S. Senate candidate [[Richard D. Obenshain]].

Her brother, [[Mark Obenshain]], is a member of the [[Virginia State Senate]] and her cousin, [[Chris Obenshain]], was a member of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cardinalnews.org/2023/04/27/meet-the-two-republicans-running-in-southwest-virginias-only-competitive-house-district/|title=Meet the two Republicans running in Southwest Virginia’s only competitive House district|first=Beth|last=JoJack|date=April 27, 2023|access-date=September 17, 2025|website=Cardinal News}}</ref>

She is a Virginia native and currently resides in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]].

She filed for divorce from her former husband Phillip in 2006.<ref>{{cite web|last=Beck|first=Joe|title=Judge Dismisses suit against lawyer in divorce case|url=http://www.overland-park-family-lawyer.com/2013/03/lawyer-sues-his-ex-wifes-divorce.html|work=Overland Park Family Lawyer|access-date=2 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015652/http://www.overland-park-family-lawyer.com/2013/03/lawyer-sues-his-ex-wifes-divorce.html|archive-date=2013-12-03}}</ref>

==Other achievements== Obenshain serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute.<ref name=CBLPI>{{cite web|url=https://cblpi.org/people/kate-obenshain/ |title=Kate Obenshain Keeler |publisher=Cblpi.org |date= |accessdate=31 March 2018}}</ref>

She is a co-founder of James 1:27 Foundation, a conservative non-profit organization.<ref name=CBLPI/>

Obenshain has been featured in the 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/sep/25/green-glover-joeys-got-a-gun/ |title=GREEN & GLOVER: Joey's got a gun |work=Washington Times |date=2009-09-25 |accessdate=2013-11-16}}</ref> Great American Conservative Women Calendars.

Her work is featured in the book ''Great American Conservative Women''.<ref>{{cite book|publisher=Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute |title=Great American Conservative Women: Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute: 9780972139908: Amazon.com: Books |year=2002 |isbn=0972139907 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8714874 |title=Kate Obenshain, America's Noble Heritage, YAFoundation on USTREAM. Conference |publisher=Ustream.tv |date=2010-08-04 |accessdate=2013-11-16 |archive-date=2012-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016102325/http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/8714874 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{C-SPAN}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Obenshain, Kate}} [[Category:1969 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:21st-century American women]] [[Category:American women journalists]] [[Category:Politicians from Richmond, Virginia]] [[Category:Politicians from Winchester, Virginia]] [[Category:Republican Party of Virginia chairs]] [[Category:University of Virginia alumni]] [[Category:Virginia Republicans]] [[Category:Women in Virginia politics]] [[Category:Journalists from Virginia]] [[Category:Political chiefs of staff]] [[Category:United States congressional aides]]