From 1982 to 1991, Republican George Allen represented Albemarle County in Virginia’s 58th District House of Delegates, a seat once held by Thomas Jefferson.
In November 1991, Allen won a special election to fill the vacated seat of incumbent congressman D. French Slaughter, Jr. in Virginia’s 7th District, with 63% of the vote.
As a result of 1990′s redistricting, Allen’s home was placed in the 5th District of L.F. Payne, Jr., while the majority of his original district was placed in the 10th.
Biding his time, Allen was elected in November 1993 to become the 67th Governor of Virginia, defeating his Democratic opponent, Virginia’s Attorney General Mary Sue Terry.
In 1998, Allen became a Richmond-based partner at the law firm of McGuire Woods Battle and Boothe.
In 1998, Republican Paul Harris became the first black Republican to serve in Virginia’s House of Delegates, representing the 58th District where George Allen once served.
In August 2000, Paul Harris was asked to speak at the National Republican Convention.
In November 2000, George Allen was elected to the United States Senate, defeating Democratic incumbent Chuck Robb.
In 2001, Paul Harris resigned his House of Delegates seat to work for the United States Justice Department as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in charge of torts.
Harris left this position in 2003 to join Raytheon Co. as senior counsel in the Patriot and Tomahawk missile manufacturer’s Arlington office.
In November 2006, George Allen was defeated by Democratic challenger, Jim Webb.
In December 2006, Paul Harris became a member of the Government Enforcement and Compliance Practice Group in the Washington, D.C. office of Shook Hardy & Bacon.
In 2007, Harris was also appointed by the Bush Administration to serve as a public representative on the Advisory Committee to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
Meanwhile, George Allen hosts his own blog, has ruled out running for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by retiring U.S. Senator John Warner, but continues to hold open the possibility of running for governor again in 2009.
This photograph of Paul Harris with George Allen was taken in Albemarle County, Virginia on October 4, 2006.