Jim Gilmore just wanted to get 'some recognition' in New Hampshire

Jim Gilmore greets diners in New Hampshire.

(Image credit: Paul Marotta/Getty Images)

last updated 10 February 2016

Jim Gilmore has a theory as to why he's virtually unknown among the Republican presidential candidates.

"I entered the race having been out of office for a considerable amount of time," he told USA Today. "I wasn't a sitting governor, my father wasn't president, and my brother wasn't president." Gilmore, the former governor of Virginia, was upbeat at his primary party in New Hampshire on Tuesday, attended by less than a dozen people. "I don't think we'll win this thing," he told one supporter, "but let's see if we can get some recognition."

With 88 percent of precincts reporting, Gilmore received 125 votes, or 0.0 percent. It was, however, a major victory compared to how he did in Iowa, where he was backed by just 12 caucusgoers, and Gilmore said he's looking forward to campaigning in South Carolina on Wednesday. New Hampshire state senator Sam Cataldo told USA Today Gilmore has a "hell of a background," but is practically invisible because "the media keeps playing Trump, Trump, and Trump. There's more to life than just Trump."

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.