A member of the Democratic Party, Robb sought a third term in the U.S. Senate in 2000, but was defeated by Republican George Allen, another former governor.

[4][5] A United States Marine Corps veteran and honor graduate of Quantico, Robb became a White House social aide.

Robb earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia Law School in 1973, and clerked for John D. Butzner, Jr., a judge on the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

During a time when political communication styles were beginning to favor sound bites, Robb was known for speaking in paragraphs about complex policy issues.

Robb ranked annually as one of the most ideologically centrist senators and often acted as a bridge between Democratic and Republican members, as he preferred background deal-making to legislative limelight.

Although we have made huge strides in the struggle against discrimination based on gender, race, and religion, it is more difficult to see beyond our differences regarding sexual orientation.

[14] Despite being outspent 4-1, Robb narrowly defeated former Iran-Contra figure Oliver North in 1994, a poor year nationally for Democrats.

Senator John Warner refused to support North and instead backed third-party candidate and former Virginia Attorney General Marshall Coleman, whom Robb had defeated in the 1981 gubernatorial contest.

The 1994 Senate campaign was documented in the 1996 film A Perfect Candidate and Brett Morgen's Ollie's Army (where Robb is seen being heckled on the campus of James Madison University).

[citation needed] Following his re-election in 1994, Robb continued to promote fiscal responsibility and a strong national defense; he was the only Senate Democrat to vote for all items in the Republican Party's "Contract with America" when they reached the floor, including a Balanced Budget Amendment and a line item veto.

Robb denied having an affair with her, merely admitting to sharing a bottle of champagne and receiving a massage from her in his hotel room on one occasion.

[15][17] In 1991, three of Robb's aides resigned after pleading guilty to misdemeanors related to an illegally recorded cell phone conversation of Virginia Governor (and possible 1994 Senate primary opponent) Doug Wilder.

Robb and his staff claimed to be unaware of the fact that conversations on cell phones are protected by the same laws governing landlines.

Bert Rohrer, a Robb spokesman, declared the charge as "nonsense" holding the process of crafting the letter had been months long and that he wanted to settle the issue before launching his re-election campaign.

[21] Following his two terms in the Senate, Robb served on the board of visitors at the United States Naval Academy, and began teaching at George Mason University School of Law.

A New York Times article on October 9, 2006, credited Robb with being the only member of the group to venture outside the American controlled "Green Zone" on a recent trip to Baghdad.

[23] In April, 2021, the University of Virginia Press published his autobiography, titled In the Arena: A Memoir of Love, War, and Politics.

He was signaled to leave the building when his wife, who had been alerted to the fire by a smoke detector, incurred injuries when she took the car out of the garage and shined its headlights on the downstairs exit door.

[25][27][28] The blaze (which could be seen across the Potomac River into Washington D.C.) destroyed their books, photos, artwork, and historic memorabilia along with the home they had purchased in 1973 which had been valued at $3 million in 2020.