Oliver Thomas
Encyclopedia
For the Texas
businessman and World War II
POW
, see Oliver C. Thomas.
Oliver M. Thomas, Jr. (born February 10, 1957), is a Democratic politician from New Orleans. He served on the New Orleans City Council
from 1994 to 2007. On August 13, 2007, Thomas resigned his council seat after pleading guilty to bribery charges.
, the son of a laborer and a telephone operator. After graduating from Joseph S. Clark High School, he was able to go to college after receiving an athletic scholarship. In 1982, Thomas received a bachelor's degree
in business studies from the College of Santa Fe
, a liberal arts
institution in Santa Fe
, New Mexico
.
After graduation, he spent several years on the East Coast working as an account executive for a travel company. He returned to New Orleans in 1985, where he worked as a substitute teacher and began volunteering in a number of political campaigns.
He is married to Angelle (Laraque) Thomas. They have one daughter.
neighborhood. A protégé of BOLD leader and longtime city councilor Jim Singleton
, Thomas was appointed a legislative aide to Singleton in 1986. He then worked as a capital projects manager for the city’s Downtown Development District, and as a property manager for a firm in private industry.
Thomas was first elected to City Council in 1994, representing District B – a district which includes BOLD’s home neighborhood of Central City as well as the Central Business District
and parts of Mid-City
and Uptown
. He served as councilor for this district for two terms before being elected to an at-large seat in 2002. While on city council, Thomas developed a reputation as a capable, responsive elected official; he gained a high level of popularity among both black and white voters. His popularity was confirmed in the both the elections of 2002 and 2006, when he was elected with a margin wide enough to avoid needing a runoff. He won with 88% of the vote in 2002 and was re-elected with 78% of the vote in 2006. In recent years there had been widespread speculation that Thomas would run for Mayor of New Orleans in 2010.
. Barre owned a company which operated a number of French Quarter
parking lots under contract with the city, and paid Thomas in order to ensure that the Morial-era contracts would be renewed under the incoming administration. Thomas agreed to Barre's terms, but also demanded and received one-third of the parking profits in kickbacks through one of his associates. On November 21, 2007, Thomas was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for bribery.
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 5, 1994
Councilmember, District B, 1994
Threshold > 50%
Runoff, March 5, 1994
Councilmember, District B, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 7, 1998
At-Large Councilmember, 2002
Threshold >25% (two to be elected)
At-Large Councilmember, 2006
Threshold >25% (two to be elected)
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
businessman and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
POW
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
, see Oliver C. Thomas.
Oliver M. Thomas, Jr. (born February 10, 1957), is a Democratic politician from New Orleans. He served on the New Orleans City Council
New Orleans City Council
The New Orleans City Council is the legislative branch of the City of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. There is one city council member for each of the five council districts, as well as two at-large council members. The council members are elected to four-year terms using the two-round...
from 1994 to 2007. On August 13, 2007, Thomas resigned his council seat after pleading guilty to bribery charges.
Early life and family
Thomas was born in New Orleans's Lower Ninth WardLower Ninth Ward
Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. As the name implies, it is part of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Industrial Canal; however, the City Planning Commission divides this...
, the son of a laborer and a telephone operator. After graduating from Joseph S. Clark High School, he was able to go to college after receiving an athletic scholarship. In 1982, Thomas received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in business studies from the College of Santa Fe
College of Santa Fe
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an institution of creative and performing arts based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The university offers programs in creative writing, theatre, art, graphic design, moving image arts , music, and photography, based on a liberal arts core curriculum...
, a liberal arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
institution in Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
After graduation, he spent several years on the East Coast working as an account executive for a travel company. He returned to New Orleans in 1985, where he worked as a substitute teacher and began volunteering in a number of political campaigns.
He is married to Angelle (Laraque) Thomas. They have one daughter.
Political career
Thomas began his political career as a member of BOLD, a political organization based in New Orleans’s Central CityCentral City, New Orleans
Central City is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. It is located at the lower end of Uptown, just above the New Orleans Central Business District, on the "lakeside" of St. Charles Avenue...
neighborhood. A protégé of BOLD leader and longtime city councilor Jim Singleton
Jim Singleton
James Milton Singleton , a prime mover in the New Orleans political organization BOLD , serves on the nine-member Louisiana Gaming Commission, having been nominated for the position by Xavier University of Louisiana president Norman Francis and appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal.-Role in...
, Thomas was appointed a legislative aide to Singleton in 1986. He then worked as a capital projects manager for the city’s Downtown Development District, and as a property manager for a firm in private industry.
Thomas was first elected to City Council in 1994, representing District B – a district which includes BOLD’s home neighborhood of Central City as well as the Central Business District
New Orleans Central Business District
The Central Business District is a neighborhood of the city of New Orleans. A subdistrict of the French Quarter/CBD Area, its boundaries as defined by the City Planning Commission are: Iberville, Decatur and Canal Streets to the north, the Mississippi River to the east, the New Orleans Morial...
and parts of Mid-City
Mid-City
Mid-City can refer to some city districts in the United States:* Mid-City, Los Angeles, California* Mid-Wilshire, in Los Angeles, California* Mid-City New Orleans, Louisiana* Mid-Cities, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas...
and Uptown
Uptown New Orleans
Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...
. He served as councilor for this district for two terms before being elected to an at-large seat in 2002. While on city council, Thomas developed a reputation as a capable, responsive elected official; he gained a high level of popularity among both black and white voters. His popularity was confirmed in the both the elections of 2002 and 2006, when he was elected with a margin wide enough to avoid needing a runoff. He won with 88% of the vote in 2002 and was re-elected with 78% of the vote in 2006. In recent years there had been widespread speculation that Thomas would run for Mayor of New Orleans in 2010.
Bribery and resignation
On August 13, 2007, Thomas resigned his council seat and pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge. In late 2001 and early 2002, Thomas took $15,000 in kickbacks from Stan “Pampy” Barre, a local businessman and associate of then-mayor Marc MorialMarc Morial
Marc Haydel Morial is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana from 1994 to 2002. He is married to Michelle Miller, who has won awards as a CBS News Correspondent.- Early life and educations...
. Barre owned a company which operated a number of French Quarter
French Quarter
The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest neighborhood in the city of New Orleans. When New Orleans was founded in 1718 by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, the city was originally centered on the French Quarter, or the Vieux Carré as it was known then...
parking lots under contract with the city, and paid Thomas in order to ensure that the Morial-era contracts would be renewed under the incoming administration. Thomas agreed to Barre's terms, but also demanded and received one-third of the parking profits in kickbacks through one of his associates. On November 21, 2007, Thomas was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison for bribery.
Acting career
Oliver Thomas played himself in Season 2 of HBO's Treme, set just before he was arrested for bribery in 2007.Election History
Councilmember, District B, 1994Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 5, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 9467 (42%) | Runoff |
| Renee Gill Pratt Renée Gill Pratt Renée Gill Pratt is a local politician from New Orleans. She was also Director of the Center for Student Retention and Success in Southern University at New Orleans... |
Democratic | 8609 (38%) | Runoff |
| Others | 20% | Defeated |
Councilmember, District B, 1994
Threshold > 50%
Runoff, March 5, 1994
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 13,964 (52%) | Elected |
| Renee Gill Pratt Renée Gill Pratt Renée Gill Pratt is a local politician from New Orleans. She was also Director of the Center for Student Retention and Success in Southern University at New Orleans... |
Democratic | 13,042 (48%) | Defeated |
Councilmember, District B, 1998
Threshold > 50%
First Ballot, February 7, 1998
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 16,759 (90%) | Elected |
| Diane Prunty-Williams | Republican | 1897 (10%) | Defeated |
At-Large Councilmember, 2002
Threshold >25% (two to be elected)
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 84,346 (44%) | Elected |
| Eddie Sapir | Democratic | 79,472 (41%) | Elected |
| Others | 15% | Defeated |
At-Large Councilmember, 2006
Threshold >25% (two to be elected)
| Candidate | Affiliation | Support | Outcome |
| Oliver Thomas | Democratic | 66,374 (39%) | Elected |
| Jackie Clarkson Jackie Clarkson Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson is the current president of the New Orleans City Council and a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives... |
Democratic | 36,839 (22%) | Runoff |
| Arnie Fielkow Arnie Fielkow Arnie Fielkow is a Democratic politician from New Orleans. In November 2006, he won a seat on New Orleans's City Council as a Member at Large, and served as City Council President. He was reelected in 2010. In fall 2011, he announced his resignation... |
Democratic | 31,092 (18%) | Runoff |
| Others | 20% | Defeated |
External links
- City of New Orleans : http://www.cityofno.com/
- Louisiana Secretary of State : http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/