Randall S. Harmon
Encyclopedia
Randall S. "Front Porch" Harmon (July 19, 1903 - August 18, 1982) was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana
.
Harmon was born in North Vernon, Indiana
and he graduated from North Vernon High School. Harmon also took extension courses in law and tool engineering. He was employed as a tool engineer with Delco Battery Operations in Muncie, Indiana
from 1933 to 1959.
Harmon ran for Congress seven times from 1944 to 1956, running from 1944 to 1952 as a Republican and in 1954 and 1956 as a Democrat. He failed to win a Congressional primary once during this time.
Due to the Democratic party's landslide victory in the 1958 Congressional elections, Harmon was elected to Congress, defeating incumbent Ralph Harvey
. During his term in office, Harmon attracted controversy by putting his wife on the Congressional payroll and declaring his front porch a Congressional district office. Harmon also explored the possibility of running for President in 1960, but he refused to spend money on such a candidacy, and never proceeded to run. Harmon won his primary with 30% of the vote in a field of nine candidates. In the general election, he campaigned with a replica of a front porch on a truck , Harmon lost his bid for re-election in 1960 to Ralph Harvey.
After leaving office, Harmon campaigned for Congress in 1962. He then attempted to run for Congress in 1964, but he filed for Congress and the Delaware County
Council, and the state ruled that he could run for neither office . Harmon then ran for Congress eight more times from 1968 to 1982, failing to get out of the primary once, before dying in August 1982.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Harmon was born in North Vernon, Indiana
North Vernon, Indiana
North Vernon is a city in Jennings County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,728 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Vernon is located at ....
and he graduated from North Vernon High School. Harmon also took extension courses in law and tool engineering. He was employed as a tool engineer with Delco Battery Operations in Muncie, Indiana
Muncie, Indiana
Muncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
from 1933 to 1959.
Harmon ran for Congress seven times from 1944 to 1956, running from 1944 to 1952 as a Republican and in 1954 and 1956 as a Democrat. He failed to win a Congressional primary once during this time.
Due to the Democratic party's landslide victory in the 1958 Congressional elections, Harmon was elected to Congress, defeating incumbent Ralph Harvey
Ralph Harvey
Ralph Harvey was a U.S. Representative from Indiana.Born on a farm near Mount Summit, Indiana, Harvey attended the public schools.He graduated from Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, 1923.Agricultural instructor....
. During his term in office, Harmon attracted controversy by putting his wife on the Congressional payroll and declaring his front porch a Congressional district office. Harmon also explored the possibility of running for President in 1960, but he refused to spend money on such a candidacy, and never proceeded to run. Harmon won his primary with 30% of the vote in a field of nine candidates. In the general election, he campaigned with a replica of a front porch on a truck , Harmon lost his bid for re-election in 1960 to Ralph Harvey.
After leaving office, Harmon campaigned for Congress in 1962. He then attempted to run for Congress in 1964, but he filed for Congress and the Delaware County
Delaware County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 118,769 people, 47,131 households, and 29,692 families residing in the county. The population density was 302 people per square mile . There were 51,032 housing units at an average density of 130 per square mile...
Council, and the state ruled that he could run for neither office . Harmon then ran for Congress eight more times from 1968 to 1982, failing to get out of the primary once, before dying in August 1982.