Richard D. McIntyre, Sr. (October 5, 1956 - October 30, 2007) was a lawyer and public official from Indiana. He was born in 1956 and his original ambition was to become a Navy Pilot. He enrolled in Naval air training in Pensacola, but was forced to quit after a knee injury. He then entered law school in Bloomington, Indiana, and also entered the Indiana National Guard, where he became a military lawyer and rose to the rank of Colonel. He also ran successfully for the state House of Representatives in 1980 and was reelected two years later. In 1984, he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives against freshman Democrat Frank McCloskey

Frank McCloskey

Francis Xavier "Frank" McCloskey was a six-term Democratic representative from Indiana from January 3, 1983 to January 3, 1995, widely remembered for his advocacy on behalf of Bosnian Muslims. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and later moved to Bloomington, Indiana after receiving an...

. On election night, he appeared to have won a hairbreadth victory and was certified by the Secretary of State as having won by 34 votes. However, the Democratic majority refused to seat him, claiming voting irregularities. An investigation by a House committee ruled that McCloskey won by four votes, which stirred up controversy and caused House Republicans to stage a symbolic walkout. McIntyre was interested in running for Lieutenant Governor in 1986, but was persuaded to seek a rematch with McCloskey. By this time, President Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

 was less popular than in 1984 and McIntyre was outspent. As a result, McCloskey won by a 53% to 47% margin.

McIntyre lost interest in the national arena and was appointed a Lawrence County

Lawrence County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 45,922 people, 18,535 households, and 13,141 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 20,560 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...

 Circuit Court Judge

Judge

A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

 in 1998. He was reelected without opposition in 1990, 1996, and 2002, and served until 2007, when he was found dead in his home at the age of 51 of an apparent suicide, amid reports of his possible involvement in a military furniture-buying scandal. At the time of his death, McIntyre a member of the Indiana National Guard

Indiana National Guard

The Indiana National Guard is the armed force of the state of Indiana. It consists of the Indiana Army National Guard and the Indiana Air National Guard, and is part of the larger Army National Guard and the Air National Guard...

, 76th Infantry Brigade Combat team, serving as a judge advocate and preparing for deployment to Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

.