Rodney Tom
Encyclopedia
Rodney Tom is an American politician, currently representing Washington's 48th Legislative District in the state Senate and a member of the Democratic Party
.
degree from the University of Washington
in 1985 and went on to earn his MBA
from the University of Southern California
in 1988. A year later he began a career as a realtor, and remains one to this day, presently affiliated with Windermere Real Estate
. He resides with his wife Deborah in Medina
. The couple have two children.
as a Republican
by defeating Democrat
Connie Espe by a 52 to 42% margin with 5% going to a third-party candidate.
He was reelected in 2004, edging out Democrat
challenger Debi Golden with a 51.76% to 48.24% margin (1816 votes).
On March 14, 2006, Tom announced that he was switching to the Democratic Party and challenging Luke Esser. This announcement caused no small amount of controversy, as Tom's 2004 Democratic opponent, Debi Golden, had already declared her intention to run for the state Senate in the 48th district, which brought the two together for a rematch of their 2004 race. However, two weeks later, Golden ended her candidacy, citing the expense and futility of a primary battle, leaving Tom unopposed for the Democratic nomination. He defeated incumbent Republican Luke Esser
with 53% of the vote.
On July 17, 2007, Tom publicly announced his campaign for the 8th District's congressional seat. He soon ended the campaign and endorsed Darcy Burner
(D), who was the challenger to Dave Reichert
(R) in 2006 and had a major lead in fundraising.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Personal life
Tom earned a Bachelor of ArtsBachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
in 1985 and went on to earn his MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in 1988. A year later he began a career as a realtor, and remains one to this day, presently affiliated with Windermere Real Estate
Windermere Real Estate
Windermere Real Estate, a real estate company founded and based in the Windermere neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, was founded by John W. Jacobi in 1972, when he purchased an eight-agent office...
. He resides with his wife Deborah in Medina
Medina, Washington
Medina is a city located in the Eastside, a region of King County, Washington, United States. Surrounded on the north, west, and south by Lake Washington, opposite Seattle, Medina is bordered by Clyde Hill and Hunts Point, as well as the satellite city of Bellevue. The city's population was 2,969...
. The couple have two children.
Political career
In 2002, Tom was elected to the state House of RepresentativesWashington House of Representatives
The Washington House of Representatives is the lower house of the Washington State Legislature, the legislature of the U.S. State of Washington. It is composed of 98 Representatives from 49 districts, each of which elects two members. All members of the House are elected to a two-year term without...
as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
by defeating Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Connie Espe by a 52 to 42% margin with 5% going to a third-party candidate.
He was reelected in 2004, edging out Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
challenger Debi Golden with a 51.76% to 48.24% margin (1816 votes).
On March 14, 2006, Tom announced that he was switching to the Democratic Party and challenging Luke Esser. This announcement caused no small amount of controversy, as Tom's 2004 Democratic opponent, Debi Golden, had already declared her intention to run for the state Senate in the 48th district, which brought the two together for a rematch of their 2004 race. However, two weeks later, Golden ended her candidacy, citing the expense and futility of a primary battle, leaving Tom unopposed for the Democratic nomination. He defeated incumbent Republican Luke Esser
Luke Esser
Luke Esser was the chairman of the Republican Party of Washington from 2007 to 2011. He was elected on January 27, 2007, when he defeated incumbent chairwoman Diane Tebelius, was re-elected in 2009, but lost to Kirby Wilbur in 2011....
with 53% of the vote.
On July 17, 2007, Tom publicly announced his campaign for the 8th District's congressional seat. He soon ended the campaign and endorsed Darcy Burner
Darcy Burner
Darcy Gibbons Burner is a Democrat from Carnation, Washington. She was a candidate for in 2006 and 2008, but lost to incumbent Dave Reichert in both elections. She worked for twelve years in high technology including five years at Microsoft as a Marketing Manager, working on .NET...
(D), who was the challenger to Dave Reichert
Dave Reichert
David George Reichert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served as Sheriff of King County, Washington.-Early life, education and career:...
(R) in 2006 and had a major lead in fundraising.