Terry R. Spence - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Terry R. Spence is a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

Statesman

A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...

and politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

from New Castle

New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...

, in New Castle County

New Castle County, Delaware

New Castle County is the northernmost of the three counties of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 its population was 538,479, an increase of 7.6% over the previous decade. The county seat is Wilmington. The center of population of Delaware is located in New Castle County, in the town of...

, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

. He is a member of the Republican Party

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...

, who served in the Delaware General Assembly

Delaware General Assembly

The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 Senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 Representatives...

as Speaker

Speaker (politics)

The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...

of the Delaware House of Representatives

Delaware House of Representatives

The Delaware House of Representatives is the lower house of the Delaware General Assembly; the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 41 Representatives from an equal amount of constituencies, each of whom is elected to a two year term. The Delaware General Assembly...

. He was defeated in the 2008 election by Democrat Michael A. Barbieri. Though he ran again for his old seat in 2010, he was defeated by the incumbent Representative, Michael Barbieri.

Early life and family

Spence was born in Wilmington

Wilmington, Delaware

Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...

, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

and grew up in New Castle

New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...

, Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

. His father, Ernest S. Spence, Jr., was a state trooper and a candidate for the 6th district seat on the New Castle County Council in 1972.

Spence received an Associate’s degree in business from Goldey-Beacom College

Goldey-Beacom College

Goldey–Beacom College is a private, non-profit, coeducational college in Pike Creek Valley, a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware, United States. It offers degrees in economics, psychology, computer information systems, and business. The college was founded in 1886.-About the school:Goldey–Beacom...

and later a Bachelor’s degree from Wilmington University

Wilmington University

Wilmington University is a private educational institution, with its main campus located in New Castle near Wilmington, Delaware. It was founded in 1968 as Wilmington College and was granted university status on September 10, 2007, after approval by the Board of Trustees and the Middle States...

. He is now a lobbyist with few accounts. Spence also served in the Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

Air National Guard

The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...

. He and his wife Nancy have four children, Terry, Greg, Mark, and Laura. They live in Stratford, near New Castle

New Castle, Delaware

New Castle is a city in New Castle County, Delaware, six miles south of Wilmington, situated on the Delaware River. In 1900, 3,380 people lived here; in 1910, 3,351...

. His sons Greg and Mark followed in his father's footsteps by becoming Delaware State Troopers.

State representative

The 18th State House

Delaware House of Representatives

District is a suburban and commercial area of central New Castle County that includes such landmarks as the historic village of Christiana

Christiana, Delaware

Christiana is a community near Wilmington, Delaware, USA. It is an unincorperated community in New Castle County, Delaware. It is home to the Christiana Mall and is the northern terminus to Delaware Route 1.-History:...

, Christiana Mall

Christiana Mall

Christiana Mall is a super-regional mid-range/upscale shopping mall near Newark, Delaware, United States. The mall is near an exit off Interstate 95 close to the center of the BosWash megalopolis. The mall's anchor stores are Macy's, JCPenney, Target and Nordstrom. The mall contains more than 130...

, and Christiana Hospital. It stretches from, but does not include, Delaware Park

Delaware Park (race track)

Delaware Park is an American horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about thirty miles from Philadelphia.-Thoroughbred racing:...

and the New Castle Airport

New Castle Airport

New Castle Airport , also known as the New Castle County Airport, is a public airport located in unincorporated New Castle County, Delaware, United States and four miles south of the central business district of the city of Wilmington....

on the north, to the Governor's Square Shopping Center at Bear in the south. It has a mixture of older and newer residential developments, apartments, and shopping areas. The resident population is mixed in age, and middle income blue collar

Blue collar

Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...

. It normally votes strongly Democratic

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...

.

Upon the retirement of four-term Democratic State Representative John P. Ferguson in 1980, Spence ran as a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

for Ferguson’s seat in the 20th Representative District. Despite the district’s Democratic leaning, the nationwide Republican tide led by presidential candidate 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....

helped propel Spence to a six-point victory over Democrat John Zimath at the polls. In 1982, redistricting caused by the United States Census

United States Census

The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...

changed Spence’s district number from 20 to 18. Spence was re-elected to the House over Democrat Ronald Queen with 62.5% of the vote. In the following two elections, Spence overwhelmingly defeated his Democratic challengers by increasingly large margins and has represented the 18th district ever since. Spence has been unopposed in seven of his thirteen reelection campaigns. When opposed for reelection, he routinely won by large margins. In 1994, he garnered 71.4% of the vote in his race against Susan Mangini. In 2000, he defeated Frances Anglin by 17 points.

In the 2006 election

United States general elections, 2006

The 2006 United States midterm elections were held on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. All United States House of Representatives seats and one third of the United States Senate seats were contested in this election, as well as 36 state governorships, many state legislatures, four territorial...

, Spence faced the toughest reelection campaign of his career. Spence’s district had become increasingly Democratic. By then, 49% of the district’s registered voters were Democrats, while only 26% registered as Republicans. http://www.delawaregrapevine.com/races-2-watch.asp Furthermore, the unpopularity of Republican President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

was fermenting into a strong Democratic showing in the general elections. Viewing Spence as vulnerable under these conditions, the state Democratic Party recruited union activist and behavioral health professional Mike Barbieri to run against Spence. It was Spence’s closest race since his first in 1980, but he still defeated Barbieri by over 12 points. On March 7, 2008, Barbieri registered to oppose Spence again in the 2008 election, this time winning the election by 12 points. On April 27, 2010, Spence registered to oppose Barbieri in the 2010 election.

Though a social conservative, Spence’s representation of his middle class district often put him at odds with other Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

leaders and the numerous corporate interests in the state. In 1999, Spence supported Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

State Senator

Delaware Senate

The Delaware Senate is the upper house of the Delaware General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Delaware. It is composed of 21 Senators, each of whom is elected to a four-year term, except when reapportionment occurs, at which time Senators may be elected to a two-year term....

Robert Marshall’s bill to increase Delaware

Delaware

Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...

’s minimum wage

Minimum wage

A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...

by $0.50 per hour. Opposed were not only much of the state’s Republican

Republican Party (United States)

leadership, but also Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

Governor Thomas R. Carper

Thomas R. Carper

Thomas Richard "Tom" Carper is the senior United States Senator from Delaware and a member of the Democratic Party. He was previously the 71st Governor of Delaware and a United States Representative....

.

Prominent legislation sponsored by Spence include laws to give life sentences to sexual predators, sentence certain drug offenders to rehabilitation instead of prison, and require drivers convicted of DUI

Driving under the influence

Driving under the influence is the act of driving a motor vehicle with blood levels of alcohol in excess of a legal limit...

to have interlock devices

Breath alcohol ignition interlock device

An ignition interlock device or breath alcohol ignition interlock device is a mechanism, like a breathalyzer, installed to a motor vehicle's dashboard...

installed in their cars. Spence also proposed controversial and ultimately unsuccessful legislation to expand the number of seats in the State House after the 2000 Census and suspend the state fuel tax

Fuel tax

A fuel tax is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation...

during the summer of 2006.

Spence served on the following committees:

Ethics
Homeland Security
House Administration
House Rules
Labor
Legislative Council
Veterans Affairs

Speaker of the House

In 1987, the Republicans

Republican Party (United States)

in the State House

Delaware House of Representatives

elected B. Bradford Barnes of Bridgeville

Bridgeville, Delaware

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,436 people, 570 households, and 381 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,768.6 people per square mile . There were 636 housing units at an average density of 783.3 per square mile...

Speaker

Speaker (politics)

. However, Barnes died in office shortly thereafter. Spence, who had entered the State House

Delaware House of Representatives

in the same year as Barnes, was then selected to succeed Barnes as Speaker. He has served in that capacity ever since, and is the longest serving Speaker of the House in the history of the Delaware General Assembly

Delaware General Assembly

. He has also held the position of Speaker longer than any current Speaker of any state legislature in the United States.

In 2006, Spence and Majority Leader

Majority leader

In U.S. politics, the majority floor leader is a partisan position in a legislative body.In the federal Congress, the role differs slightly in the two houses. In the House of Representatives, which chooses its own presiding officer, the leader of the majority party is elected the Speaker of the...

Wayne Smith were opposed for their leadership positions in the Republican Caucus by Joseph W. Booth and Richard C. Cathcart, respectively. However, Republicans in the Delaware State House retained their majority and lost only two seats in the 2006 elections

United States general elections, 2006

that saw multiple Republican losses throughout the country. House Republicans elected to stay with the leadership that had led them through the tumultuous election. After being re-elected Speaker, Spence, rather than punishing Booth and Cathcart, appointed both to the powerful Appropriations and Joint Finance committees.

2000 gubernatorial race

In 1991 and 1995, Spence explored the possibility of running for Governor in the elections of the following years, but in both cases opted not to challenge popular Democrat Tom Carper. Due to this, Celia Cohen, in her book Only in Delaware, referred to Spence as the "odd numbered year candidate."

In 2000, however, Spence decided to run for Governor and entered the Republican

Republican Party (United States)

gubernatorial primary. Unfortunately, Spence’s past record of support for labor worked against him as the support of the party’s hierarchy and the state’s business leaders quickly coalesced around Chairman of the state Chamber of Commerce

Chamber of commerce

A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...

and former State House Majority Leader John M. Burris. Due to an inability to raise campaign funds, Spence withdrew from the race before the September primary election in order to run for reelection to the House. Spence endorsed Burris, the eventual Republican nominee, who went on to lose the general election to then Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of Delaware

The Lieutenant Governor of Delaware is the second ranking executive officer of the U.S. state of Delaware. Lieutenant Governors are elected for a term of four years in the same general election as the U.S. President and take office the following January....

Ruth Ann Minner

Ruth Ann Minner is an American politician and businesswoman from Milford, in Kent County, Delaware. She is a member of the Democratic Party who served in the Delaware General Assembly, as the 23rd Lieutenant Governor of Delaware and two terms as the first female Governor of Delaware.-Early life...

Public offices

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1. Members of the Delaware General Assembly

Delaware General Assembly

take office the second Tuesday of January. The State House

Delaware House of Representatives

has a term of two years.

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Legislature

A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...

|Dover

Dover, Delaware

The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...

Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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Dover, Delaware

Delaware House of Representatives

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Dover, Delaware

Delaware House of Representatives

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Dover, Delaware

Delaware House of Representatives

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Delaware House of Representatives

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|Legislature

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|2006
|January 9, 2007
|January 13, 2009
|

Election results

{|class=wikitable style="width: 94%" style="text-align: center;" align="center"
|-bgcolor=#cccccc
!Year
!Office
!Election
!
!Subject
!Party
!Votes
!%
!
!Opponent
!Party
!Votes
!%
|-
|1980
|Delaware State Representative, District 20

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |3,035
| |53.1%
|
| |John H. Zimath
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |2,683
| |46.9%
|-
|1982
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,485
| |62.5%
|
| |Ronald E. Queen
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |1,488
| |37.5%
|-
|1984
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |4,082
| |73.7%
|
| |Samuel R. Richeon
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |1,453
| |26.3%
|-
|1986
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,290
| |77.2%
|
| |William H. Hartzel
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |676
| |22.8%
|-
|1988
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |3,797
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|1990
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,468
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|1992
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |4,484
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|1994
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,718
| |71.4%
|
| |Susan N. Mangini
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |1,088
| |28.6%
|-
|1996
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |4,551
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|1998
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,245
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|2000
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |3,931
| |58.2%
|
| |Frances Anglin
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |2,823
| |41.8%
|-
|2002
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |3,221
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|2004
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |5,118
| |100%
|
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
| |unopposed
|-
|2006
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,724
| |56.2
|
| |Michael A. Barbieri
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |2,083
| |43.8%
|-
|2008
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |3,760
| |46.9
|
| |Michael A. Barbieri
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |4,164
| |52.0%
|-
|2010
|Delaware State Representative, District 18

Delaware House of Representatives

Republican Party (United States)

| |2,766
| |47.0
|
| |Michael A. Barbieri
| |Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

| |3,115
| |53.0%
Results provided by the Delaware Department of Elections

Places with more information

Delaware Historical Society
Delaware Historical Society
The Delaware Historical Society began in 1864 as an effort to preserve documents from the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded into a state-wide historical institution with several venues and a major museum in Wilmington and the historic Read House & Gardens in New Castle.The society...

website, 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
University of Delaware
University of Delaware
The university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...

Library website, 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965
Newark Free Library 750 Library Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 731-7550.
Corbit-Calloway Memorial Library 2nd and High St., Odessa, Delaware (302) 378-8838.

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