Thomas R. Chandler
Encyclopedia
Thomas R. Chandler is an Ohio
medical technician who has been a perennial candidate
for the Ohio House and the United States House of Representatives
as a Democrat. Chandler served on the Ohio Democratic Party
's State Central Committee in the 1990s but Chandler is now a Republican.
Chandler, a resident of the California neighborhood of Cincinnati
, graduated from New Richmond High School
and attended the University of Cincinnati
. He worked at Cincinnati's Jewish Hospital as a lead material specialist from 1973.
Chandler was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives
in the Second District in 1992, running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the June 2 primary election
. That day he elected Democratic State Committeeman for the Second Congressional District. The vote was 9,856 for Chandler, 4,442 for attorney Rupert E. Ruppert, and 6,858 for Terry M. Tranter.
The heavily Republican Second District included all of Clermont, Adams, and Brown Counties, and parts of Hamilton and Warren Counties. The Dayton Daily News
wrote "Veteran Bill Gradison is being perfunctorily challenged by Thomas Chandler, who admits to having happily voted for Rep. Gradison in the past. The Democrats wanted to put somebody on the ticket." Chandler supported raising taxes to lower the budget deficit, was pro-choice
, and opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and school vouchers. On November 3, Chandler lost to Gradison, a congressman since 1975, by a vote of 75,924 to 177,720, with write-in candidate Emily Roughen Wood receiving seven votes. Gradison hugely outspent his opponent, $74,652 to $290. On the same day he lost his congressional bid, he was chose an elector for Ohio and cast his votes on December 14 for Bill Clinton
and Al Gore
.
When Gradison resigned in January 1993, Chandler was the first to announce his candidacy in the March 16 special primary election
for the overwhelmingly Republican district. Chandler said the most important issue was the economy and felt taxes needed to be raised. He supported cuts in foreign aid, defense, NASA
, and health research. Chandler was opposed by Sharonville
attorney Lee Hornberger; Ralph Applegate, the business agent of an architect, who lived outside the district in Columbus
; Ray Mitchell, a perennial candidate and business broker from Montgomery County's
Miami Township
, also outside the district; and Robert Dale McDilda Sr. of Price Hill, who ran for the United States Senate
in Alabama in 1986. The Dayton Daily News
described Chandler's opponents in skeptical terms:
"We ran a decent, fair, open Democratic primary," Hornberger said after he defeated Chandler. "I started out with five supporters in mid-January and by tonight I had two- thirds of the Democratic votes." These were the final results:
Hornberger lost the special general election to another attorney, Rob Portman
.
Chandler in 1994 won the Democratic nomination in the May 3 primary by defeating Terry M. Tranter, 10,546 (76.15%) to 8,372 (44.25%). He faced incumbent Jacquelyn K. O'Brien in the 37th Ohio House district, which included the eastern Cincinnati neighborhoods of Oakley, the East End, Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, Columbia Tusculum, Linwood, California and Mount Washington; the cities of Norwood
and Newtown
; and Anderson Township
. He told The Cincinnati Post that year that he was in favor of casino gambling in Ohio and supported the death penalty. O'Brien won the endorsement of The Post, which wrote Chandler "would bring enthusiasm to the job but needs time to mature politically." Chandler lost the election in a heavily Republican district. O'Brien received 29,198 votes (76.15%) to Chandler's 9,146 (23.85%). Chandler was also greatly outspent by his opponent: $10,602 to $1,160
Chandler won the Democratic nomination to challenge Portman in 1996 by defeating Ray Mitchell in the March primary with three-fourths of the vote. "I know it is going to be a rough campaign, but I'm ready for it," Chandler said. He predicted a negative campaign, "and the negatives may come from me. I've got to be on the attack. I can't just sit back there and not be aggressive, as I did against Bill Gradison." The Cincinnati Post
called Chandler a "sacrificial lamb
" for his party, a status Chandler acknowledged. "Even I know a Democrat's chances of winning are like a snowball's chance in hell, but I've got to do what I've got to do." "God love Tom, he just keeps going out there," said Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Timothy D. Burke. "And he has done surprisingly well in some areas."
In the fall, The Post wrote "Chandler deserves credit for offering a credible alternative, and he has a compelling belief in the work ethic. But in this race, Portman is clearly the better qualified candidate. We endorse him enthusiastically." Chandler lost 58,715 to 186,853, with Natural Law Party
candidate Kathleen M. McKnight receiving 13,905 votes. Chandler was gracious in defeat, telling The Post "Rob is a gentleman, a fine man. I think the district got a good man."
Chandler was a candidate in the May 2, 2006, primary election
for the Ohio Republican Party
's State Central Committee for the Seventh Senatorial District. He received 9,344 votes (32.5%), finishing second to Leslie J. Spaeth.
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
medical technician who has been a perennial candidate
Perennial candidate
A perennial candidate is one who frequently runs for public office with a record of success that is infrequent, if existent at all. Perennial candidates are often either members of minority political parties or have political opinions that are not mainstream. They may run without any serious hope...
for the Ohio House and the United States House of Representatives
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...
as a Democrat. Chandler served on the Ohio Democratic Party
Ohio Democratic Party
The Ohio Democratic Party is the Ohio affiliate to the United States Democratic Party. Former Ohio House Minority Leader Chris Redfern is the Ohio Democratic Party chairman. Redfern was elected to office in December 2005...
's State Central Committee in the 1990s but Chandler is now a Republican.
Chandler, a resident of the California neighborhood of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, graduated from New Richmond High School
New Richmond, Ohio
New Richmond is a village in Clermont County, Ohio, United States, founded 1814, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,219 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Richmond is located at ....
and attended the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
. He worked at Cincinnati's Jewish Hospital as a lead material specialist from 1973.
Chandler was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives
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...
in the Second District in 1992, running unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the June 2 primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
. That day he elected Democratic State Committeeman for the Second Congressional District. The vote was 9,856 for Chandler, 4,442 for attorney Rupert E. Ruppert, and 6,858 for Terry M. Tranter.
The heavily Republican Second District included all of Clermont, Adams, and Brown Counties, and parts of Hamilton and Warren Counties. The Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
wrote "Veteran Bill Gradison is being perfunctorily challenged by Thomas Chandler, who admits to having happily voted for Rep. Gradison in the past. The Democrats wanted to put somebody on the ticket." Chandler supported raising taxes to lower the budget deficit, was pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
, and opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
(NAFTA) and school vouchers. On November 3, Chandler lost to Gradison, a congressman since 1975, by a vote of 75,924 to 177,720, with write-in candidate Emily Roughen Wood receiving seven votes. Gradison hugely outspent his opponent, $74,652 to $290. On the same day he lost his congressional bid, he was chose an elector for Ohio and cast his votes on December 14 for Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
.
When Gradison resigned in January 1993, Chandler was the first to announce his candidacy in the March 16 special primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the overwhelmingly Republican district. Chandler said the most important issue was the economy and felt taxes needed to be raised. He supported cuts in foreign aid, defense, NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, and health research. Chandler was opposed by Sharonville
Sharonville, Ohio
Sharonville is a city in Butler and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 13,804 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sharonville is located at .It is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....
attorney Lee Hornberger; Ralph Applegate, the business agent of an architect, who lived outside the district in Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
; Ray Mitchell, a perennial candidate and business broker from Montgomery County's
Montgomery County, Ohio
Montgomery County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 535,153 in the 2010 Census. It was named in honor of Richard Montgomery, an American Revolutionary War general killed in 1775 while attempting to capture Quebec City, Canada. The county seat is Dayton...
Miami Township
Miami Township, Montgomery County, Ohio
Miami Township is one of the nine townships of Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2010 census the population was 50,735.-Geography:Located in the southern part of the county, it borders the following townships and cities:*Moraine - north...
, also outside the district; and Robert Dale McDilda Sr. of Price Hill, who ran for the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in Alabama in 1986. The Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
described Chandler's opponents in skeptical terms:
- When Mr. Mitchell writes campaign literature or letters to the editor, he refers to himself in the third person ("Ray Mitchell has been ahead of the times") and is generous in giving himself credit for happenings he didn't cause, such as cutbacks at Wright-Patterson Air Force BaseWright-Patterson Air Force BaseWright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
and Mound Labs. The other Democrats are Robert McDilda whose Apocalyptic slash-the-deficit fervor collapses in the details, and Ralph Applegate, a ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
engineer who says he was fired unconstitutionally by the Defense Department and would move into the district if he won.
"We ran a decent, fair, open Democratic primary," Hornberger said after he defeated Chandler. "I started out with five supporters in mid-January and by tonight I had two- thirds of the Democratic votes." These were the final results:
- Lee Hornberger, 3,627 (45.99%)
- Thomas R. Chandler, 2,223 (28.19%)
- Ralph A. Applegate, 840 (10.65%)
- Ray Mitchell, 795 (10.08%)
- Robert Dale McDilda, Sr., 402 (5.10%)
Hornberger lost the special general election to another attorney, Rob Portman
Rob Portman
Robert Jones "Rob" Portman is the junior United States Senator from Ohio. He is a member of the Republican Party. He succeeded retiring Senator George Voinovich....
.
Chandler in 1994 won the Democratic nomination in the May 3 primary by defeating Terry M. Tranter, 10,546 (76.15%) to 8,372 (44.25%). He faced incumbent Jacquelyn K. O'Brien in the 37th Ohio House district, which included the eastern Cincinnati neighborhoods of Oakley, the East End, Hyde Park, Mount Lookout, Columbia Tusculum, Linwood, California and Mount Washington; the cities of Norwood
Norwood, Ohio
Norwood is the second most populous city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is an enclave of the larger city of Cincinnati. The population was 21,675 at the 2000 census. Originally settled as an early suburb of Cincinnati in the wooded countryside north of the city, the area is...
and Newtown
Newtown, Ohio
Newtown is a village in southeastern Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, near Cincinnati. The population was 2,420 at the 2000 census.Newtown was first settled in 1792 under the name of Mercersburg. The name was changed before the village incorporated in 1901.-History:Multiple Native American...
; and Anderson Township
Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio
Anderson Township is one of the twelve townships of Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. Located in the southeastern part of the county and less than 15 minutes from downtown, the township has been named one of the Cincinnati area's most desirable neighborhoods to live...
. He told The Cincinnati Post that year that he was in favor of casino gambling in Ohio and supported the death penalty. O'Brien won the endorsement of The Post, which wrote Chandler "would bring enthusiasm to the job but needs time to mature politically." Chandler lost the election in a heavily Republican district. O'Brien received 29,198 votes (76.15%) to Chandler's 9,146 (23.85%). Chandler was also greatly outspent by his opponent: $10,602 to $1,160
Chandler won the Democratic nomination to challenge Portman in 1996 by defeating Ray Mitchell in the March primary with three-fourths of the vote. "I know it is going to be a rough campaign, but I'm ready for it," Chandler said. He predicted a negative campaign, "and the negatives may come from me. I've got to be on the attack. I can't just sit back there and not be aggressive, as I did against Bill Gradison." The Cincinnati Post
The Cincinnati Post
The Cincinnati Post is a discontinued afternoon daily newspaper that was published in Cincinnati, Ohio. Distributed in Northern Kentucky as The Kentucky Post, it was owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. Since the 1980s, its editorial stance was usually conservative. The Post published its final...
called Chandler a "sacrificial lamb
Sacrificial lamb
A sacrificial lamb is a metaphorical reference to a person or animal sacrificed for the common good. The term is derived from the traditions of Abrahamic religion where a lamb is a highly valued possession, but is offered to God as a sacrifice for the forgiveness of Sin.-In politics:In politics, a...
" for his party, a status Chandler acknowledged. "Even I know a Democrat's chances of winning are like a snowball's chance in hell, but I've got to do what I've got to do." "God love Tom, he just keeps going out there," said Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Timothy D. Burke. "And he has done surprisingly well in some areas."
In the fall, The Post wrote "Chandler deserves credit for offering a credible alternative, and he has a compelling belief in the work ethic. But in this race, Portman is clearly the better qualified candidate. We endorse him enthusiastically." Chandler lost 58,715 to 186,853, with Natural Law Party
Natural Law Party
The Natural Law Party was a transnational party based on the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It was active in up to 74 countries, and ran candidates in at least ten. Founded in 1992, it was mostly disbanded in 2004 but continues in India and in some U.S. states.The NLP viewed "natural law" as...
candidate Kathleen M. McKnight receiving 13,905 votes. Chandler was gracious in defeat, telling The Post "Rob is a gentleman, a fine man. I think the district got a good man."
Chandler was a candidate in the May 2, 2006, primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
for the Ohio Republican Party
Ohio Republican Party
The Ohio Republican Party is the Ohio state affiliate of the United States Republican Party. It was founded in Columbus, Ohio on February 13, 1854. Kevin DeWine has been chairman of the Ohio GOP since 2009...
's State Central Committee for the Seventh Senatorial District. He received 9,344 votes (32.5%), finishing second to Leslie J. Spaeth.