Tommy Sowers
Encyclopedia
Tommy Sowers was the 2010 Democratic
nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives
in Missouri's 8th congressional district
(map). He is a former US Army Special Forces officer and he achieved the rank of Major
in the United States Army
.
, Sowers was educated in the public school system there and graduated from Rolla High School
. Afterwords Sowers attended Duke University
on an ROTC scholarship
. He later won a Rotary Scholarship to study at the London School of Economics
, where he graduated with a mark of distinction awarded to the top three graduates. He is currently completing his Ph.D.
in Government.
.
Sowers later attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating 1st in his class. While at 10th Special Forces Group, Sowers led a team of Green Berets. Sowers also served two deployments to Iraq
. During his time in the service Sowers was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge
and two Bronze Stars
.
in Rolla, MO.
. Libertarian Rick Vandeven and Independent Larry Bill are also running.
On Veterans Day 2009, former Clinton White House official Paul Begala
featured Sowers in an op-ed, calling the candidate "everything you'd want in an up-and-coming young leader: brave and battle-tested, deeply rooted in his community and passionate about bringing change and progress to his long-neglected corner of Missouri."
In early January, Sowers traveled around all twenty-eight counties in the district in a project dubbed "Boots on the Ground." Sowers worked a job in every county, garnering a great deal of local press. Boots on the Ground's success led to a mention from Governor of Vermont
Howard Dean
on MSNBC, predicting Sowers "is going to knock off, I think, Jo Ann Emerson." Sowers embarked on Boots on the Ground II, in July, working a job in every county.
Sowers has been added to the DCCC
's top races, and was added to the "Red to Blue" program.
Sowers demonstrated his ability to be a potent fundraiser, raising over $1.5 Million dollars in the 2010 cycle. Sowers out raised all of his opponents, including Emerson, two out of the four quarters.
Sowers has been endorsed by General Wesley Clark
and his organization VoteVets, which aims to put more veterans in Congress. He has also been endorsed by two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients: Retired Colonel Jack H. Jacobs
and former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey
.
In a profile in mid-April, Politico's Jonathan Martin called Sowers "one of the party’s most promising recruits."
In August, Sowers released his first ad, Combat Bible, which highlighted his military credentials. The ad was met with praise from Politico's Ben Smith, who called the ad "How to run against a GOP incumbent in red America this year."
On Election Day, Emerson defeated Sowers with 65% of the vote. "The fight for our home does not stop just because we don't like the outcome of this election," Sowers said from his hometown of Rolla. "Progress never comes easy."
Despite being born and raised there, Sowers only received 31% of the vote in Phelps County.
In September, Tommy appeared on Joe Scarborough
's Morning Joe
and The Ed Show
to call for an end to the war in Afghanistan.
Articles
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...
nominee for the U.S. 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 Missouri's 8th congressional district
Missouri's 8th congressional district
Missouri's 8th Congressional District is one of 435 congressional districts in the United States and one of nine congressional districts in the state of Missouri. The district encompasses rural Southeast Missouri and South Central Missouri as well as some counties in Southwest Missouri. The...
(map). He is a former US Army Special Forces officer and he achieved the rank of Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
Early life and education
Born and raised in Rolla, MissouriRolla, Missouri
Rolla is a city in Phelps County, Missouri, United States, midway between the larger cities of St. Louis and Springfield along I-44. The population in the 2010 United States Census was 19,559.It is the county seat of Phelps County...
, Sowers was educated in the public school system there and graduated from Rolla High School
Rolla High School
Rolla Senior High School has a population of about 1050 students. The school's mascot is the Bulldog with the colors of maroon and silver...
. Afterwords Sowers attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
on an ROTC scholarship
Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps is a college-based, officer commissioning program, predominantly in the United States. It is designed as a college elective that focuses on leadership development, problem solving, strategic planning, and professional ethics.The U.S...
. He later won a Rotary Scholarship to study at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, where he graduated with a mark of distinction awarded to the top three graduates. He is currently completing his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Government.
Military career
Sowers was commissioned in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sowers led a combat engineering platoon in the NATO campaign during the Kosovo WarKosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...
.
Sowers later attended the Special Forces Qualification Course, graduating 1st in his class. While at 10th Special Forces Group, Sowers led a team of Green Berets. Sowers also served two deployments 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....
. During his time in the service Sowers was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge
Combat Infantryman Badge
The Combat Infantryman Badge is the U.S. Army combat service recognition decoration awarded to soldiers—enlisted men and officers holding colonel rank or below, who personally fought in active ground combat while an assigned member of either an infantry or a Special Forces unit, of brigade size...
and two Bronze Stars
Bronze Star Medal
The Bronze Star Medal is a United States Armed Forces individual military decoration that may be awarded for bravery, acts of merit, or meritorious service. As a medal it is awarded for merit, and with the "V" for valor device it is awarded for heroism. It is the fourth-highest combat award of the...
.
Academic career
From 2006 to 2009, Sowers served as an Assistant Professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point. In fall 2009, Sowers began teaching in the History and Political Science Department at the Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMissouri University of Science and Technology
Missouri University of Science and Technology is an institution of higher learning located in Rolla, Missouri, United States, and part of the University of Missouri System...
in Rolla, MO.
2010 U.S. Congressional campaign
In September 2009, Sowers announced his candidacy for Congress against incumbent Representative Jo Ann EmersonJo Ann Emerson
Jo Ann Emerson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. The district consists of Southeast and South Central Missouri and includes the Bootheel, the Lead Belt and the Ozarks. Emerson is a member of the Republican Party....
. Libertarian Rick Vandeven and Independent Larry Bill are also running.
On Veterans Day 2009, former Clinton White House official Paul Begala
Paul Begala
Paul Edward Begala is an American political consultant and political commentator. He was an adviser to President Bill Clinton. Begala was a chief strategist for the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, which carried 33 states and made Clinton the first Democrat to win the White House in sixteen years...
featured Sowers in an op-ed, calling the candidate "everything you'd want in an up-and-coming young leader: brave and battle-tested, deeply rooted in his community and passionate about bringing change and progress to his long-neglected corner of Missouri."
In early January, Sowers traveled around all twenty-eight counties in the district in a project dubbed "Boots on the Ground." Sowers worked a job in every county, garnering a great deal of local press. Boots on the Ground's success led to a mention from Governor of Vermont
Governor of Vermont
The Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
on MSNBC, predicting Sowers "is going to knock off, I think, Jo Ann Emerson." Sowers embarked on Boots on the Ground II, in July, working a job in every county.
Sowers has been added to the DCCC
DCCC
You may be looking for:*Davidson County Community College*Dodge City Community College*Delaware County Community College*Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee*Derbyshire County Cricket Club*Durham County Cricket Club* The number 800 in Roman numerals....
's top races, and was added to the "Red to Blue" program.
Sowers demonstrated his ability to be a potent fundraiser, raising over $1.5 Million dollars in the 2010 cycle. Sowers out raised all of his opponents, including Emerson, two out of the four quarters.
Sowers has been endorsed by General Wesley Clark
Wesley Clark
Wesley Kanne Clark, Sr., is a retired general of the United States Army. Graduating as valedictorian of the class of 1966 at West Point, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he obtained a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and later graduated from the...
and his organization VoteVets, which aims to put more veterans in Congress. He has also been endorsed by two Congressional Medal of Honor recipients: Retired Colonel Jack H. Jacobs
Jack H. Jacobs
Jack Howard Jacobs is a retired colonel in the United States Army and a Medal of Honor recipient for his actions during the Vietnam War. He currently serves as a military analyst for MSNBC and previously worked as an investment manager....
and former U.S. Senator Bob Kerrey
Bob Kerrey
Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey was the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and a U.S. Senator from Nebraska . Having served in the Vietnam War, earning the Medal of Honor for his actions, he moved into politics. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1992...
.
In a profile in mid-April, Politico's Jonathan Martin called Sowers "one of the party’s most promising recruits."
In August, Sowers released his first ad, Combat Bible, which highlighted his military credentials. The ad was met with praise from Politico's Ben Smith, who called the ad "How to run against a GOP incumbent in red America this year."
On Election Day, Emerson defeated Sowers with 65% of the vote. "The fight for our home does not stop just because we don't like the outcome of this election," Sowers said from his hometown of Rolla. "Progress never comes easy."
Despite being born and raised there, Sowers only received 31% of the vote in Phelps County.
Political positions
During his campaign, Sowers has been critical of the nation's objective in Afghanistan and questions the endgame in the country.In September, Tommy appeared on Joe Scarborough
Joe Scarborough
Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel...
's Morning Joe
Morning Joe
Morning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996...
and The Ed Show
The Ed Show
The Ed Show is an hour-long weeknight news commentary program on MSNBC. The program is hosted by Ed Schultz, who hosts the nationally syndicated radio program, The Ed Schultz Show. It debuted on MSNBC on April 6, 2009, at 6 P.M. ET. It moved to 10 P.M. ET, filling the time slot previously...
to call for an end to the war in Afghanistan.
External links
- Tommy Sowers for Congress official campaign site
- Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
Articles
- Livengood, Chad Sowers raises $204K in bid to challenge Emerson, The Springfield News-Leader, October 13, 2009
- Martin, Jonathan Begala makes case for Dem vet on Vets' Day, POLITICO, November 11, 2009
- Begala, Paul A Warrior on a Mission in Rush Limbaugh's Home District Huffington Post, November 11, 2009
- DCCC Announces Twenty-Six Races to Watch Swing State Project, January 15, 2010
- Keller, Rudi Sowers shrinking fundraising gap with Emerson Southeast Missourian, April 18, 2010
- Martin, Jonathan Sowers on the Offensive in a Defensive Year, POLITICO, April 20, 2010