Tom Latham

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Tom Latham

United States Representative from Iowa's 4th district
In office 1995-present
Preceded by	Greg Ganske
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	July 14, 1948 Hampton, Iowa
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Kathy Latham
Religion	Lutheran

Thomas "Tom" Latham (born July 14, 1948), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995, representing the 4th District of Iowa (map). He was born in Hampton, Iowa, was educated at Iowa State University, and was a business owner before entering the House.

Latham was elected as the congressman for Iowa's 5th District in 1994 as part of the wave that allowed Republicans to take over the House for the first time since 1955. The 5th, based in western Iowa, is far and away the most Republican district in the state. It was so heavily Republican that Latham never faced a serious challenge as the 5th District's congressman.

The 2000 round of redistricting, however, significantly altered Iowa's congressional map. Latham, a member of the Appropriations Committee, was placed in the new 4th District in the north-central part of the state, retaining only a small portion of his old district. This district is considered much more competitive than Latham's old district. It includes sparsely populated counties on Iowa's northern Mississippi banks and the growing suburbs of Des Moines.

In the 2006 election, neither the Republican nor Democratic parties had a contested primary. His opponent in the 2006 general election was Selden Spencer, a neurologist from Huxley.