Tom Allen

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For other persons of the same name, see Thomas Allen.

Tom Allen

Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st district
In office 1997–
Preceded by	Jim Longley
Succeeded by	Incumbent

Born	April 16, 1945 (age 61) Portland, Maine
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Diana Allen
Religion	Non-denominational Protestant

Thomas H. (Tom) Allen (April 16, 1945- ) has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1997, representing Maine's 1st congressional district (map).

Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican incumbent James Longley Jr. 55%-45%. Since then Allen has been reelected five times, receiving over 55% of the vote every time.

1 Personal
2 Congressional Service
3 Senate Speculation
4 Election History
5 External links

[edit] Personal

He was born in Portland, Maine, and graduated from Deering High School. He went on to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine before winning a Rhodes Scholarship to Wadham College in the University of Oxford. During this time, he became friends with Bill Clinton, his fellow Rhodes scholar. After Oxford, he went on to Harvard University, and was a lawyer, a staff member for Governor Kenneth M. Curtis and for Senator Edmund S. Muskie, and Mayor of Portland, Maine before entering the House.

[edit] Congressional Service

Congressman Allen serves on the House Committee on Budget and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, he has proposed legislation to fix prices on drugs for seniors. While on that Committee's Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee, he fought Republican effors to weaken environmental rollbacks between 1996 and 2007. On the Budget Committee, Allen called for a pay-as-you-go system that would require offsets to pay for new taxcuts and new spending, much like the system Democrats enacted in their first 100 hours of Congressional control in the 110th Congress.

Allen has made health care, campaign finance reform and small business his legislative priorities.

[edit] Senate Speculation

Main article: Maine United States Senate election, 2008

A December 7, 2006 article in Roll Call reported that Allen is considering running for the United States Senate in 2008, against sitting Republican Senator Susan Collins. He did not run a single TV advertisement in the 2006 cycle, leading many to believe he is saving his money for a shot at Collins. [1]

During fundraising events, Congressman Allen has confirmed that he shall be seeking a seat in the Senate, mentioning Senator Collins in the same breath.^{[citation needed]}

Several Democrats have either announced their intention, or are expected to announce, their candidacy for Maine's First District congressional seat should Allen decided to step down, including former Maine Senate Majority Leader Chellie Pingree, York County District Attorney Mark Lawrence, former state Senate majority leader Michael Brennan, State Senator Ethan Strimling, state Senate President Beth Edmonds, state House Speaker Glenn Cummings, Pierce Atwood Attorney and Iraq War Veteran Adam Cote, and Maine Public Utilities Commission Chairman Kurt Adams.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Election History

Year	Office	Winner	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Party	Votes	%	Opponent	Party	Votes	%
1996	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	173,745	55.32	Jim Longley Jr. (Inc.)	Rep.	140,354	44.68
1998	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	134,336	60.33	Ross Connelly	Rep.	79,160	35.55	Eric Greiner	Ind.	9,182	4.12
2000	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	202,823	59.81	Jane Amero	Rep.	123,915	36.54	J. Frederic Staples	Lib.	12,356	3.64
2002	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	172,646	63.81	Steven Joyce	Rep.	97,931	36.19
2004	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	219,077	59.74	Charles E. Summers, Jr.	Rep.	147,663	40.26
2006	U.S. House, District 1	Tom Allen	Dem.	168,709	60.67	Darlene Curley	Rep.	87,589	31.50	Dexter Kamilewicz	Ind.	21,792	7.84