Thomas R. Carper

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Thomas R. Carper
Junior Senator from Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 2001 Serving with Joe Biden
Preceded by	William V. Roth, Jr.
Governor of Delaware
In office January 19, 1993 – January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Dale E. Wolf
Succeeded by	Ruth Ann Minner
U. S. Representative from Delaware at-large
In office January 3, 1983 – January 4, 1993
Preceded by	Thomas B. Evans, Jr.
Succeeded by	Michael N. Castle
Born	January 23, 1947 (1947-01-23) (age 61) Beckley, West Virginia
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Diane Beverly Isaacs (div) Martha Ann Stacy
Residence	Wilmington, Delaware
Alma mater	Ohio State University
Profession	economist
Religion	Presbyterian

Thomas Richard "Tom" Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American economist and politician from Wilmington, in New Castle County, Delaware. He is a veteran of the Vietnam War, a member of the Democratic Party, a five-term U. S. Representative from Delaware, a two-term Governor of Delaware, and currently the junior U.S. Senator from Delaware. He was elected to a second term in 2006.

[edit] Early life and family

Carper was born January 23, 1947 in Beckley, West Virginia, son of Wallace Richard and Mary Jean Patton Carper. He grew up in Danville, Virginia, and graduated from Whetstone High School in Columbus, Ohio. He then graduated from Ohio State University in 1968, where he was in the United States Navy ROTC and earned a degree in Economics. Serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the United States Navy from 1968 until 1973, he saw active duty in Vietnam, flying submarine hunting airplanes. He remained in the U.S. Naval Reserve for another 18 years and retired with the rank of Captain. Meanwhile he moved to Delaware and earned an MBA from the University of Delaware in 1975. He has been married twice, first in 1978, to Diane Beverly Isaacs, a former Miss Delaware, who had two children by a previous marriage. Following a 1983 divorce, he married Martha Ann Stacy in 1985, and with her has two children, Christopher and Benjamin. They are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware.

[edit] Political career

Carper worked on the presidential campaign of U.S. Senator Eugene McCarthy, the Minnesota peace candidate, while in college at Ohio State University. Once in Delaware he was campaign treasurer for University of Delaware professor James R. Soles in his unsuccessful 1974 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Upon receiving his MBA degree in 1975, Carper went to work for the State of Delaware in its economic development office. In 1976, with his good contacts in the Democratic Party leadership, no other obvious Democratic candidate, and a $5,000 personal loan, Carper convinced the party leaders, and later the voters, that he was the right person to be Delaware State Treasurer. Defeating the favored Republican Party candidate, Theodore Jones, he served three terms, from January 18, 1977 through January 3, 1983, during which time he developed Delaware's first cash management system.

[edit] U.S. House of Representatives

It took a considerable amount of persuasion on the part of U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and others to convince Carper to leave his safe, but obscure Treasurer position and compete for Delaware's only seat in the U. S. House of Representatives. Thomas B. Evans, Jr., the incumbent Republican was running again, and although he had been caught in a compromising "association" on a golfing trip with Paula Parkinson, a young blonde lobbyist, he was still a formidable and well-connected politician.

The campaign was going well for Carper until three weeks before Election Day, when the New York Post published an article claiming that the "dirtiest campaign in the country is being waged in tiny Delaware." Retelling the well-known story of Evans' golfing trip, it went on to charge Carper with abusive behavior to his wife and stepchildren. But the story actually ended up working to Carper's political advantage when it became suspected that the allegations were planted by an Evans supporter, and when public opinion seemed to conclude that the allegations were inappropriately exploiting a private issue.^[1]

Carper went on to serve five terms in the U. S. House of Representatives. To win his second term in 1984, he defeated Elise R.W. du Pont, the wife of former Governor Pierre S. du Pont, IV. He then had easy victories over Republicans Thomas S. Neuberger in 1986, James P. Krapf in 1988 and Ralph O. Williams in 1990. As a U.S. Representative, he was a member of the U.S. House Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs and the U.S House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries. He chaired the House Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization. In these positions he worked to allow banks into the securities business and to discourage the dumping of sludge into the ocean.

During his years in the U. S. House of Representatives Carper sought to gain better control of the Democratic Party organization in Delaware that he hoped someday would help him become Governor. Heavily Democratic and with over half of the population of the state, New Castle County was the key. Its Democratic organization was controlled by Eugene T. Reed, a former ironworker, and old-time political party boss, who was then among several politicians in both parties implicated in illegal money raising practices. To clean this up, along with the reputation of the Democratic Party, Carper recruited Joseph E. Reardon, a DuPont Company chemist, and worked tirelessly to see him elected New Castle County Democratic Party chairman. By early 1989, he was successful, and Reardon replaced Reed at the head of a newly reformed party organization. In 1990 Carper faced a primary challenge from a Reed ally, Daniel D. Rappa, but crushed him convincingly, and went on to win election to his fifth term as U.S. Representative.

[edit] Governor of Delaware

In the small and intimate political community of Delaware, important decisions are often made by a consensus of leaders in both parties. So it was in 1992, when the popular incumbent Governor, Michael N. Castle, was forced to retire due to term limits. The result was what became known as "the Swap." Castle ran for Carper's seat in the U. S. House of Representatives and Carper ran for Governor. Neither faced any significant opposition and Delaware retained the services of two very popular office holders.

So, in 1992 Carper was elected Governor of Delaware, defeating the Republican candidate, B. Gary Scott, and serving two terms from January 19, 1993 until January 3, 2001. As a moderate, business oriented Democrat, and the successor to 16 years of the two very competent and popular Republican administrations of Pierre S. du Pont, IV and Michael N. Castle, Governor Carper chose to govern much the same way, adding his particular interest and talent in economic development and business recruitment. Two special successes were stopping the feared closing of the huge General Motors automobile operation near Newport, and winning the contest with Pennsylvania for the location of the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant, AstraZeneca.

Continuing du Pont's tax cutting policies, he led an ongoing effort to reduce income tax rates, eliminate the marriage penalty and estate tax, cut the public utility tax, and eliminate the gross receipts tax for many small businesses. By doing so, his administration improved the state's credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent "AAA". In educational programs, he continued Castle's standards-based education programs, raising standards, testing students, and pushing through a teacher accountability bill. Other programs included a fully funded Head Start program and creation of a prescription drug benefit for seniors.

Carper's independent, New Democrat approach made him popular among voters, but caused grumbling among old line Democrats, particularly union leaders, who complained that not enough of them were getting patronage jobs after the many years of Republican control. In an era of increasingly bitter, partisan politics, Carper's actions and policies headed for the political center, in keeping with Delaware's consensus governing style.

Running for a second term in 1996 he faced Republican State Treasurer Janet C. Rzewnicki. Knowing that she needed a major issue to have a chance of defeating him, she repeated the mistake made by Thomas B. Evans, Jr. in Carper's first race for the U. S. House of Representatives. Three weeks before the election Ann Stone, the chairwoman of the Republicans for Choice, came to Wilmington and repeated rumors she had heard of divorce proceedings, domestic violence, and secret court filings. These were immediately and emphatically refuted by Carper's wife, Martha, and her employer, the DuPont Company. In an extraordinary intervention, the Chief Judge of Family Court, Vincent J. Poppiti, wrote in a formal order, that "there have been no filings at any time...regarding the marriage of...Carper." Even the Republican state chairman, Basil Battaglia weighed in, saying, "This is not the way we do politics in Delaware." Carper won the election in a landslide, and Rzewnicki was ousted from her position as State Treasurer two years later, when her term expired.^[2]

The most poignant event of this time, though, was the murder of Carper's personal scheduler, Anne Marie Fahey, and the eventual conviction of Thomas J. Capano for the crime. Capano was a wealthy, well-connected lawyer, known to nearly everyone in Delaware's political community. Fahey, an attractive 30 year old member of another well-known family, was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano, when he murdered her and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean. All Delaware was mesmerized as U.S. Attorney Colm F. Connolly built the case against Capano, and as Capano was tried and convicted, and then sentenced by Delaware Superior Court Judge William Swain Lee.

As a tribute to Fahey, who had been a youth mentor, then-Governor Carper also became a mentor, and began actively promoting mentoring programs throughout Delaware's business community. As a result, by the end of his last term, Delaware held the highest per-capita ratio of youth mentors in the country. Carper established the Delaware Mentoring Council to help sustain this important legacy.

[edit] United States Senator

See also: List of current United States Senators

See also: United States order of precedence

The elections of 2000 were going to bring a change in Delaware's political lineup. For 16 years the same four people had held the four major statewide positions. Because of term limits on the Governor's position Carper had to retire. Both he and U. S. Representative Michael N. Castle wanted to be U.S. Senator, but incumbent U.S. Senator William V. Roth, Jr. would not retire voluntarily, and fellow Republican Castle would not force him into a primary. In a contest between two popular and respected politicians, the issue seemed to be Roth's age versus Carper's relative youth. Carper defeated Roth by over ten points. However, Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W. Bush, suggesting the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper's candidacy and a key element of his victory.

Carper is now in his second term in the U.S. Senate, having taken office January 3, 2001, and winning reelection in 2006 against Republican candidate Jan C. Ting in 2006. He has served with the Democratic Party minority in the108th, and 109th Congresses, and is part of the Democratic majority in the 110th Congress. During the 107th the Democratic Party began in the minority, but held the majority for the later part of the Congress. These Congresses have coincided with the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush. He is a member of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), of which he presently serves as Vice-Chairman. In December 2004 Carper became a part of the Senate Democratic Leadership. As a member of a four person "Executive Committee," he is one of four deputy whips. David Broder of the Washington Post called Carper, "a notably effective and nonpartisan leader, admired and trusted on both sides of the aisle." Carper has worked to institute a national energy policy, a balanced budget, strong environmental protections, welfare reform, and national education standards.

Carper serves on the following committees in the 110th U.S. Congress:

• U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • U.S. Senate Banking Subcommittee on Economic Policy (Chairman)
  • U.S. Senate Banking Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
  • U.S. Senate Banking Subcommittee on Financial Institutions
• U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation Operations, Safety and Security
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Space, Aeronautics and Related Sciences
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Innovation
  • U.S. Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Insurance, and Automotive Safety
• U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • U.S. Senate Environment Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety (Chairman)
  • U.S. Senate Environment Subcommittee on Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children’s Health Protection
  • U.S. Senate Environment Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
  • U.S. Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security (Chairman)
  • U.S. Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia
  • U.S. Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
  • U.S. Senate Homeland Security Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery
• U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging

Carper joined in the unsuccessful attempt to tie the Bush administration tax cuts to deficit reduction and has supported additional funding for school choice programs and charter schools. He has also sought additional funding for railroad projects and for rail security. Carper has been a leader on Postal reform issues, limiting Internet taxation, and expanding emission controls. He strongly supported legislation to limit class action lawsuits and also changing the law to restrict personal bankruptcy. In addition, he is a strong proponent of free trade. Carper proposed the creation of a National Park in Delaware, the Coastal Heritage Park, to be in four locations along the Delaware River and Delaware Bay.

Unlike most U.S. Senators, who maintain residences both in Washington, DC and in their home state, Carper commutes more than 100 miles by train from his home in Wilmington to the United States Capitol. Carper says this arrangement has helped his family to live a normal life despite his demanding, high-profile job.^[3]

Carper endorsed his senior Senate colleague Joseph R. Biden, Jr. for Democratic presidential nomination in 2008.

[edit] Almanac

Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1st. The Governor and State Treasurer take office the third Tuesday of January. The Governor has a four year term and the State Treasurer had a two year term at this time. U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives take office January 3rd, and have six year terms and two year terms, respectively.

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

United States Navy Portal

[edit] References

• Barone, Michael; Richard E. Cohen (2005). Almanac of American Politics. Washington: National Journal Group. ISBN 0-89234-112-2. 
• Hoffecker, Carol E. (2004). Democracy in Delaware. Wilmington, Delaware: Cedar Tree Books. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. 
• Boyer, William W. (2000). Governing Delaware. Newark, Delaware: University of Delaware Press. ISBN 1-892142-23-6. 
• Cohen, Celia (2002). Only in Delaware, Politics and Politicians in the First State. Newark, Delaware: Grapevine Publishing. 

[edit] External links

[edit] Congressional

• Official Senate page
• Carper's Corner, Senator Carper's blog

[edit] Informational

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues
• Contacting the Congress
• Delaware’s Governors
• Experiencing War
• Thomas R. Carper at the Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States
• News Meat
• Thomas R. Carper at the Political Graveyard
• SourceWatch Congresspedia
• What does Carper Want?
• Democratic Leadership Council
• Jobs for America’s Graduates

[edit] Places with more information

• Historical Society of Delaware, 505 Market St., Wilmington, Delaware (302) 655-7161
• University of Delaware Library, 181 South College Ave., Newark, Delaware (302) 831-2965