Tom Latham
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| Tom Latham | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1995 |
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| Preceded by | Greg Ganske |
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| Born | July 14, 1948 Hampton, Iowa |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathy Latham |
| Religion | Lutheran |
Thomas 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. In 1995 Latham became an honorary member Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity at Iowa State University.
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.
[edit] Committee Assignments
- Appropriations Committee
- Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
- Subcommittee on Legislative Branch (Ranking Member)
- Dean of Iowa's delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives
- Task Force for a Drug-Free America
- Prescription Drug Action Leadership Team
- Congressional Task Force for Affordable Natural Gas
[edit] External links
- U.S. Congressman Tom Latham official House site
- 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
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- Tom Latham for US Congress official campaign site
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Fred Grandy |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 5th congressional district 1995–2003 |
Succeeded by Steve King |
| Preceded by Greg Ganske |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 4th congressional district 2003–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
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