Tom Sawyer (Ohio politician)
Thomas Charles Sawyer (born August 15, 1945) is an American politician who represented his hometown of Akron, Ohio on all levels of government for nearly fifty years.[1] Previously, he served in the United States Congress, in the Ohio Senate, in the Ohio House of Representatives and as the Mayor of Akron.[1][2] He is a Democrat.[1]
Tom Sawyer | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Ohio Senate from the 28th district | |
| In office February 20, 2007 – December 31, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Kimberly Zurz |
| Succeeded by | Vernon Sykes |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 14th district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Seiberling |
| Succeeded by | Steve LaTourette |
| 58th Mayor of Akron, Ohio | |
| In office January 9, 1984 – December 30, 1986 | |
| Preceded by | Roy Ray |
| Succeeded by | Don Plusquellic |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 44th district | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – December 31, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Wingard |
| Succeeded by | Tom Watkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 15, 1945 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Joyce Sawyer |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence(s) | Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Akron (B.A., M.A.) |
| Profession | Educator |
Early life
Sawyer was born in Akron, Ohio.[3] After graduating from Buchtel High School in Akron,[3] Sawyer received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Akron in 1968.[3] He also joined the Alpha Phi chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. Later, Sawyer earned a master of arts degree from Akron in 1970.[3] He worked as an English teacher before seeking political office.[4]
Mayor of Akron
In November 1983, Tom Sawyer defeated the incumbent Republican Mayor of Akron, Roy Ray, in a close election.[4] Sawyer was the first Democrat to be elected Mayor of Akron in over 18 years.[4] No Republican has held the mayor's seat in Akron since Sawyer upset Ray in 1983.[5]
On December 20, 1984, during Sawyer's first year as mayor, an explosion at the Akron Recycle Energy System plant caused the deaths of three people.[6] Sawyer helped manage the aftermath of the tragedy and assisted in the investigation.[6] Speaking to the New York Times, Sawyer noted that S&W Waste, of Kearny, N.J., had sent the Akron plant waste materials containing highly flammable chemicals on the day of the explosions.[6] During his time as mayor he was arrested for a DUI.
United States Congress
Sawyer successfully ran for US Congress in the 1986 midterm elections and took office on January 3, 1987.[7] He would then serve eight terms in Congress.[7]
Congressman Sawyer gained notoriety as Chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing the 1990 census.[8] He made national news with his study of the 1990 census and subsequent determination that it had failed to count at least 2 million black Americans.[9] Sawyer and others then attempted to readjust the census figures to include a more accurate count of black Americans and the US population as a whole. These efforts were met with stiff opposition.[9][10] When the Secretary of Commerce refused to adjust the census totals, Congressman Sawyer called the decision a "gerrymander on a national scale."[10]
Notable votes
In 1993, Sawyer voted for President Bill Clinton's federal budget bill.[11]
Sawyer voted against the now-criticized[12] Welfare Reform Act of 1996.[13]
He also voted against the impeachment of President Clinton.[14] On the House floor during this debate, Sawyer quoted Sir Thomas More in defense of Clinton and in condemnation of the Congressional impeachment proceedings.[15]
Sawyer voted against authorization for the deployment of United States armed forces in Iraq.[16]
One of the most controversial votes cast by Tom Sawyer during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives was his vote for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).[17][18][19] Sawyer called his vote "the toughest decision I've ever had to make in public life."[19]
Exit from Congress
2002 primary campaign
A round of redistricting following the 2000 census redrew Ohio's congressional map. The state lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[20] A newly configured district, the 17th, placed large parts of Youngstown in the same district as parts of Akron.[20][21] The new district most closely resembled the one recently vacated by U.S. Representative Jim Traficant, who had been convicted on corruption charges and sent to federal prison.[22] Traficant's protege, State Senator Tim Ryan, defeated Tom Sawyer in a late upset.[18] Sawyer outspent Ryan 6-1, but ultimately lost the election.[18] Despite maintaining high pro-union ratings throughout his career, Sawyer's vote for NAFTA is often credited at the reason Tim Ryan defeated the 8-term Congressman.[17][18][21]
2006 primary campaign
Sawyer again sought to return to Congress during the 2006 Democratic primary. He aimed to replace then-Congressman Sherrod Brown in the 13th district, after Brown vacated the seat to run for the US Senate. However, former State Representative Betty Sutton won an 8-way primary and went on to win the general election with support from national Democrats and EMILY's List.[23]
Ohio Senate
When Akron-based State Senator Kim Zurz was appointed to run the Ohio Department of Commerce in Spring of 2007, Sawyer was selected by legislative leaders to fill the vacancy.[24]
As a member of the Ohio Senate Controlling Board, Sawyer voted to adopt Medicaid expansion in Ohio.[25][26] Ohio's Medicaid expansion covered thousands of Ohioans who previously did not have insurance.[27] The state share costs were offset by small insurance and sales taxes.[27]
During the 130th and 131st General Assemblies, Sawyer jointly sponsored resolutions with Republican Senator Frank LaRose to reform the drawing of legislative district lines in Ohio.[28][29][30] The House and Senate eventually passed a version of the senators' proposal and sent it to the Ohio voters as State Issue 1 in November 2015.[31] The resolution passed with 71% of the vote.[32] This law, once implemented, will end the practice of gerrymandering (partisan drawing of legislative district lines) for Ohio legislative districts.[31] Senators Sawyer and LaRose are currently working on a measure that would end gerrymandering at the Congressional level in Ohio as well.[32][33][34]
During the 131st General Assembly, Senator Sawyer helped the legislature adopt House Bill 2 - which was a version of Sawyer's Senate Bill 148[35] - to reform Ohio's charter school oversight laws.[36][37][38][39]
In the November 2008 general election, Sawyer held his Senate seat by defeating Republican James Carr.[40]
In 2012, Sawyer was elected to a second full term, defeating Republican Robert Roush 71.5% to 28.5%.[41] He served as Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee from 2012-14.
Sawyer's tenure in the Ohio Senate concluded at the end of 2016. The state's term limit rules barred Sawyer from seeking the seat for a third consecutive term.[42] He was replaced by Democrat Vernon Sykes.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Education (Ranking Member)
- Committee on Finance (Previously served as Ranking Member)
- Committee on Public Utilities
Legislative commissions
- Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission
- School Facilities Construction Commission
Personal life
Sawyer and his wife Joyce have one child and reside in Akron.
Electoral history
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tom Sawyer | 104,697 | 71.88% | Robert Roush | 40,952 | 28.12% | ||
| 2008 | Tom Sawyer | 108,168 | 68.36% | James Carr | 50,064 | 31.64% |
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | Libertarian | Votes | Pct | Independent | Votes | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer | 149,184 | 64.80% | Rick Wood | 71,432 | 31.00% | William Mcdaniel Jr. | 5,603 | 2.40% | Walter Keith | 3,869 | 1.70% | ||||
| 1998 | Tom Sawyer | 106,020 | 62.73% | Tom Watkins | 62,997 | 37.27% | ||||||||||
| 1996 | Tom Sawyer | 124,136 | 54.34% | Joyce George | 95,307 | 41.72% | Ryan Lewis | 16 | 0.01% | Terry Wilkinson | 8,976 | 3.93% | ||||
| 1994 | Tom Sawyer | 89,093 | 51.90% | Lynn Slaby | 76,090 | 48.10% | ||||||||||
| 1992 | Tom Sawyer | 125,430 | 67.80% | Robert Morgan | 64,090 | 32.20% | ||||||||||
| 1990 | Tom Sawyer | 90,090 | 59.60% | Jean Bender | 66,090 | 40.40% | ||||||||||
| 1988 | Tom Sawyer | 159,090 | 74.70% | Loretta Lang | 50,090 | 25.30% | ||||||||||
| 1986 | Tom Sawyer | 86,004 | 53.70% | Lynn Slaby | 73,230 | 46.30% |
*Italics indicate incumbent
See also
References
- ^ a b c . ohiosenate.gov. Archived from the original on 2016-03-31. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
- ^ (PDF). Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 2, 2016.
- ^ a b c d "SAWYER, Thomas Charles - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2016-06-02.
- ^ a b c "Daily Kent Stater 9 November 1983 — Kent State University". dks.library.kent.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ Jones, Bob (2015-09-07). . newsnet5. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b c "FATAL BLAST IN AKRON IS LAID TO FLAMMABLE WASTE". The New York Times. 1985-02-03. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b "SAWYER, Thomas Charles - Biographical Information". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ Times, Felicity Barringer, Special To The New York (1990-10-05). "After the Census, Hard Questions: Adjust the Count? How? When?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b Times, Felicity Barringer, Special To The New York (1991-03-12). "2 Million Blacks Not Counted, Head of Census Panel Asserts". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b Barringer, Felicity (1991-07-16). "U.S. WON'T REVISE 1990 CENSUS, SAYS CHIEF OF COMMERCE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 199". Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. May 27, 1993. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ Weissmann, Jordan (2016-06-01). "The Failure of Welfare Reform". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 331". Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. July 18, 1996. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ "Roll Call: See How Your Representative Voted". partners.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ Apple, R. W. Jr. (1998-12-20). "IMPEACHMENT: NEWS ANALYSIS; What Next? Don't Guess". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 455". Office of the Clerk of The United States House of Representatives. October 10, 2002. Retrieved June 7, 2016.
- ^ a b "17TH DISTRICT 4 labor unions endorse Sen. Ryan". www.vindy.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b c d "A Congressman's Defeat Spells Trouble for Business Democrats". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b Wines, Michael (1993-11-17). "THE FREE TRADE ACCORD: A Hard-Won Vote; Voting Yes on Trade Accord Is Folly in Rust Belt. Or Is It?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b "CNN.com - Poll: Traficant trails in re-election bid - May 13, 2002". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ a b Dyer, Bob. "Wild man at heart feels need for speed". www.ohio.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ Steinberg, Nichole M. Christian, John H. Cushman Jr, Sherri Day, Sam Dillon, Neil A. Lewis, Robert Pear, Terry Pristin, Philip Shenon, Jacques; Report, Leslie Wayne Contributed To This (2002-11-07). "THE 2002 ELECTIONS: MIDWEST; OHIO". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
- ^ "Ohio Silver!". NPR.org. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Leader Publications, Akron, Ohio -- Tom Sawyer chosen for District 28 seat". www.akron.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Controlling Board gives OK to use of federal money to pay for Medicaid expansion in Ohio". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Medicaid expansion funding gets approval". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ a b "A look at the numbers around Ohio's Medicaid expansion". The Morning Journal. July 20, 2015. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ "Sub. S. J. R. No. 8 As Reported by the Senate State Government Oversight and Reform Committee". archives.legislature.state.oh.us. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Am. S. J. R. No. 1 As Reported by the Senate State Government Oversight and Reform Committee". archives.legislature.state.oh.us. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Editorial: Fix this ridiculous map". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ a b "Redistricting reform plan passes House, needs voter approval". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ a b "Voters approve issue to reform Ohio's redistricting process". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Ohio senators push for congressional redistricting". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Reforming congressional redistricting could take time, hinge on opinions of members of Congress". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Ohio Senate leads on reform". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Charter-school reforms unveiled in Ohio Senate need tweaks but are a significant step forward: editorial". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Ohio passes major charter school reform bill; pension controversy to have more study". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Ohio Senate bill tackles charter school reform". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ "Lawmakers pass charter school reform bill". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
- ^ Ohio Senator: November 4, 2008 February 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Ohio Secretary of State
- ^ Husted, Jon 2012 general election results (2012-11-06)
- ^ Warsmith, Stephanie. "Vernon Sykes plans to run for Ohio Senate, seeking state Sen. Tom Sawyer's seat; Sawyer to be term limited next year". www.ohio.com. Retrieved 2016-06-08.
External links
- Vote Tom Sawyer, official campaign website
- United States Congress. "Tom Sawyer (id: S000094)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- profile
- Follow the Money - Thomas C. Sawyer
- 2006 campaign contributions
- Appearances on C-SPAN