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
January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by Jim Longley
Succeeded by Chellie Pingree
Born April 16, 1945 (1945-04-16) (age 64)
Portland, Maine
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Diana Allen
Residence Portland, Maine
Alma mater Bowdoin College (B.A.)
Oxford University (B.Phil.)
Harvard Law School (J.D.)
Profession attorney, political assistant
Religion Non-denominational Protestant

Thomas Hodge "Tom" Allen (born April 16, 1945) was a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Maine's 1st congressional district, and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins. Allen lost overwhelmingly to Collins (61.5% to 38.5%) even though Democrats nationally enjoyed large gains in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican incumbent James Longley, Jr. with 55 percent of votes cast to Longley's 45 percent. Allen was re-elected five times, receiving over 55 percent of the vote each time in his district, until his defeat in his 2008 run for the U.S. Senate.

Contents

[edit] Personal

Tom Allen and his wife, Diane Allen.

Allen was born in Portland, Maine to Genevieve (“Sukey”) Lahee and Charles W. Allen.[1] He 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 Law School and practiced as a lawyer. He entered the field of politics when he became a staff member for Governor Kenneth M. Curtis and later for Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Allen was elected to the city council of Portland, Maine in 1989 and served as the city's mayor between 1991-1992 before entering the House.

Allen was appointed president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers external link and began his term on May 1, 2009.

[edit] Congressional service

Allen fought Republican efforts to weaken environmental rollbacks between 1996 and 2007[citation needed]. Allen called for a pay-as-you-go system that would require offsets to pay for new tax cuts and new spending while on the Budget Committee, 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] Committee Assignments

[edit] Election history

Year Office Winner Party Votes  % Opponent Party Votes  % Opponent Party Votes  %
1996 Maine's
1st
congressional
district		 Tom Allen Dem. 173,745 55.32 Jim Longley Jr. (Inc.) Rep. 140,354 44.68
1998 134,336 60.33 Ross Connelly 79,160 35.55 Eric Greiner Ind. 9,182 4.12
2000 202,823 59.81 Jane Amero 123,915 36.54 J. Frederic Staples Lib. 12,356 3.64
2002 172,646 63.81 Steven Joyce 97,931 36.19
2004 219,077 59.74 Charles E. Summers, Jr. 147,663 40.26
2006 168,709 60.67 Darlene Curley 87,589 31.50 Dexter Kamilewicz Ind. 21,792 7.84
Maine U.S. Senate Election 2008
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Susan Collins (incumbent) 444,587 61.5
Democratic Tom Allen 278,651 38.5

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ genealogy.rootsweb.com

[edit] External links

is representing the harder styles of dance music

Political offices
Preceded by
Esther B. Clenott		 Mayor of Portland, Maine
1991 – 1992		 Succeeded by
Peter O'Donnell
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
James B. Longley, Jr.		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Maine's 1st congressional district
January 3, 1997 - January 3, 2009		 Succeeded by
Chellie Pingree
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Allen"
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