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Tom Carper
Official portrait, 2012
United States Senator from Delaware
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2001
Serving with Chris Coons
Preceded by
William Roth
Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office February 3, 2021
Preceded by
John Barrasso
Ranking Member of the Senate Environment Committee
In office January 3, 2017 – February 3, 2021
Preceded by
Barbara Boxer
Succeeded by
Shelley Moore Capito
Chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015
Preceded by
Joe Lieberman
Succeeded by
Ron Johnson
Chair of the National Governors Association
In office August 4, 1998 – August 10, 1999
Preceded by
George Voinovich
Succeeded by
Mike Leavitt
71st Governor of Delaware
In office January 19, 1993 – January 3, 2001
Lieutenant
Ruth Ann Minner
Preceded by
Dale E. Wolf
Succeeded by
Ruth Ann Minner
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Delaware's at-large district
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by
Tom Evans
Succeeded by
Mike Castle
Treasurer of Delaware
In office January 18, 1977 – January 3, 1983
Governor
Pete du Pont
Preceded by
Mary Jornlin
Succeeded by
Janet Rzewnicki
Personal details
Born
Thomas Richard Carper
(1947-01-23) January 23, 1947 (age 77) Beckley, West Virginia, U.S.
Political party
Democratic
Spouses
Diane Isaacs
(m. 1978; div. 1983)
Martha Stacy
(m. 1985)
Children
2
Education
Ohio State University (BA) University of Delaware (MBA)
Signature
Website
Senate website
Military service
Allegiance
United States
Branch/service
United States Navy
Years of service
1968–1991
Rank
Captain
Unit
Naval Flight Officer Navy Reserve
Battles/wars
Vietnam War
Tom Carper's voice
Tom Carper on his support for the nomination of Rita Landgraf to be HHS Assistant Secretary for Aging Recorded July 19, 2021
Thomas Richard Carper (born January 23, 1947) is an American politician and former military officer serving as the senior United States senator from Delaware, having held the seat since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, Carper served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993 and was the 71st governor of Delaware from 1993 to 2001.
A native of Beckley, West Virginia, Carper graduated from Ohio State University. Serving as a naval flight officer in the U.S. Navy from 1968 until 1973, he flew the P-3 Orion as a tactical coordinator and mission commander[1] and saw active duty in the Vietnam War. After leaving the active duty Navy, he remained in the U.S. Naval Reserve for another 18 years and eventually retired with the rank of Captain (O-6). Upon receiving his MBA from the University of Delaware in 1975, Carper went to work for the state of Delaware in its economic development office. He was elected state treasurer, serving from 1977 to 1983 and leading the development of Delaware's first cash management system.
Encouraged by local politicians, Carper successfully ran for Delaware's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1982. He served five terms in the House, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization. In 1992, he swapped positions with term-limited Republican Governor Mike Castle, and the two were easily elected to each other's seats. Carper governed for two terms as a moderate, business-oriented New Democrat, following the lead of the two previous Republican governors.
Carper was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000, defeating Republican incumbent William Roth. He was reelected by landslides in 2006, 2012, and 2018. He serves as one of four deputy Democratic whips, the chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Finance Committee. Carper is the senior senator in Delaware's congressional delegation and the dean of the delegation. He is the last Vietnam War veteran to serve in the Senate.
^"Navy Submarine to Bear Delaware's Name," Wilmington (Delaware) News Journal, 19 Nov 2012
related to TomCarper. Senator TomCarper official U.S. Senate website Carper for Delaware official campaign website Appearances on C-SPAN TomCarper at Curlie...
Three-term Democratic Senator TomCarper was reelected with 66% of the vote in 2012 against Republican Kevin Wade. Carper, incumbent U.S. Senator, was...
American medical journalist TomCarper (born 1947), American economist and politician, Governor and Senator from Delaware Thomas Carper (poet), American poet...
Democrat TomCarper, who was re-elected with 60.0% of the vote in 2018, has announced he will not seek re-election to a fifth term in office. Carper's political...
David (November 18, 2010). "TomCarper to Harry Reid: Pick 2 chairmen". Politico. Retrieved September 1, 2012. "Del. Sen. Carper Files for Re-election". WBOC-TV...
a sixth term, but he was defeated by outgoing Democratic Governor TomCarper. Carper subsequently became the first Democrat to hold this seat since 1947...
Indiana and Mitt Romney of Utah), four Democrats (Ben Cardin of Maryland, TomCarper of Delaware, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Joe Manchin of West Virginia)...
United States House of Representatives. Congressman and Democratic nominee TomCarper defeated Republican nominee B. Gary Scott in a landslide, winning his...
Delaware was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator TomCarper won re-election to a second term, by a landslide 40 points. This election...
president. Coons will become Delaware's senior senator in January 2025 when TomCarper retires from the Senate. Coons was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, the...
incumbent US Senator TomCarper. In February 2018, Harris announced that she would be challenging three-term incumbent US Senator TomCarper in the Democratic...
been defeated in the 2000 election by the Democratic candidate, Governor TomCarper. Many consider Roth's defeat due to his age and health, as he collapsed...
Treasurer Janet Rzewnicki. Both were unopposed in their respective primaries. TomCarper became the first Democratic governor in state history to win 2 consecutive...
to a second term, winning nearly 60% of the vote. Three-term Democrat TomCarper won re-election with 66% of the vote in 2012. He announced he was running...
their term is January 3. Delaware's current U.S. senators are Democrats TomCarper (serving since January 3, 2001) and Chris Coons (serving since November...
2007–2011. The bill was introduced by Senator Tom Coburn, for himself and Senators Barack Obama, TomCarper and John McCain on April 6, 2006. After two...
candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2024 election to succeed TomCarper. Carper endorsed Blunt Rochester as his successor at his press conference...
Stabenow, Michigan Maria Cantwell, Washington Bob Menendez, New Jersey TomCarper, Delaware Ben Cardin, Maryland Sherrod Brown, Ohio Michael Bennet, Colorado...
office Chair of the Senate New Democrat Coalition 2000–2003 Succeeded by TomCarper Mary Landrieu Political offices Preceded by Reubin Askew Governor of Florida...
votes have been aggregated together on this table. Incumbent Democrat TomCarper won re-election to a third term. Note: The ±% column reflects the change...
28-year-old Anne Marie Fahey, the appointments secretary to then-Governor TomCarper. Married with four daughters, Capano separated from his wife Kay the following...
Senator TomCarper returned his blue slip in support of Connolly, but then-Senator Joe Biden did not. In 2017, Senators Chris Coons and TomCarper recommended...
Management, Government Information and International Security (TomCarper, Chair; Tom Coburn, Ranking Member) Oversight of Government Management, the...
lieutenant governor, Minner took office upon the resignation of Governor TomCarper on January 3, 2001, after he was elected to a seat in the U.S. Senate;...
Global Information
United States Navy
Captain