Rodney Tom
Rodney Tom (Democratic Party) was a member of the Washington State Senate, representing District 48. Tom assumed office in 2007. Tom left office in 2015.
Tom (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Washington State Senate to represent District 48. Tom lost in the general election on November 6, 2018.
Tom is a former Democratic member of the Washington State Senate, representing District 48 from 2006 to 2015. Tom announced on April 14, 2014, that he would not run for re-election in the 2014 election.[1]
Following the 2012 election, Tom and fellow Democrat Tim Sheldon joined with Republicans to form the Majority Coalition Caucus, which led to Tom becoming State Senate Majority Leader from 2013 to 2015.
Tom served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2003 to 2005. In March of 2006 he switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democratic.[2]
Biography
Tom earned his B.A. from the University of Washington in 1985. He went on to receive his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1988. Tom is a realtor for Windermere Real Estate.
Committee assignments
2013-2014
At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Tom served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2013 |
|---|
| • Higher Education |
| • Rules |
| • Ways & Means |
2011-2012
In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Tom served on the following committees:
| Washington committee assignments, 2011 |
|---|
| • Early Learning & K-12 Education |
| • Higher Education & Workforce Development, Chair |
| • Ways and Means |
Issues
Majority Coalition Caucus
In December 2012, Tom, fellow Democrat Tim Sheldon and 23 Republicans signed a pledge to form a majority caucus called the Majority Coalition Caucus, wresting control of the Senate from the Democratic caucus which had maintained an advantage following the 2012 election. Under this arrangement, Tom became Majority Leader, with Sheldon becoming President Pro Tempore, and Republicans filling the remaining leadership positions. Though hailed by caucus members as a bellwether of cooperation, Democrats disagreed with claims of bipartisanship.
In the 2013-2014 legislative session, three committees were chaired by Democrats, 11 by Republicans, and one was co-chaired.[3]
Elections
2018
See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2018
General election
General election for Washington State Senate District 48
Incumbent Patricia Kuderer defeated Rodney Tom in the general election for Washington State Senate District 48 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Patricia Kuderer (D) | 65.0 | 33,533 |
 | Rodney Tom (D) | 35.0 | 18,027 | |
| Total votes: 51,560 | |||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Washington State Senate District 48
Incumbent Patricia Kuderer and Rodney Tom defeated Bill Hirt in the primary for Washington State Senate District 48 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Patricia Kuderer (D) | 60.1 | 18,698 |
| ✔ | | Rodney Tom (D) | 29.5 | 9,175 |
 | Bill Hirt (Independent) | 10.4 | 3,251 | |
| Total votes: 31,124 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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2010
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2010
Tom was re-elected to the Washington State Senate District 48 seat in 2010. He ran unopposed in the August 17 primary. He defeated Republican Gregg Bennett in the November 2, 2010, general election.[4][5]
| Washington State Senate, District 48 Primary (2010) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | Percent | ||
 Rodney Tom (D)
|
13,688 | 52.67 % | ||
| Gregg Bennett (R)
|
12,302 | 47.33% | ||
2006
- See also: Washington State Senate elections, 2006
In November 2006, Tom was elected for the 48th District of the Washington State Senate receiving 21,868 votes.
Kauffman raised $365,723 for his campaign.[6]
| Washington State Senate, District 48 (2006) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Rodney Tom (D)
|
21,868 | |||
| Luke Esser (R) | 19,112 | |||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Scorecards
A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.
Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.
Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of Washington scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2014
In 2014, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 13 to March 14.[7]
- Association of Washington Business: 2014 Voting Record
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the state’s business community.
- Children's Campaign Fund: 2014 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes for or against CCF's position.
- National Federation of Independent Business/Washington: 2013-14 Voting Record
- Legislators are scored on their stances on small business issues.
- The American Conservative Union: 2014 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- Washington Conservation Voters: 2013-2014 scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues.
- Washington State Labor Council: 2014 Voting Record
- Legislators are scored on whether they voted for or against WSLC's position.
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the 63rd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 14 to April 29.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, second session, was in session from January 9 to March 8.[8]
|
2011
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show]. |
|---|
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In 2011, the 62nd Washington State Legislature, first session, was in session from January 10 through April 24.
|
Missed Votes Report
- See also: Washington House of Representatives and Washington State Senate
In March 2014, Washington Votes, a legislative information website, released its annual Missed Votes Report, which provides detailed missed roll call votes on bills for every state legislator during the 2014 legislative session.[9] The 2014 regular session included a total of 515 votes in the State House and 396 in the State Senate, as well as 1,372 bills introduced total in the legislature and 237 bills passed. Out of all roll call votes, 90 individual legislators did not miss any votes. Three individual legislators missed more than 50 votes.[9] Tom missed 1 votes in a total of 1017 roll calls.
Freedom Foundation
The Freedom Foundation releases its Big Spender List annually. The Institute ranks all Washington legislators based on their total proposed tax and fee increases. To find each legislator’s total, the Institute adds up the 10-year tax increases or decreases, as estimated by Washington’s Office of Financial Management, of all bills sponsored or co-sponsored by that legislator.[10]
2012
Tom proposed a 10-year increase in state taxes and fees of $441.7 million, the 13th highest amount of proposed new taxes and fees of the 46 Washington state senators on the Freedom Foundation’s 2012 Big Spender List.
- See also: Washington Freedom Foundation Legislative Scorecard (2012)
The Freedom Foundation also issued its 2012 Informed Voter Guide for Washington State voters, including a legislative score card documenting how Washington State legislators voted upon bills the Foundation deemed important legislation. The legislation analyzed covered budget, taxation, and pension issues.[11] A 
sign indicates a bill more in line with the Foundation's stated goals, and a 
sign indicates a bill out of step with the Foundation's values. Here's how Tom voted on the specific pieces of legislation:
| 2012 Senate Scorecard - Rodney Tom | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill #6636 (Balanced budget requirement)
|
Bill #5967 (Senate Republicans budget)
|
Bill #6582 (Local transportation tax increases)
|
Bill #6378 (Pension reforms)
| ||||||||
| - | Y | N | Y | ||||||||
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Tom and his wife, Deborah, have two daughters.
See also
- Washington State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Washington State Senate elections, 2018
- Washington State Senate
- Washington State Senate Committees
- Washington Joint Committees
- Washington State Senate District 48
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Washington State Senate
- Rodney Tom on the Washington State Senate website
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative profile of Tom on Project Vote Smart
- Biographical profile of Tom on Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002
- Washington Votes profile for Tom
Footnotes
- ↑ MyNorthWest.com, "What does Rodney Tom's decision not to run mean," April 15, 2014
- ↑ Washington State Legislature, "Legislative District Map," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ The Seattle Times, "Legislature: Power play puts Senate in GOP hands," January 14, 2013
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "August 17, 2010 Primary Results," accessed December 26, 2014
- ↑ Washington Secretary of State, "November 02, 2010 General Election Results," accessed December 26, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Tom, Rodney," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ StateScape, "Session schedules," accessed July 23, 2014
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Washington Policy Center, "2014 Missed Votes Report for Legislators Released," March 18, 2014
- ↑ Freedom Foundation, "2012 Big Spender List," accessed April 10, 2014
- ↑ My Freedom Foundation, "Home," accessed June 18, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by ' |
Washington Senate District 48 2007-2015 |
Succeeded by Cyrus Habib (D) |
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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