Thomas Tarantella
Thomas Tarantella was a 2014 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 5th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.[1] He lost the Democratic nomination in the primary on May 20, 2014[2]
Biography
Born in Williamsport Hospital, Tarantella grew up in Renovo, Pennsylvania, in Clinton County.[3]
Career
In 1980, Tarantella joined the United States Army. He worked as a member of the Rapid Deployment Force, a paratrooper and a lite fighter. He was deployed internationally multiple times and earned seven campaign ribbons, a Bronze Star, five Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals and 13 Army Achievement Medals. After serving for 22 years, he was honorably discharged in 2002.[4]
Campaign themes
2014
Tarantella listed the following issues on his campaign website:[3]
- Privacy: "The right to privacy is a basic human right. The Constitution does not specifically mention a right to privacy. However, Supreme Court decisions over the years have established that the right to privacy is a basic human right, and as such is protected by virtue of the 9th Amendment. The people of the United States should feel security in their homes and safety in their streets through better police force training."
- Separation of Church and State: "Although the phrase “separation of church and state” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution, the phrase is commonly thought to mean that the government should not establish, support, or otherwise involve itself in any religion."
- Military: "[O]ur soldiers need better taken care of when at war and when home, they need medical care and should not have to try and survive on food stamps after fighting for our country."
- Note: The above excerpts are from the candidate's website, which may include some typographical or spelling errors.
Elections
2014
Tarantella ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 5th District.[1] Tarantella lost the Democratic nomination in the primary on May 20, 2014 to Kerith Strano Taylor.[2]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Kerith Strano Taylor |
54.5% | 18,018 | ||
| Thomas Edward Tarantella | 45.5% | 15,032 | ||
| Total Votes | 33,050 | |||
| Source: Results via Associated Press |
||||
Campaign finance summary
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Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Tarantella has been married to his wife, Ann, for 31 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.[3]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Thomas + Tarantella + Pennsylvania + Congress"
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Federal Election Commission, "Thomas Edward Tarantella," accessed October 30, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Associated Press, "Pennsylvania - Summary Vote Results," May 20, 2014
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Thomas Tarantella: Democratic Political Candidate, "About," accessed November 4, 2013
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on November 3, 2013
