Tom Rhoades

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Tom Rhoades

Nonpartisan

Prior offices

Southwest Allen County Schools school board Aboite Township

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 2, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of Indianapolis, 1987

Graduate

Indiana Wesleyan University, 2002

Personal

Birthplace

Indianapolis, Ind.

Religion

United Methodist

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Tom Rhoades was a member of the Southwest Allen County Schools school board in Indiana, representing Aboite Township. He assumed office in 2015. He left office on November 5, 2021.

Rhoades (Republican Party) ran for election to the Indiana State Senate to represent District 16. He lost in the Republican primary on June 2, 2020.

Rhoades completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Rhoades grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He earned his bachelor's degree in education from the University of Indianapolis in 1987 and his master's degree in organizational management from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2002. His professional experience includes working as a law enforcement officer.

Organizations

As of his 2020 campaign, Rhoades was affiliated with the following organizations:

• Lifeline Youth and Family Services Board Member
• Sonrise Church Personnel Committee

Elections

2020

See also: Indiana State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Indiana State Senate District 16

Incumbent Justin Busch defeated Juli Dominguez in the general election for Indiana State Senate District 16 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Justin Busch (R)	57.9	35,382
		Juli Dominguez (D)	42.1	25,767

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 61,149
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 16

Juli Dominguez defeated Tim Barr in the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 16 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Juli Dominguez	52.1	5,075
		Tim Barr	47.9	4,659

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,734
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 16

Incumbent Justin Busch defeated Tom Rhoades in the Republican primary for Indiana State Senate District 16 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Justin Busch	69.0	7,796
		Tom Rhoades	31.0	3,495

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,291
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Southwest Allen County Schools elections (2018)

General election

General election for Southwest Allen County Schools school board Aboite Township

Incumbent Tom Rhoades won election in the general election for Southwest Allen County Schools school board Aboite Township on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Rhoades (Nonpartisan)	100.0	13,476

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,476
= 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.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tom Rhoades completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rhoades' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Tom was born in Indianapolis, the youngest of six children. His father was a pastor and modeled servant leadership every day. Due to his parents' servant's hearts, Tom dedicated his life to serving his community. As a law enforcement officer with the Ft. Wayne Police Department,Tom served as Public Information Officer, Captain of a Homicide Squad, Director of Training, Captain of Professional Standards, and Captain of the Northeast Quadrant. He retired and went on to work briefly as Dean of Students at Homestead High School before joining Parkview Health as Security Director. He worked with law makers to pass legislation giving hospitals the right to create their own police departments, making Parkview Health the first in the state. He has been elected 2 times to the Southwest Allen County School Board where he serves as president. Tom has been married to his wife Dayna for over 31 years. They have 2 sons and daughters in law, and a new grand daughter. Tom received his BS in Education from the University of Indianapolis and his MSM from Indiana Wesleyan University. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy, Session 227.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Tom believes we need elected officials who have real life experiences.
• As a career law enforcement officer, Tom supports and will defend the 2nd amendment.
• Tom is a Pro-Life advocate, having been endorsed by Allen County Right to Life in both School Board races.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Tom is committed to listening to and working with professional educators to make sure the state does not continue to burden classroom teachers and local districts with state mandated regulations that continue to take away from the teacher's ability to teach. He wants to reevaluate and change the way the state holds schools and teachers accountable.

Tom is also passionate about working with law enforcement professionals and crime victims families to ensure that our officers have all the tools and training necessary to protect our communities and that crime victims families have a voice.

Tom will also sit down with doctors and healthcare administrators to develop real solutions to address the rising costs of healthcare and prescription drugs. The answer is not with a single payer system or more government control.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to my father. He modeled unconditional love. He could disagree with people but it never changed how he treated them or cared for them.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

My political philosophy is simple, I believe, as Ronald Reagan did, that government is not the solution to our issues, it is usually the problem. The government at the state level is to make sure the values and beliefs of our state are supported and that the rights of every citizen of our state are protected and that everyone has the opportunities to be successful, to pursue life, liberty, and happiness.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Elected officials must be honest and of the highest ethical standards. I learned at a very young age as a pastor's son, that someone is always watching us to see how to live. The lessons I learned have guided me as a husband, a father, a police officer, and as a coach. While we may not be perfect, we must always strive to do things right.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I have the ability to listen and to build consensus. I am a visionary leader. I have implemented new ideas and programs that have required collaboration in order to achieve.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of a State Senator is to represent the values and beliefs of your community and not to let outside influences, money, or power influence your decisions.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like for my legacy to be that everyday I worked to make sure I had a positive impact on everyone I came in contact with. I would like for people to know that I loved God, my family and my community.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event I remember was the Watergate hearings. I was around 8 years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was bailing hey for local farmers. I did this every summer as a young teen.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My favorite book is If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat by John Ortberg. It challenges the reader to answer God's call. We all have a decision to make, are we going to stay in the boat where it is safe like 11 disciples did, or are we going to get out of the boat like Peter did? I choose to get out and experience the fullness of what God has in store for me.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Life is a struggle every day. But when we remember that someone has it worse than you, it makes it easier. God has blessed me beyond anything I have ever deserved. Because of that I believe he calls me to give back.

Every state besides Nebraska has two legislative chambers. What do you consider the most important differences between the legislative chambers in your state?

The State Senate is the senior legislative body, comprising of only 50 members.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe there is value to having some experience in government. However, I think it is much more valuable and important for elected officials to have real life experiences. Our elected officials have a different perspective and can connect with their constituents if they have had to struggle to work, save money to buy a house, raise children, pay property taxes, send kids to school, save for college, etc. Those who seek a career in politics never fully appreciate the struggles of every day life.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

One of Indiana's greatest challenge will be Working with educators to make sure we have an education system in place that prepares or children for tomorrow's opportunities and rewards teachers for the work they do, while keeping our spending and taxes low.

Indiana will also have to address the failed mission of our Department of Children's Services and look at possible new ideas on how to care and serve our DCS kids and families.

Finally, Indiana must address our lack of healthcare to our poorest citizens, particularly as it pertains to our "Nation's Worst" infant mortality rate.

All of this must be done with a balanced budget and no tax increase. This means growing our economy. We must create a business-friendly environment with a ready-to-work workforce and upgraded infrastructure in order to attract businesses and good paying jobs to our state. A strong economy is vital to achieving all of our dreams.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature?

The governor and legislators must have a collaborative relationship with a common mission of providing the opportunity for every citizen to improve their quality of life. This may sound simplistic, yet difficult to achieve. Both sides working together is required to achieve success.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

It is vitally important to build relationships with other law makers. Statesmanship is a lost art. When we know one another, and we know each other's hearts, while we may not agree on everything, we can often find a common ground for the good of our citizens.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

My life's experiences are in Education, Healthcare, and Public Safety. While I would be open to serving wherever my skills and talents could be used, I would be most interested in serving on committees in those specific areas.

If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the legislature, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?

I am running for state senate to serve my community and my state. If in the future I would have earned the trust of my fellow law makers to serve in leadership, then I would consider that opportunity at that time. The bottom line is, I seek to serve.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I do not seek to model myself after anyone else. I am my own person with my own life experiences. But I would certainly seek to be a legislator who is honest and willing to cast the vote that best represents the values of my community and not be influenced by money or special interest groups. I seek to represent the people.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I do not have a career plan laid out in politics. Folks came to me asking if I would run for this office because they know me. God has blessed me with a lifetime of service opportunities. I am always open to God's calling, but I have no personal plans to move on.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I have heard many stories from my friends and neighbors during this journey about how our lives crossed either when I was on the police department or as a coach for their children. What I didn't realize was how God used me to impact their lives. One story was from a friend who reminded me of an automobile accident she was in with her new baby and I was the first person on the scene. I got a stuffed animal out of my car for her baby and checked to see how everyone was doing. She talked about how calming I was for her and how she was so grateful. 14 years later I coached her son in basketball. I just never realized how impactful our lives can be when we let God lead us.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Indiana State Senate District 16

Website

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Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Indiana State Senate

Leadership

Majority Leader:Chris Garten

Senators

District 1

Dan Dernulc (R)

District 2

Lonnie Randolph (D)

District 3

Mark Spencer (D)

District 4

Rodney Pol (D)

District 5

Ed Charbonneau (R)

District 6

Rick Niemeyer (R)

District 7

Brian Buchanan (R)

District 8

Mike Bohacek (R)

District 9

Ryan Mishler (R)

District 10

David Niezgodski (D)

District 11

Linda Rogers (R)

District 12

Blake Doriot (R)

District 13

Susan Glick (R)

District 14

Tyler Johnson (R)

District 15

Liz Brown (R)

District 16

Justin Busch (R)

District 17

Andy Zay (R)

District 18

Stacey Donato (R)

District 19

Travis Holdman (R)

District 20

Scott Baldwin (R)

District 21

James Buck (R)

District 22

Ronnie Alting (R)

District 23

Spencer Deery (R)

District 24

Brett Clark (R)

District 25

Mike Gaskill (R)

District 26

Scott Alexander (R)

District 27

Jeff Raatz (R)

District 28

Michael Crider (R)

District 29

J.D. Ford (D)

District 30

Fady Qaddoura (D)

District 31

Kyle Walker (R)

District 32

Aaron Freeman (R)

District 33

Greg Taylor (D)

District 34

La Keisha Jackson (D)

District 35

Michael Young (R)

District 36

Cyndi Carrasco (R)

District 37

Rodric Bray (R)

District 38

Greg Goode (R)

District 39

Eric Bassler (R)

District 40

Shelli Yoder (D)

District 41

Greg Walker (R)

District 42

Jean Leising (R)

District 43

Randy Maxwell (R)

District 44

Eric Koch (R)

District 45

Chris Garten (R)

District 46

Andrea Hunley (D)

District 47

Gary Byrne (R)

District 48

Daryl Schmitt (R)

District 49

Jim Tomes (R)

District 50

Vaneta Becker (R)

Republican Party (40)

Democratic Party (10)