Tom Rust
Thomas Davis "Tom" Rust is a former Republican member of the Virginia House of Delegates, representing District 86 from 2001 to 2016.
Rust did not seek re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2015.[1]
Biography
Rust earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1965, his M.A. in public works engineering from George Washington University in 1978, and his M.A. in Urban/Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia in 1989. Prior to his election to the House, Rust served as Mayor of the town of Herndon, Virginia from 1976 to 1984 and 1990 to 2001.[2]
Committee assignments
2015 legislative session
At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Rust served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2015 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Education |
| • Science and Technology |
| • Transportation, Chair |
2014 legislative session
In the 2014 legislative session, Rust served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2014 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Education |
| • Science and Technology |
| • Transportation, Chair |
2012-2013
In the 2012-2013 legislative session, Rust served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2012 |
|---|
| • Commerce and Labor |
| • Education |
| • Science and Technology, Vice-Chair |
| • Transportation |
2010-2011
In the 2010-2011 legislative session, Rust served on the following committees:
| Virginia committee assignments, 2010 |
|---|
| • Science and Technology, Vice-Chair |
| • Education |
| • Transportation |
| • Commerce and Labor |
Campaign themes
2013
Rust’s website highlighted the following campaign themes:[3]
- Jobs + the Economy
- Excerpt: "We must make sure that the funding provided in the new transportation package is efficiently used to develop a modern, efficient transportation system to keep our workforce and our economy moving. We must invest more resources into public and higher education to make sure that Virginia’s students are ready to power the workforce of tomorrow."
- Transportation
- Excerpt: "This session, I supported the first new sustainable, long-term transportation funding and reform package in 27 years. This bipartisan solution will make sure that Virginia’s economy isn’t stuck sitting behind the wheel, but will continue to move forward."
- K-12 Education
- Excerpt: "Virginia’s public education system is one of the best in the nation, but we can do more to make it the best. Our students will power the workforce of tomorrow – and it will be global, more mobile, social, and diverse. This means supporting options that will give our teachers and school divisions the tools and resources they need to expand classroom access, close the achievement gap, and improve student performance by expanding on Virginia’s student-centered approach."
- Higher Education
- Excerpt: "We need to increase access to our community colleges and trade schools, giving students more options for their futures and expanding career opportunities. STEM education – science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education – is one of the keys to our future economy."
- Healthcare
- Excerpt: "Too many working Virginians do not have access to affordable healthcare, and we need to do more to make sure that everyone has access to affordable, quality care. I copatroned a budget amendment to work with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to create a path for access to healthcare for uninsured, working Virginias [sic] unable to access affordable care."
2011
Rust’s website highlighted the following campaign themes:
- Creating Good Paying Jobs
- Excerpt: "Tom will continue to work to keep taxes low because Tom understands raising taxes on the middle class right now will only hurt our economy even more."
- Improving Public Education
- Excerpt: "Tom remains committed to our public school system - fighting to raise teacher pay and increase K-12 funding." He "is leading the fight to make in-state universities affordable and accessible for Virginia students."
- Fixing Transportation
- Excerpt: "Tom will continue to work to secure transportation dollars for projects like rail to Dulles that are vital to attracting and keeping employers in our community."
- Protecting the Environment
- Excerpt: "Promoting alternative energy not only improves the environment, it also can create good paying jobs right here in Virginia."
Sponsored legislation
The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.
Elections
2013
Rust won re-election in the 2013 election for Virginia House of Delegates District 86. Rust ran unopposed in the June 11th Republican Primary and defeated Jennifer B. Boysko (D) in the general election on November 5, 2013.[4]
| Virginia House of Delegates, District 86 General Election, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Tom Rust Incumbent |
50% | 10,389 | |
| Democratic | Jennifer B. Boysko | 49.7% | 10,335 | |
| Other | Write-in | 0.2% | 51 | |
| Total Votes | 20,775 | |||
Race snapshot
This suburban Washington, DC, district awarded Governor Bob McDonnell (R) with 53 percent of the vote in 2009 before swinging heavily to grant President Barack Obama (D) 60 percent of the vote in 2012. Rust, the Republican incumbent since 2002, ran unopposed in 2011 but faced Democracy for America-supported challenger Boysko during the 2013 campaign. Rust is a moderate, but a spirited campaign by Jennifer B. Boysko (D) and her Democratic supporters had the potential to put this seat in the Democrat's column on election night 2013. Based on the 2012 presidential vote, this seat was the most Democratic seat held by a Republican officeholder heading into the 2013 House of Delegates elections.[5][6][7]
2011
On November 8, 2011, Rust won re-election to District 86 of the Virginia House of Delegates. He was uncontested in the August 23 primary and ran unopposed in the November 8 general election.[8]
2009
In 2009, Rust was re-elected to the Virginia House of Delegates.[9]
| Virginia House of Delegates General Election, District 86 (2009) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidates | Votes | |||
| Tom Rust (R)
|
8,256 | |||
| Steven Miller(D) | 7,054 | |||
Delegate Rust discussing his projects |
Campaign finance summary
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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 Virginia scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.
2015
In 2015, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 14 to February 28, 2015.
- NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia: 2014-2015 Legislative Voting Record
- Legislators are scored based on their voting record on reproductive issues.
- National Federation of Independent Business-Virginia: 2014-2015 voting record
- Legislators are scored based on their votes on small business issues.
- Northern Virginia Chamber Partnership: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on business and quality of life issues.
- The American Conservative Union: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.
- The Family Foundation of Virginia: 2014-2015 Report Card
- Legislators are scored by the Family Foundation on their votes on bills related to "principles of life, marriage, parental authority, constitutional government and religious liberty."
- Virginia Chamber of Commerce: 2015 Legislative Report Card
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues during the 2014-2015 legislative session.
- Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the climate and energy.
- Virginia Citizens Defense League: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to the Second Amendment.
- Virginia Education Association: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to education.
- Virginia Free: 2014/2015 Legislator Ratings
- Legislators are scored based on legislation related to business and industry issues.
- Virginia League of Conservation Voters: 2015 Scorecard
- Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental and conservation issues.
- Legislators are scored on their votes on 16 bills chosen by the Virginia Tea Party Patriots.
2014
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2014, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 8 through March 10.
|
2013
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2013, the Virginia General Assembly was in session from January 9 to February 25.
|
2012
| To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show]. |
|---|
|
In 2012, the Virginia General Assembly was in regular session from January 11 to March 10.
|
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Rust and his wife, Ann, have three children.
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Tom + Rust + Virginia + House"
See also
- Virginia State Legislature
- Virginia House of Delegates
- Virginia House of Delegates Committees
- Virginia state legislative districts
External links
- Delegate Tom Rust official website
- Profile from Open States
- Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Campaign Contributions:2009, 2007, 2005, 2003, 2001
- Virginia Public Access Project profile
- Richmond Sunlight profile
- Wikipedia page
Footnotes
- ↑ Trevor Baratko, Loudoun Times, "Delegate Tom Rust retiring," February 25, 2015
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed May 28, 2014
- ↑ Tom Rust - Delegate, "Issues," accessed September 18, 2013
- ↑ Virginia Board of Elections, “Official Results - 2013 General Election," accessed December 2, 2013
- ↑ University of Virginia Center for Politics, Sabato's Crystal Ball, "Republicans Certain to Retain Control of Virginia House of Delegates," August 8, 2013
- ↑ VPAP, "House of Delegates District 86," accessed October 3, 2013
- ↑ Democracy for America, "Boysko for Delegate," accessed October 3, 2013
- ↑ Virginia State Board of Elections, "November 2011 General Election Official Results," accessed May 15, 2014
- ↑ Follow the Money, "Virginia House of Delegates 2009 General Election Results," accessed May 15, 2014
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Virginia House of Delegates District 86 2002–2016 |
Succeeded by Jennifer B. Boysko (D) |
