Tom Waniewski

Tom Waniewski

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Toledo City Council At-large

Prior offices

Toledo City Council District 5

Successor: Sam Melden

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

St. Francis de Sales School

Bachelor's

University of Toledo, 1978

Graduate

Bowling Green State University, 1998

Personal

Profession

Journalism

Contact

Personal website

Tom Waniewski is running for election for an at-large seat of the Toledo City Council in Ohio. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025. The primary for this office on May 6, 2025, was canceled.

Waniewski was a member of the Toledo City Council in Ohio, representing District 5. He assumed office in 2007. He left office on January 1, 2020.

Waniewski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Tom Waniewski earned a high school diploma from the St. Francis de Sales School, a bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo in 1978, and a graduate degree from Bowling Green State University in 1998. His career experience includes working in journalism. Waniewksi started Access Toledo, served as chairman of the United Way Board, and retired as development director of Catholic Charities.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Toledo, Ohio (2025)

General election

General election for Toledo City Council At-large (6 seats)

The following candidates are running in the general election for Toledo City Council At-large on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Mac Driscoll (Nonpartisan)
		Carrie Hartman (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Brittany Jones (Nonpartisan)
		Nick Komives (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Cerssandra McPherson (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	George Sarantou (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Ed Beczynski (Nonpartisan)
		Blair Johnson (Nonpartisan)
		Erin Kramer (Nonpartisan)
		Tom Names (Nonpartisan)
		Robert Pasker III (Nonpartisan)
		Tom Waniewski (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

The primary election was canceled.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Lucas County, Ohio (2024)

General election

General election for Lucas County Commission

Incumbent Pete Gerken defeated Tom Waniewski in the general election for Lucas County Commission on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pete Gerken (D)	53.3	98,739
		Tom Waniewski (R)	46.7	86,603

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 185,342
= 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.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Lucas County Commission

Incumbent Pete Gerken advanced from the Democratic primary for Lucas County Commission on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pete Gerken	100.0	20,523

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 20,523
= 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 Lucas County Commission

Tom Waniewski advanced from the Republican primary for Lucas County Commission on March 19, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tom Waniewski	100.0	17,616

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 17,616
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Waniewski in this election.

2019

See also: City elections in Toledo, Ohio (2019)

Tom Waniewski was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Toledo, Ohio (2017)

Incumbent Paula Hicks-Hudson and Wade Kapszukiewicz defeated Tom Waniewski and Opal Covey in the primary election for mayor of Toledo.

Mayor of Toledo, Primary Election, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Paula Hicks-Hudson Incumbent	38.91%	9,686
Wade Kapszukiewicz	33.54%	8,350
Tom Waniewski	26.75%	6,659
Opal Covey	0.80%	199
Total Votes		24,894
Source: Lucas County Board of Elections, "Board of Elections," accessed September 12, 2017

2015

See also: Toledo, Ohio municipal elections, 2015

The city of Toledo, Ohio, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was July 21, 2015. In the District 5 race, incumbent Tom Waniewski was unopposed in the general election on November 3, 2015.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Tom Waniewski completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Waniewski's 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.

I served on Toledo City Council as a district rep for 12 years and was term limited. I am seeking to get back on council but as an at-large representative.

I am making constituent services my main campaign theme. If you feel you don't have a voice about your neighborhood and ways to make Toledo a better place for all its residents, please vote for me. My record of responding to citizens' concerns is unmatched. In fact I first ran for Toledo City Council because the city wasn't filling a large hole in my back yard that the Utility Department dug. Worse, no one from City Hall called me back to explain what was going on. That's what propelled me to run.

I started an electronic newsletter to inform all residents what was going on in the city with their tax dollars.

I started Alertizen, to give residents a direct connection to police calls in their neighborhood. Alertizen was revolutionary (Google it). Connecting residents with their government is something I feel strongly about.

I worked in television news for more than 25 years uncovering the wrongs that affected hard-working, law-abiding citizens.

I've received the endorsement of the Toledo Police Command Officers Association, and Building Trades of Northwest Ohio. I work well across the aisle with any politician from any party who is honest about working FOR its residents.

I will be your DIRECT LINE TO CITY HALL, and I'm grateful for your support.

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?

• Respond to citizens who have a concern about city services
• Be smart about how we spend your money.
• Work with an attitude of cooperation and non-partisanship for the betterment of our citizens.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Constituent Services. Safety. Budgeting. Capital Improvements (paving our roads).

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

My three brothers and Jesus Christ. Read the bible, and you'll know why.

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

Honesty. Thorough understanding of legislation. A passion for responding to its citizens in a timely manner.

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

Managing a half-billion dollar budget with knowledge and common sense.

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

I was in second grade when President John Kennedy was assasinated. I remember my mom ironing in the living room as news of the assasination was unfolding.

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

I scooped ice cream for Baskin Robbins when I was in high school. I worked two years in this position.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. I prefer real-world, private-sector experience and a whole lot of common sense.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

A basic understanding of income and expenses and an ability to read spread sheets. Also, enough social skills to speak with constituents honestly.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

It IS local government. You should have a voice in your local government, and I will be your diret line to express your voice to local government.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

As of this writing, Toledo Police Command Officers Association, Building Trades of Northwest Ohio.

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.

2024

Tom Waniewski did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2017

Waniewski's campaign website listed the following themes for 2017:

“	Rethink City Government I am committed to cleaning up and leading City Hall with a focus on results—putting city government on a sound fiscal path while providing the citizens and businesses of Toledo with high levels of service. I will accomplish this by: Building a staff culture based on performance and accountability—rewarding innovation and hard work and removing inefficiency and ineffective bureaucracy. Taking a bipartisan approach to putting the city's long-term interests ahead of ANY political party or narrow interest group. Investing in technology and updating antiquated systems to improve the efficiency and the delivery of city services. Rebuild Neighborhoods I will rebuild our neighborhoods with a thoughtful plan for infrastructure repair—from roads to water pipes, sidewalks to sewers. However, great neighborhoods are built on more than fresh pavement alone. Great communities and cities are built on neighborhoods that take pride in their homes and care for their neighbors. Many of our neighborhoods, once vibrant and proud, are struggling with a number of challenges. For those neighborhoods, help is on the way. I will: Immediately stop the transfer of money from our Capital Improvement account. Period! That will free up necessary dollars to fix roads and other infrastructure. Create a funding mechanism that engages neighborhood organizations and foundations for buy-in on projects that are right for them, right where they live. Return crime-ridden neighborhoods back to law abiding citizens. No longer will any Toledoan feel like a hostage in his or her own home. Restore Confidence Toledo and the region have much to be proud of. We will restore confidence in our region through strong leadership and a focus toward building a brighter future for each and every Toledoan. Businesses have been reluctant to locate to Toledo, or have moved away because of the chronic inefficiency, bureaucracy and lack of leadership and vision in city government. City departments need to work proactively for the benefit of both its residents and businesses, providing economic opportunity and growth to its citizens. The city must get off the sideline and play an important role partnering with the private sector—helping fuel our downtown renaissance and the many benefits it will have for surrounding neighborhoods and the entire city. I will accomplish this by: Creating a staff culture where quality and service to ALL residents and businesses comes first through employee engagement and dedication. If you can’t serve the public, you can’t work for me. Balancing urban planning with common sense regulations. We will stop hindering business growth, by supporting the entrepreneur and businesses, which will provide more and higher-paying job opportunities for all Toledoans. Working with our suburban neighbors to insure our water supply—a catalyst for economic development and a basic necessity for families and businesses—is never threatened again. We must put our water supply on a sound operating basis. I am going to monetize our water plant, not politicize it, for the benefit of the entire community of northwest Ohio.	”
—Tom Waniewski (2017)

See also

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Personal

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Toledo City Council, District 5 2007-2020	Succeeded by Sam Melden