Tom Smith (Pennsylvania politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tom Smith
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Thomas Joel Smith
October 20, 1947 Kittanning, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | October 17, 2015 (aged 67) Shelocta, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic (before 2011) Republican (2011–2015) |
| Spouse | Saundy Smith |
| Children | 7 |
Thomas Joel Smith (October 20, 1947 – October 17, 2015) was an American politician and businessman from Pennsylvania. A politician is someone who works in government. For many years, Smith was a member of the Democratic Party. In 2011, he changed to the Republican Party. He then ran for a seat in the United States Senate in 2012. He lost the election to the person already holding the seat, Senator Bob Casey Jr..
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Early Life and Family
Thomas Joel Smith was born on October 20, 1947. He grew up in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. In 1965, he finished high school at Elderton High School. When he was 19, his father became ill. Tom decided to help his family instead of going to college right away. He took over running the family farm. He also managed their company that provided school buses. Tom and his wife had three children. They later adopted four more children from Texas, making a family of seven children.
Working in Coal Mining
After leaving school, Tom Smith started working in a coal mine. In 1989, he bought his own coal mine. He got the money by using his existing property as a guarantee for a loan. He ran this business for 20 years. In 2010, he sold the company. Smith once said that his company mined over a million tons of coal each year. It also employed more than 100 people.
Political Career
Local Government Work
Tom Smith was active in local politics for a long time. He was a Democrat and served on the Plumcreek Township Board of Supervisors. This board helps manage the local area. He even became the President of the Board.
In 1975, the Plumcreek board voted to increase the real estate tax. This is a tax on land and buildings. Later, in 1977, the board created an income tax. An income tax is a tax on money people earn. Smith voted for this new tax. In 1978, he voted for a 1% tax on property sales.
Smith was a Democratic committeeman until 2010. He had been a member of the Democratic Party for 40 years. He said that even though he was a Democrat, he had conservative views. Conservative views often mean wanting less government spending. He also led a local group in the Tea Party movement.
Running for U.S. Senate
In August 2011, Tom Smith decided to run for the United States Senate. He joined the Republican race for this important position. At first, many people thought he had little chance to win. Other candidates were more well-known. However, Smith spent almost $3 million in early 2012 on his campaign. This helped him gain support. He won the Republican primary election with nearly 40 percent of the votes.
After winning the primary, he faced the current U.S. Senator, Bob Casey Jr.. Senator Casey was a Democrat. He had first won his Senate seat in 2006. In the general election in November, Tom Smith lost to Senator Casey. Casey won with 54 percent of the votes, while Smith received 45 percent.
Ideas and Plans
On September 7, 2012, Tom Smith shared his economic plan. He called it Restoring the American Dream. His plan had five main points. It focused on reducing how much the government spends. It also aimed to make it easier to produce energy in the United States. Smith used television ads to tell people about his policy plan.
Personal Life
After finishing school, Tom Smith married his high school sweetheart. They lived in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania for many years. They raised their seven children there. Tom Smith was a very successful businessman. His total wealth was estimated to be between $60 million and $70 million. Tom Smith passed away at his home in Shelocta in 2015.
