Tom Tancredo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's6th district | |
| In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Daniel Schaefer |
| Succeeded by | Mike Coffman |
| Member of theColorado House of Representatives from the 27th district | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – October 16, 1981 | |
| Preceded by | Nancy Flett |
| Succeeded by | Judy Ford |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Gerard Tancredo (1945-12-20)December 20, 1945 (age 80) |
| Party | Republican (before 2010, 2011–2015, 2017–present) Constitution (2010–2011) Independent (2015–2017) |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Northern Colorado (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Thomas Gerard Tancredo (/tæŋˈkreɪdoʊ/; born December 20, 1945) is an American politician fromColorado who representedthe state's sixth congressional district in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009 as aRepublican. He ran forPresident of the United States during the2008 election, and was theConstitution Party's unsuccessful nominee forGovernor of Colorado in 2010.
Tancredo was elected to theColorado House of Representatives in 1976 and served two terms. After working in theUnited States Department of Education during theRonald Reagan andGeorge H. W. Bush administrations, he was elected to the United States Congress, and served five terms. He decided to not seek re-election in 2008,[1] instead running apresidential campaign, centered on the issues of illegal immigration and terrorism. He dropped out of the race in December 2007 to assist former Massachusetts GovernorMitt Romney inhis campaign for the nomination.
Tancredo announced on July 26, 2010, that he planned to change parties andrun for Governor of Colorado on theAmerican Constitution Party ticket. He received 617,030 votes (36.7%), coming in second place, well ahead of theRepublican Party nominee Dan Maes, who got about 11% of the vote.
Tancredo ran for governor in2014, this time as a Republican, because of his opposition to Colorado governorJohn Hickenlooper's refusal to execute convicted murdererNathan Dunlap, and because of Hickenlooper's attempts to pass gun control legislation.[2] Tancredo competed for the Republican Party's nomination withBob Beauprez, Steve House,Greg Brophy,Mike Kopp, andScott Gessler. Tancredo lost the primary to Beauprez. He once again left the Republican Party in 2015, becoming an independent.[3] Tancredo again ran as a Republican for governor in2018, but withdrew from the race.
Tancredo was born inDenver, Colorado, the son of Adeline (née Lombardi) and Gerald Tancredo. All four of his grandparents emigrated fromItaly.[4] He grew up in the then-predominantly Italian neighborhood ofNorth Denver, and attended St. Catherine's Elementary School andHoly Family High School.[5] He graduated from theUniversity of Northern Colorado with a degree inpolitical science. Tancredo was active with theCollege Republicans and aconservative organization,Young Americans for Freedom (YAF).
As a Republican student activist Tancredo spoke in support of the Vietnam War. After graduating from the University of Northern Colorado he became eligible to serve in Vietnam in June 1969. Tancredo has said he went for his physical, telling doctors he had been treated for depression, and eventually got a "1-Y" deferment.[6]
In 1976, while teaching history at Drake Junior High School in Arvada, he ran for and won a seat in the Colorado House of Representatives. He served two terms (1977–1981) and was one of the leaders of a vocal group of conservative legislators opposing the policies of Colorado GovernorDick Lamm.[7][8][9] During the 1970s, Tancredo pioneered opposition tobilingual education, an issue that would remain a feature of his political orientation.
Tancredo was appointed by PresidentRonald Reagan to be the regional representative in Denver for theDepartment of Education in 1981. He stayed on through PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush's administration in 1992, and pared the office's staff from 225 to 60 employees. He became president of theIndependence Institute in 1993, a conservativethink tank based inGolden, Colorado, serving there until his election to Congress. He was a leader in the Coloradoterm limits movement.
AfterDan Schaefer decided not to run for a seventh full term in the 6th Congressional District in 1998, Tancredo narrowly won the five-way Republican primary, and the election in November. He was only the second person to represent the 6th District since its creation in 1983 (formerastronautJack Swigert was elected as the district's first congressman in 1982, but died before taking office). Despite his promise to serve only three terms in Congress,[10] he decided to run for a fourth term and won re-election.
Tancredo's outspoken advocacy forimmigration reform, and particularly his criticism of PresidentGeorge W. Bush's border security controls, reportedly made himpersona non grata in the BushWhite House.[11] According to Tancredo, he and Bush's political adviser,Karl Rove, got into a "screaming match" after Tancredo claimed that "if the nation suffered another attack at the hands ofterrorists able to skirt immigration laws, the blood of the people killed" would be on Bush's and Congress' hands. Rove responded by calling Tancredo "atraitor to the party" and "a traitor to the president," and warned him to never "darken the doorstep of the White House."[11]
In an interview, Tancredo said his falling out with the White House has lasted. "One reason I ampersona non grata at the White House is not just because of immigration... but because I refuse to support him on his trade policy, his education policy, Medicare and prescription drugs initiatives.... Here was a Republican Congress increasing government to an extent larger than it had been increased since Medicare had come into existence."[12] Tancredo reported that his career in Congress was threatened by the leadership because of his stances. "I was called intoTom DeLay's office because I was supporting Republican challengers to Republican incumbents. I had a group called Team America that went out and did that. He called me and said to me, 'You're jeopardizing your career in this place by doing these things.' And I said, 'Tom, out of all the things you can threaten me with that is the least effective because I do not look at this place as a career.'"[12]
Tancredo sponsored theSudan Peace Act.[13] The Sudan Peace Act says "A viable, comprehensive, and internationally sponsored peace process, protected from manipulation, presents the best chance for a permanent resolution of the war, protection ofhuman rights, and a self-sustainingSudan." The Act passed the House of Representatives with a 359–8 vote, was passed unanimously in the Senate without amendment seven days later, and was signed into law on November 21, 2002.
Tancredo introduced the Mass Immigration Reduction Act. The act would have imposed an indefinitemoratorium on immigration to the United States. Under the act, only spouses and children of American citizens would be allowed to immigrate, which Tancredo estimated would amount to 300,000 immigrants annually.[14] The moratorium would last for at least the first five years of the act and, after that, until such time as there were fewer than 10,000 illegal immigrants entering per year. When those conditions were met, immigration would only have been allowed at whatever level the president and both houses of Congress agreed would have no adverse impact on wages, housing, theenvironment, or schools. When last introduced in 2003, the bill had 11 cosponsors. Organizations that have endorsed Tancredo's bill include:NumbersUSA,Population-Environment Balance,Carrying Capacity Network,Federation for American Immigration Reform,Negative Population Growth, and the American Patrol. Tancredo introduced the bill in 2001 (H. R. 2712)[15] and 2003 (H. R. 946).[16] Tancredo did not re-introduce the bill in 2005. In 2007, he proposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to "establish English as theofficial language of the United States", (H.R. 19).[17]
In 2005, Tancredo introduced[18] a resolution calling on the president to recognize the government of theRepublic of China (Taiwan) and to abandon theOne-China policy. He has been critical of thePeople's Republic of China. This has since been modified and reintroduced as H. Con. Res. 73.[19]
In February 2005, Tancredo announced he would seek the Republican nomination for president if all other candidates failed to address the illegal immigration problem.
On February 9, 2006, Tancredo addressed theConservative Political Action Conference (CPAC),[20] the annual conference of theAmerican Conservative Union.[21] He scored 5% of the vote in the 2008 CPAC straw poll.
On January 16, 2007, Tancredo announced that he formed anexploratory committee on seeking the presidential nomination of the Republican Party. He said that the Republican Party needs someone who can offer America a "common sense agenda".[22]
A spokesman for Tancredo's exploratory committee has confirmed that he would not run on athird party platform, and that "they've had no intention to run as a third-party candidate, ever, and we'll never consider that because he's a Republican, period."[23]
On February 13, the American Conservative Union issued ratings for potential presidential candidates.[24] Tancredo took first with a lifetime ranking of 99 out of 100. The website ConservativesBetrayed.com polled 525 people who attended CPAC 2007, and 88.1% believed that Tancredo would govern as a conservative.Newt Gingrich polled next at 87.9%.[25]
At the 2007 CPAC conference, held March 1–3, Tancredo was ranked sixth in the CPAC straw poll, with 9%, when first and second choices were combined.[26]
On April 2, 2007, Tancredo announced that he would run for president in the2008 election. This announcement was made on 1040 WHO Talk Radio in Iowa. He denounced other Republican candidates for their lack of consistency on the illegal immigration issue, the issue on which Tancredo will run. In early April, he also participated in what was billed as the first online presidential debate, against fellow Republican and presidential candidateDuncan Hunter.[27]
In his speech in 2007 to CPAC, Tancredo said:[28]
If you want to call me a single-issue candidate, that's fine, just so long as you know that my single issue is the survival and the success of the conservative movement in America.
In a May 3, 2007,debate among the ten candidates for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, Tancredo was one of three who raised their hands when asked if anyone did not believe in the theory ofevolution.[29]
On August 10, 2007, Rep. Tom Tancredo's presidential campaign reportedly was the victim of an e-mail hoax on the eve of the Republican Party straw poll in Ames, Iowa.The Des Moines Register reports that a hoax e-mail sent on Friday to almost 500 Tancredo supporters told them—falsely—that chartered buses to ferry them to the daylong events had either been cancelled or delayed.[30]
On September 5, 2007, during a visit toConcord, New Hampshire, Tancredo made it clear that he supports strictly enforcing immigration laws and deporting all illegal immigrants. He believes so-called sanctuary policies provide safe havens for criminals. Tancredo also mentioned his support of the building of a fence betweenMexico and the United States, and that mayors and city council members who adopt sanctuary city policies should face criminal charges. He urgedNew Hampshire GovernorJohn Lynch to veto an upcoming immigration bill and demanded the ouster of the bill's sponsors.
On November 13, 2007, the Tancredo campaign released an ad called "Tough on Terror" in which a hypothetical terrorist attack occurs in a shopping mall. The ad blames inept border security for the attack and flashes images of an injured child and a wrecked train. A voiceover comments, "There are consequences to open borders beyond the 20 million aliens who have come to take our jobs... the price we pay for spineless politicians who refuse to defend our borders against those who come to kill."[31]
On his 62nd birthday December 20, 2007, Tancredo ended his candidacy for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination, and endorsed Mitt Romney.[32]
Individual contributions made up most of the campaign cash that Tancredo had received, being about 97% of his total pocketbook. He granted himself $200 for his campaign and received no federal funding. $88,457 of his money came from interest from the campaign's bank accounts and loans from outside sources. The majority of Tancredo's funds were not disclosed.[33]
After he ended his run for president, Tancredo decided against running for reelection.[34] Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Beauprez said he spoke to Tancredo about possible runs for governor orSenate in 2010.[35][failed verification]
Tancredo spoke at the Constitution Party's national committee meeting on October 23, 2009.[36]
In July 2010, Tancredo warned the two Republican candidates for governor,Scott McInnis and Dan Maes, that he would launch a third-party bid as candidate of theConstitution Party's Colorado branch if the Republican primary winner was behind in general election polling and did not drop out. Tancredo felt that McInnis was unelectable because hisplagiarism scandal had exposed him as "basically a fraud," while Maes' campaign finance violations likewise made him unelectable.[37] Tancredo subsequently announced that he was going ahead with plans to run as a Constitution Party candidate.[38]
Tancredo selectedPat Miller as his running mate.[39][40]
Tancredo placed second in the election with 36.5 percent of the vote, well ahead of Maes, the Republican Party candidate.
In January 2011 Tancredo re-registered as a Republican, saying it is the "only game in town".[41]
Tancredo announced he would run for governor again in 2014. He was angry at Colorado governor John Hickenlooper because Hickenlooper had passed gun restrictions, and because Hickenlooper had granted a stay of execution forNathan Dunlap, the man responsible for the 1993 Aurora, Colorado shooting that killed 4. He lost the Republican primary toBob Beauprez, who went on to lose the general election to Hickenlooper.
On October 31, 2017, Tancredo announced he would run for Governor of Colorado a third time. His bid was fueled in part by Republican politicians' reluctance to criticize the cancellation of an April 2018VDARE event where Tancredo was scheduled to speak.[42][43][44][45] A central theme of his campaign is strong opposition toillegal immigration, and he vowed to defund the city of Denver due to its status as asanctuary city.[46]
On January 30, 2018, Tancredo announced he was withdrawing from the race.[47]
Tancredo founded the Team Americapolitical action committee in 2004[48] in order to raise contributions for congressional candidates who opposed illegal immigration. Campaign laws forced Tancredo to resign from Team America PAC. The PAC was noted for targeting incumbent CongressmanChris Cannon in the 2006 Republican primary.[49] In 2009, reporters discovered thatMarcus Epstein, the executive director of Team America, had assaulted an African American woman in 2007, and had used a racial epithet.[50][51][52] Tancredo kept Epstein on his staff despite the guilty plea.[50][51]
In June 2011 Tancredo founded aSuper PAC called the American Legacy Alliance to support candidates for federal office who oppose illegal immigration.[53]
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Tancredo traces his interest in politics to the eighth grade, when he played Fidel Castro in a class assignment. Tancredo urges America to reject "the siren song ofmulticulturalism" and depicts Islam as "a civilization bent on destroying ours". In July 2005, Tancredo proposed that America respond to any future terrorist attack by bombingMecca and other holy sites. In September 2006, when Pope Benedict XVI gave a speech quoting a 14th-century Byzantine emperor who said the prophet Mohammed had brought "things only evil and inhuman", sparking Muslim anger throughout the world, Tancredo urged him not to apologize.[54][55]
Tancredo has said thatabortion "compromises the sanctity of life" and "attacks the most vulnerable among us: unborn boys and girls". He does not support the granting of federal funds to "any organization that promotes abortion".[56] He voted in favor of thePartial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, and in favor of legislation requiringparental notification when a minor seeks an abortion. He received an "A" on theNational Right to Life Committee report card,[57] indicating that he votes in Congress on theanti-abortion side of this issue.
In the first Republican debate held on May 3, 2007, Tancredo agreed that theU.S. Supreme Court should overturn the 1973Roe v. Wade decision, adding that it would be "the greatest day in this country's history".[58]
Tancredo was criticized byanti-abortion forces for accepting over $20,000 in donations fromJohn Tanton, founder of theFederation for American Immigration Reform and a founder of aPlanned Parenthood chapter.[59]
Tom Tancredo is perhaps best known for his opposition to immigration.[60] Tancredo founded theCongressional Immigration Reform Caucus in May 1999. He served as its chairman until January 2007, when he turned the chairmanship over toBrian Bilbray.[61]
Tancredo has called for halting illegal immigration, and a three-year moratorium on all legal immigration to allow those immigrants already in the country to be assimilated. Tancredo called for the deportation of the family of Jesus Apodaca, an undocumented immigrant child in a Denver high school.[62][63]
Tancredo criticized theDenver Public Library system for purchasing reading materials written inSpanish and for offering space for classes to be held for these library users, on the grounds that putting Spanish-speakers in a 'linguistic ghetto' would delay their integration into American society.[64]
Tancredo sponsored legislation to eliminateH-1B visas for temporary workers in 2005.[65]
Tancredo was the sponsor of a successful, bi-partisan amendment to a Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill that would withhold federal emergency services funds from 'sanctuary cities'.
On July 30, 2007, Tancredo "criticized Congressional Democrats for eliminating a requirement that anyone applying for Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) services provide proof of U.S. citizenship". According to Tancredo, "[t]he new Democrat plan would raise taxes and make it easier for illegal aliens to obtain taxpayer-funded medical benefits."[66]
Tancredo has made it a point in all of his public speeches to differentiate between those who enter the United States legally and those who come illegally. He frequently attends naturalization ceremonies to support new citizens for "doing it the right way".[67]
In 2006, Tancredo publishedIn Mortal Danger: The Battle for America's Border and Security throughJoseph Farah'sWND Books inNashville, Tennessee. The volume focuses on American cultural identity and his proposals to remedy what he contends to be major flaws in the immigration system.[68]
On April 17, 2008, Tancredo alleged thatPope Benedict XVI was encouraging illegal immigration to the US to boost membership in theCatholic Church. In response to a statement by the Pope at a Mass in Washington, Tancredo stated, "I suspect the Pope's immigration comments may have less to do with spreading the gospel than they do about recruiting new members of the church." While Tancredo was raised a Catholic, he now attends Cherry Hills Community Church,[69][70][71] a congregation in theEvangelical Presbyterian Church.[72]
Tancredo's has staunchly supported tightening immigration requirements from Islamic countries. On September 18, 2008, Tancredo introduced H.R. 6975, the Jihad Prevention Act, which would require aliens to attest that they will not advocate installing a Sharia law system in the United States as a condition for admission, and for other purposes. Aliens failing to make such an attestation would be ineligible for admission. Further, the visa of any alien advocating the installation of a Sharia law system in the United States would be subject to revocation.[73]
In May 2011, Tancredo represented the affirmative withKris Kobach in a radio-broadcast debate of the motion "Don't give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." The two debated MayorJulian Castro ofSan Antonio andTamar Jacoby of ImmigrationWorks USA. Tancredo and Kobach were declared the victors based on before and after polling of the live in-attendance audience mostly by convincing much of the self-identified undecided audience members of the strength of the motion.
Tancredo's anti-illegal immigration stance became a campaign issue during the 2011 Denver mayoral campaign, which Tancredo did not enter. TheChris Romer campaign tried to erode rivalMichael Hancock's support among Hispanics by emails and robocalls claiming that Tancredo had endorsed Hancock. Tancredo, who had neither met nor endorsed Hancock, responded by appearing on a radio talk show and endorsing Romer.[75]
He was one of 33 congressmen to vote against the renewal of theVoting Rights Act because he asserted that its requirement of multilingual ballots would result in a costly unfunded mandate.[76] He was one of a handful of Republicans who voted for anamendment proposed by Maurice Hinchey and Dana Rohrabacher to stop theDepartment of Justice from raidingmedical marijuana patients and caregivers instates where medical marijuana is legal, citingstates' rights concerns.[77]
On the other hand, Tancredo supports Federal action in what he considers its proper sphere. He has suggestedstate legislators and 'sanctuary city' mayors should be imprisoned for passing laws contrary tofederal immigration law.[78] He also supports theFederal Marriage Amendment to bangay marriage nationally, and defended this position by stating a constitutional amendment is the "last resort" to neutralizejudicial activism that would legalize gay marriage in courts, against the wishes of voters. The amendment would also use Constitutional means to prevent voters and legislators from legalizing gay marriage in their states.[79]
The National Taxpayers Union awarded Tancredo a grade of A for each year he has served in Congress. Tancredo was awarded a grade of A for votes he cast in 1999 to 2007 inclusively.[80] Additionally, Tancredo received the National Taxpayers Union's "Taxpayers' Friend Award" in 1999 to 2006 inclusively as well[81] The award is given by the NTU to those members of Congress that are among "the strongest supporters of responsible tax and spending policies".[82] He is also a strong supporter of theFairTax and advocates the repeal of the16th Amendment. He is also against raisingminimum wage.
Tancredo's position onIraq is, "America's noble sacrifice has purchasedIraqis a precious opportunity fordemocratic change; it is now up to them to ensure success. Setting the President's 'November benchmark for shifting control' as an actual timetable for disengagement will let regional powers and Iraqi factions cooperate to forge a new balance of power."[83] Fellow Republicanstate treasurerMike Coffman refused to share the stage with Tancredo at a pro-war rally for the Iraq war in 2003 because of Tancredo's failure to serve in the Vietnam War. In 1970 Tancredo appealed his 1-A draft status, which would have put him at the top of the list for draft eligibility during the Vietnam War. Tancredo said he was diagnosed withdepression when he was 16 or 17 and received medication for five years forpanic attacks and bouts of anxiety and depression.[84]
During a 2005 radio interview onOrlando talk-radio stationWFLA AM 540, Tancredo responded to a questioner asking about the hypothetical U.S. response to anuclear attack on U.S. cities byal-Qaeda, by saying that one possible response would be to retaliate by "taking out"Muslim holy sites (specifically,Mecca) if it were clearly proven thatIslamic terrorists were behind such an attack. Several days later, in an interview onCNN together withJames Zogby, Tancredo said that the attack was mentioned merely as a hypothetical response and insisted that there was nothing for which he should apologize.
During the Republican Presidential Debate broadcast on Fox on May 15, 2007, Tancredo made a statement in passing that the root cause ofIslamic terrorism is "a dictate of their religion".[85] In September 2007 Tancredo defended his remarks: "I still believe it is something we must consider as a possible deterrent because at the present time there are no negative consequences that would accrue to the people who commit a crime such as anuclear,chemical orbiological attack."[12]
During a July 31, 2007townhall meeting inIowa, Tancredo said that a threat to bomb Mecca andMedina was "the only thing I can think of" that could deter a nuclear terrorist attack. This statement drew substantial criticism from theCouncil on American-Islamic Relations,[86] as well asState Department spokesmanTom Casey, who stated that "To somehow suggest that an appropriate response to terrorism would be to attack sites that are holy and sacred to more than a billion people throughout the world is just absolutely crazy."[87][88][89]
Tancredo has stated that he would like to see the United States give more support to the Iranian exile organizationPeople's Mujahedin of Iran (PMOI).[90] The PMOI was designated as aterrorist organization by the United States State Department from 1997 to 2012.[91] Tancredo states that this was done "for political reasons" by theClinton administration.[90] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton removed the designation of "terrorist organization" when no proof of terrorist activity or intent could be produced.[92]
Tancredo became one of the outspoken conservative opponents to the nomination ofSonia Sotomayor to theSupreme Court. On May 28, 2009, he made an appearance onCNN to voice his opposition and claimed that Sotomayor was a racist. When CNN'sRick Sanchez asked him if Sotomayor was aracist, Tancredo replied "certainly her words would indicate that that is the truth." He then compared the Hispanic-American advocacy groupLa Raza to theKu Klux Klan by saying "it's a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses."[93]
On February 4, 2010, Tancredo spoke at the National Convention for theTea Party movement where he told attendees that Barack Obama won because of "people who could not even spell the word 'vote' or say it in English". He then proposed "a civicsliteracy test" as a prerequisite to voting.[94][95] These remarks were criticized by the Democratic Colorado House SpeakerTerrance Carroll and theSouthern Poverty Law Center's research director Heidi Beirich. Tancredo has denied the charge that his remarks were aimed at a specific group.[96]
On April 14, 2009, a speech by Tancredo at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was disrupted by students protesting his views on immigration in which he called for a civics literacy test before voting.[97]
Tancredo has declared himself in favor of thelegalization of marijuana. He said that his reasons to legalize marijuana include "The issue of violence that surrounds it—not just on the border—and the crimes all over the place. The number of people in prison and the amount we spend to keep them there. The broken families." While in Congress, Tancredo voted each year to attach an amendment, which never passed, that would have prevented theUS Justice Department from spending any money to "enforce any drug laws in contradiction to state law."[98]
Tancredo said in September 2007, "You have to remember that we are always just one kooky judge away from actually having homosexual marriage forced on all the rest of us, because of the [full faith and credit] clause in the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, we need, we absolutely have to have, a constitutional amendment that defines marriage."[99] He is in full support of theFederal Marriage Amendment. Due to his numerous stances opposing the gay rights movement, he has received ratings of 7% from theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, 0% from theHuman Rights Campaign, and 19% from theNational Association for the Advancement of Colored People.[citation needed] As of 2007, however, Tancredo boasted a 97.8% rating from theAmerican Conservative Union.[100]
In a speech given at a campaign event for Colorado Senate candidateKen Buck on July 8, 2010, Tancredo said of PresidentBarack Obama, "... the greatest threat to the United States today, the greatest threat to our liberty, the greatest threat to the Constitution of the United States, the greatest threat to our way of life; everything we believe in. The greatest threat to the country that our founding fathers put together is the man that's sitting in the White House today."[101][102]
In April 2010, while not addressing directly widespread "birther" sentiment in the Republican Party, Tancredo said at aSouth CarolinaTea Party rally about the president: "If his wife saysKenya is his homeland, why don't we just send him back?"[103] On July 22, 2010, in an editorial inThe Washington Times, Tancredo said that Congress should bring impeachment charges against President Obama.[104] In February 2012, Tancredo said onHardball with Chris Matthews, in a discussion of candidateMitt Romney's economic policy alternatives to the president: "Hell, my dog's better at it than Obama!"[105]
In a November 19, 2006 interview withWorldNetDaily, Tancredo referred to the city ofMiami, Florida, as a "Third World country." His comments drew strong criticism from numerous political leaders and organizations, includingFlorida GovernorJeb Bush who, in a letter to the congressman, called Tancredo's remarks "naive."[106] Tancredo replied in a letter, "I certainly understand and appreciate your need and desire to try and create the illusion of Miami as a multiethnic 'All American' city," he said. "I can also appreciate ... that the cultural and ethnic diversity of the city offers many advantages to its residents. However, it is neither naïve nor insulting to call attention to a real problem that cannot be easily dismissed throughpolitically correct happy talk."[107]
A formerCatholic, Tancredo now attends Cherry Hills Community Church.[70] Tancredo is married to Jackie Tancredo. They met at Drake Junior High School as teachers, and married in 1977.[108] They have two children and five grandchildren.
On February 3, 2009,The Denver Post revealed that Tancredo had probably lost a significant amount of money invested in hedge funds with Agile Group,[109] aBoulder-based investment company with substantial investments inBernie Madoff's investment firm.[110]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Tancredo | 111,374 | 55.91% | |
| Democratic | Henry L. Strauss | 82,622 | 41.48% | |
| Natural Law | George E. Newman | 5,152 | 2.59% | |
| Total votes | 199,188 | 100% | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Tancredo (incumbent) | 141,410 | 53.88% | |
| Democratic | Kenneth A. Toltz | 110,568 | 42.12% | |
| Libertarian | Adam David Katz | 6,882 | 2.62% | |
| Concerns of People Party | John Heckman | 3,614 | 1.38% | |
| Total votes | 262,477 | 100% | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Tancredo (incumbent) | 158,851 | 66.88% | |
| Democratic | Lance Wright | 71,327 | 30.03% | |
| Libertarian | Adam David Katz | 7,323 | 3.08% | |
| Total votes | 237,501 | 100% | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Tancredo (incumbent) | 212,778 | 59.48% | |
| Democratic | Joanna Conti | 139,870 | 39.10% | |
| Libertarian | Jack J. Woehr | 3,857 | 1.08% | |
| Constitution | Peter Shevchuck | 1,235 | 0.35% | |
| Total votes | 357,741 | 100% | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tom Tancredo (incumbent) | 158,806 | 58.61% | |
| Democratic | Bill Winter | 108,007 | 39.87% | |
| Libertarian | Jack J. Woehr | 4,093 | 1.51% | |
| Republican | Juan B. Botero (write-in) | 25 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 270,931 | 100% | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | John Hickenlooper | 915,436 | 51.05% | −5.93% | |
| Constitution | Tom Tancredo | 652,376 | 36.38% | +35.76% | |
| Republican | Dan Maes | 199,792 | 11.14% | −29.02% | |
| Libertarian | Jaimes Brown | 13,365 | 0.75% | −0.75% | |
| Independent | Jason R. Clark | 8,601 | 0.48% | — | |
| Independent | Paul Noel Fiorino | 3,492 | 0.19% | — | |
| Write-ins | 86 | 0.00% | — | ||
| Majority | 263,060 | 14.67% | −2.15% | ||
| Turnout | 1,793,148 | ||||
| Democratichold | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Beauprez | 116,333 | 30.24 | |
| Republican | Tom Tancredo | 102,830 | 26.73 | |
| Republican | Scott Gessler | 89,213 | 23.19 | |
| Republican | Mike Kopp | 76,373 | 19.85 | |
| Total votes | 384,749 | 100.00 | ||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromColorado's 6th congressional district 1999–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by Ben Goss Withdrew | Constitution nominee forGovernor of Colorado 2010 | Most recent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
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