Tom Sawyer | |
|---|---|
 Sawyer in 2001 | |
| Member of theOhio Senate from the 28th district | |
| In office February 20, 2007 – December 31, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Kimberly Zurz |
| Succeeded by | Vernon Sykes |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's14th district | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | John F. Seiberling |
| Succeeded by | Steve LaTourette |
| 58thMayor of Akron, Ohio | |
| In office January 9,[citation needed] 1984 – December 30,[citation needed] 1986[1] | |
| Preceded by | Roy Ray |
| Succeeded by | Don Plusquellic |
| Member of theOhio House of Representatives from the 44th district | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – December 31, 1983 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Wingard |
| Succeeded by | Tom Watkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Charles Sawyer (1945-08-15)August 15, 1945 Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 20, 2023(2023-05-20) (aged 77) Akron, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Joyce Handler |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of Akron (BA,MA) |
| Profession | Educator |
Thomas Charles Sawyer (August 15, 1945 – May 20, 2023) was an American politician of theDemocratic Party. During a career that spanned five decades, he represented his hometown ofAkron, Ohio, across multiple levels of government.[2] He was a member of theOhio House of Representatives from 1977 to 1983, theMayor of Akron from 1984 to 1986, a member of theUnited States House of Representatives from 1987 to 2003, and a member of theOhio Senate from 2007 to 2016.[2][3]
Sawyer was born inAkron, Ohio.[4] After graduating fromBuchtel High School in Akron,[4] Sawyer received a Bachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Akron in 1968.[4] He also joined the Alpha Phi chapter ofPhi Kappa Tau fraternity. Later, Sawyer earned a Master of Arts degree from Akron in 1970.[4] He worked as an English teacher inCleveland before seeking political office, winning a seat in theOhio House of Representatives in 1977.[5][6]
In November 1983, Sawyer defeated the incumbent Republican Mayor of Akron,Roy Ray, in a close election.[5] Sawyer was the first Democrat to be elected Mayor of Akron in over 18 years.[5] No Republican has held the mayor's seat in Akron since Sawyer upset Ray in 1983.[7]
On December 20, 1984, during Sawyer's first year as mayor, an explosion at the Akron Recycle Energy System plant caused the deaths of three people.[8] Sawyer helped manage the aftermath of the tragedy and assisted in the investigation.[8] Speaking to theNew York Times, Sawyer noted that S&W Waste, of Kearny, New Jersey, had sent the Akron plant waste materials containing highly flammable chemicals on the day of the explosions.[8]
Sawyer successfully ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress in the 1986 midterm elections and took office on January 3, 1987.[9] He would then serve eight terms in Congress.[9]
Congressman Sawyer gained notoriety as Chairman of the House subcommittee overseeing the1990 U.S. census.[10] He made national news with his study of the 1990 census and subsequent determination that it had failed to count at least two million black Americans.[11] Sawyer and others attempted to readjust the census figures to include a more accurate count of black Americans and the U.S. population as a whole, but their efforts were opposed.[11][12] When the Commerce SecretaryRobert Mosbacher refused to adjust the census totals, Congressman Sawyer called the decision a "gerrymander on a national scale."[12] The national undercount in 1990 was eventually estimated to exclude around 1.6% of the population.[6]
In 1993, Sawyer voted for PresidentBill Clinton's federal budget bill.[13] He voted against theWelfare Reform Act of 1996.[14] Sawyer also voted against theimpeachment of President Clinton.[15] On the House floor during this debate, Sawyer quoted SirThomas More in defense of Clinton and in condemnation of the Congressional impeachment proceedings.[16]
One of the most controversial votes cast by Tom Sawyer during his time in the U.S. House of Representatives was his vote for theNorth American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).[17][18][19] Sawyer called his vote "the toughest decision I've ever had to make in public life."[19]
Sawyer voted against authorization for the deployment of United States armed forces in Iraq in 2002.[20]
A round of redistricting following the 2000 census redrew Ohio's congressional map. The state lost a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[21] A newly configured district, the 17th, placed large parts ofYoungstown in the same district as parts of Akron.[21][22] The new district most closely resembled the one recently vacated by U.S. RepresentativeJim Traficant, who had been convicted on corruption charges and sent to federal prison.[23] Traficant's protege, State SenatorTim Ryan, defeated Sawyer in a late upset.[18] Sawyer outspent Ryan 6–1, but ultimately lost the election.[18] Despite maintaining high pro-union ratings throughout his career, Sawyer's vote for NAFTA is often credited at the reason Tim Ryan defeated the 8-term Congressman.[17][18][22]
Sawyer again sought to return to Congress during the 2006 Democratic primary. He aimed to replace then-CongressmanSherrod Brown in the 13th district, after Brown vacated the seat to run for theU.S. Senate. However, former State RepresentativeBetty Sutton won an 8-way primary and went on to win the general election with support from national Democrats andEMILY's List.[24]
When Akron-based State SenatorKim Zurz was appointed to run theOhio Department of Commerce in Spring of 2007, Sawyer was selected by legislative leaders to fill the vacancy.[25]
As a member of the Ohio Senate Controlling Board, Sawyer voted to adoptMedicaid expansion in Ohio.[26][27] Ohio's Medicaid expansion covered thousands of Ohioans who previously did not have insurance.[28] The state share costs were offset by small insurance and sales taxes.[28]
During the 130th and 131st General Assemblies, Sawyer jointly sponsored resolutions with Republican SenatorFrank LaRose to reform the drawing of legislative district lines in Ohio.[29][30][31] The House and Senate eventually passed a version of the senators' proposal and sent it to the Ohio voters as State Issue 1 in November 2015.[32] The resolution passed with 71% of the vote.[33] This law, once implemented, will end the practice ofgerrymandering (partisan drawing of legislative district lines) for Ohio legislative districts.[32] Senators Sawyer and LaRose at one time were working on a measure that would end gerrymandering at the Congressional level in Ohio as well.[33][34][35]
During the 131st General Assembly, Senator Sawyer helped the legislature adopt House Bill 2, which was a version of Sawyer's Senate Bill 148,[36] to reform Ohio'scharter school oversight laws.[37][38][39][40]
In the November 2008 general election, Sawyer held his Senate seat by defeating Republican James Carr.[41]
In 2012, Sawyer was elected to a second full term, defeating Republican Robert Roush 71.5% to 28.5%.[42] He served as Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee from 2012 to 2014.
In 2015, he considered running again for Akron mayor after the abrupt resignation of longtime incumbent mayorDon Plusquellic. Sawyer eventually decided against the run.[43]
Sawyer's tenure in the Ohio Senate concluded at the end of 2016. The state's term limit rules barred Sawyer from seeking the seat for a third consecutive term.[44] He was replaced by DemocratVernon Sykes.
Sawyer lived in Akron. He and his wife, the former Joyce Handler, had a daughter.[46] He died from complications ofParkinson's disease at a care facility in Akron on May 20, 2023, at the age of 77.[6][47]
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| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Tom Sawyer | 104,697 | 71.88% | Robert Roush | 40,952 | 28.12% | ||
| 2008 | Tom Sawyer | 108,168 | 68.36% | James Carr | 50,064 | 31.64% |
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | Libertarian | Votes | Pct | Independent | Votes | Pct | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Tom Sawyer | 149,184 | 64.80% | Rick Wood | 71,432 | 31.00% | William Mcdaniel Jr. | 5,603 | 2.40% | Walter Keith | 3,869 | 1.70% | ||||
| 1998 | Tom Sawyer | 106,020 | 62.73% | Tom Watkins | 62,997 | 37.27% | ||||||||||
| 1996 | Tom Sawyer | 124,136 | 54.34% | Joyce George | 95,307 | 41.72% | Ryan Lewis | 16 | 0.01% | Terry Wilkinson | 8,976 | 3.93% | ||||
| 1994 | Tom Sawyer | 89,093 | 51.90% | Lynn Slaby | 76,090 | 48.10% | ||||||||||
| 1992 | Tom Sawyer | 125,430 | 67.80% | Robert Morgan | 64,090 | 32.20% | ||||||||||
| 1990 | Tom Sawyer | 90,090 | 59.60% | Jean Bender | 66,090 | 40.40% | ||||||||||
| 1988 | Tom Sawyer | 159,090 | 74.70% | Loretta Lang | 50,090 | 25.30% | ||||||||||
| 1986 | Tom Sawyer | 86,004 | 53.70% | Lynn Slaby | 73,230 | 46.30% |
*Italics indicate incumbent
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Ohio Senate | ||
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| Preceded by | Senator from 28th District 2007–2016 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromOhio's 14th congressional district 1987–2003 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
