Tom Ridge
Tom Ridge | |
---|---|
Governor of Pennsylvania | |
In office January 17, 1995 – October 5, 2001 | |
Lieutenant | Mark Schweiker |
Preceded by | Bob Casey Sr. |
Succeeded by | Mark Schweiker |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 21st district | |
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995 | |
Preceded by | Donald Bailey |
Succeeded by | Phil English |
Personal details | |
Born | Thomas Joseph Ridge August 26, 1945 Munhall, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse |
Michele Ridge (m. 1979) |
Children | 2 |
Education | 23rd Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Awards |
|
Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 26, 1945) is an American politician and author who served in the
Ridge was born in
As assistant district attorney in Erie, Ridge ran for Congress in his district, where he served six terms. He then ran for governor in 1994, despite being little-known outside of northwest Pennsylvania. He won the election, and was reelected in 1998 with the most votes for a Republican governor in Pennsylvania (where Democrats outnumbered Republicans by almost 500,000) in more than half a century.[1] As Governor of Pennsylvania, he is credited for statewide advances in economic development, education, health care and the environment. As of 2024, he is the last Republican to win reelection as Pennsylvania's governor.
Following the
Since reentering the private sector, Ridge has served on the boards of
Early life and education
Ridge was born in
Military service in Vietnam
Ridge waived an opportunity for officer training school because it would have required a longer service commitment.
In May 1970, a ruptured
For his service in Vietnam, Ridge received the
Military awards
Badge | Combat Infantryman Badge | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1st row | Bronze Star Medal with "V" device | National Defense Service Medal | ||||
2nd row | Vietnam Service Medal | Vietnam Gallantry Cross Ribbon with Palm | Vietnam Campaign Medal |
Legal career
After returning to Pennsylvania, he completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the Dickinson School of Law, graduating in 1972, and entered private practice.[12]
Ridge became assistant district attorney in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1980 and prosecuted 86 cases in two years.[13]
Elected office
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1982 he won a seat in Congress from northwestern Pennsylvania by the margin of only 729 votes,[13] and was re-elected five times.
Governor
In
During his time as governor, Ridge promoted "
Over Ridge's tenure, the Commonwealth's budget grew by two to three percent per fiscal year and combined tax reductions totaled over $2 billion. Ridge created and grew a "Rainy Day" Fund balance to over $1 billion to be utilized during an economic downturn or recession.[17]
Ridge pushed for legislation permitting competition among electric utilities and enhanced federal and state support for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). He separated the Commonwealth's environmental regulatory and conservation programs into two new agencies; the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.[18]
Ridge proposed the creation of public
Ridge oversaw a number of e-government projects including renewing drivers' licenses and vehicle registrations to viewing historical documents and library catalogs. The Commonwealth's portal won several national awards. One of the nation's first electronic grant systems was put into place at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He created the Link-to-Learn initiative to increase the effective use of technology in public schools and universities.[19]
Ridge signed two death warrants for African-American civil rights activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a police officer at a traffic stop.[20]
Ridge served as governor until he resigned to become the Director of Homeland Security in 2001, following the September 11 attacks.[21]
2000 presidential election
Ridge was a potential running mate for Bob Dole in 1996, and served as a close advisor to Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, a close friend from their simultaneous tenures as governors, during the 2000 presidential campaign. In return, Bush named Ridge to his short list for possible running mates, along with New York Governor George Pataki, Michigan Governor John Engler, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, former Missouri Senator John Danforth, and former American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole.[22]
Homeland Security
Following the
In January 2003 and after the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Office of Homeland Security split into a
The Department of Homeland Security consolidates 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, unifying once-fragmented Federal functions in a single agency dedicated to protecting America from terrorism. Ridge worked with the employees from combined agencies to strengthen borders, provide for intelligence analysis and infrastructure protection, improve the use of science and technology to counter weapons of mass destruction, and to create a comprehensive response and recovery division.[23][24][25][26][27]
In January 2004, Ridge was named among others in a lawsuit filed by a Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar who said he was tortured in Syria after being deported by American authorities.[28]
Retirement from public office and book
On November 30, 2004, Ridge submitted his resignation to the President, saying, "After more than 22 consecutive years of public service, it is time to give personal and family matters a higher priority."[29]
In his book The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege...and How We Can Be Safe Again, Ridge says his resignation was due to an effort by senior Bush administration officials to raise the nation's terror alert level in the days before the 2004 presidential vote.[30][31]
Work in the private sector
Ridge is the founder and chairman of Ridge Global, an advisory firm in Washington, D.C.[32]
Ridge served on a state-appointed incident review panel that investigated the Virginia Tech shooting.[33]
Ridge also sits on the board of directors of the Atlantic Council.[34]
Ridge Policy Group
In 2010, Ridge's two former Chiefs of Staff, Mark Campbell and Mark Holman, opened a lobbying firm after Ridge lent the firm his name. The full-service government affairs firm has offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.[35][36]
In July 2010, companies seeking to use
Board memberships and other corporate associations
Ridge has served on a variety of corporate
Political activity
2008 presidential election
Ridge served as a senior aide to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona,[47] and was considered by some as a possible running mate for McCain.[2][3]
Speculated 2010 Senate candidacy
According to
Some Toomey supporters criticized the idea of a Ridge candidacy because, although Ridge was still registered to vote in Pennsylvania, he was actually living in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[50] On May 7, 2009, Ridge announced that he would not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010.[51]
2012 presidential election
In September 2011, Ridge endorsed
Supreme Court brief
In 2013, Ridge was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case.[54]
Stance on the People's Mujahedin of Iran
Ridge spoke at a conference in support of the removal of the
2015 Blue Ribbon Commission
In 2015, Ridge served as co-chair of the
2016 presidential election
In 2016, Ridge endorsed
Criticisms of President Trump
In July 2020, Ridge criticized
Also in July 2020, Ridge slammed his former Department for sending in federal agents to detain rioters allegedly committing federal crimes in Portland, Oregon, after more than 50 days of protests and riots there. He also said, during an interview with radio host Michael Smerconish, that it would be a "cold day in hell" before he "would consent to an uninvited, unilateral intervention" in one of his cities in Pennsylvania. The White House cited federal law to support this use of federal law enforcement.[65][66] Trump later slammed Ridge on Twitter, calling him "a failed RINO" and saying he "loved watching pathetic Never Trumpers squirm!".[67]
2020 presidential election
In September 2020, Ridge endorsed former
Ridge, along with more than 100 Republican former national security officials, signed a letter in November that stated that the delay of the
In August 2022, Ridge described the January 6 United States Capitol attack as "conduct you’d see in a Third World country, not in the United States of America" and described current politics in America as "distressing", "personal, vengeful, [and] mean-spirited."[71]
2022 Senate Election
In 2022, Ridge endorsed fellow Republican Mehmet Oz in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.[72]
Memoir
Tom Ridge's book The Test of Our Times was published in September 2009.[73] Written with Larry Bloom, it concerns Ridge's time as the head of the Department of Homeland Security. He explains the challenges and decision-making processes of the newly formed department, and gives his own views as to the future of the security of the United States of America. The book further discusses
the infighting he saw that frustrated his attempts to build a smooth-running department. Among the headlines promoted by publisher Thomas Dunne Books: Ridge was never invited to sit in on National Security Council meetings; was 'blindsided' by the FBI in morning Oval Office meetings because the agency withheld critical information from him; found his urgings to block Michael Brown from being named head of the emergency agency blamed for the Hurricane Katrina disaster ignored; and was pushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over.[31]
Ridge wrote in his memoir that then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft pressured him to raise the terror alert level, running up to the 2004 elections, because of a pre-election message critical of President Bush from Osama Bin Laden.[30]
Recognition
This section of a poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. )Find sources: "Tom Ridge" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (June 2017) |
- Presented with the Woodrow Wilson Award by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[74]
- Erie International Airport was co-named Tom Ridge Field in honor of Ridge.
- The Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, is named after the former governor. Ridge was instrumental in securing funds for the center.[75]
- His picture hangs in the Penn State Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
- Presque Isle Downs in Erie, Pennsylvania, runs the $100,000 Tom Ridge Stakes every meet.
- Mercyhurst University named its Tom Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Science after the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.[76]
Personal life
Tom's wife, Michele Ridge, is the former executive director of the Erie County Library System. Married since 1979, they have two children: Lesley and Tommy.[77]
Ridge was hospitalized in critical condition in Texas after a cardiac event on November 16, 2017.[78]
On June 16, 2021, Ridge suffered a stroke while at his home in
Gubernatorial electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican
|
Tom Ridge | 1,627,976 | 45.40% | |
Democratic
|
Mark Singel | 1,430,099 | 39.88% | |
Constitution
|
Peg Luksik
|
460,269 | 12.84% | |
Libertarian
|
Patrick Fallon | 33,602 | 0.94% | |
Reform
|
Tom Holloway | 33,235 | 0.93% | |
Write-in | 345 | 0.01% | ||
Total votes | 3,585,526 | 100.00% | ||
Turnout | 60.98% | |||
Democratic
|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Tom Ridge (incumbent) | 1,736,844 | 57.42% | |
Democratic | Ivan Itkin | 938,745 | 31.03% | |
Constitution | Peg Luksik | 315,761 | 10.43% | |
Libertarian | Ken Krawchuk | 33,591 | 1.11% | |
Write-in | 281 | 0.01% | ||
Total votes | 3,025,022 | 100.00% | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | 41.67% | ||
Republican hold |
References
- ^ Online NewsHour. September 20, 2001. Archived from the originalon November 11, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2005.
- ^ a b "McCain Campaigns with Ridge as VP Speculation Intensifies". The Trail. The Washington Post. August 11, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- ^ a b Wedd, Justin (August 20, 2008). "Veep predictions". BBC News. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
- ^ "A Few Famous Carpatho–Russians". Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ a b Palattella, Ed; Scott Wescott (January 21, 2003). "Growing Up: Ridge's journey begins". Erie Times-News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
- ^ Strella, Stephen (Spring 2008). "Tom Ridge". The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Penn State University. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
- ^ History of the 23rd Infantry Division, Militaryvetshop.com; retrieved July 12, 2013.
- ^ Orin, Deborah (September 22, 2001). "Tom's Tremendous Task". nypost.com. NYP Holdings. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Murphy, Jan (January 30, 2019). "Former Gov. Tom Ridge 'doing great' as he continues his recovery from a heart attack". The Patriot-News. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Tom Ridge". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "Tom Ridge Biography". ProCon.org. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
- ^ "First Homeland Security secretary to deliver Dickinson Law Commencement address". psu.edu. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ a b Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. p. 1054.
{{cite book}}
:|work=
ignored (help) - ^ "Tom Ridge on the Issues". On the Issues. 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
- ^ "Execution Warrants Issued by Governor (1985 to Present)" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. August 19, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
- ^ "Tom Ridge on the Issues". ontheissues.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Conservation and Natural Resources Act, House Bill 1400, Regular Session 1995–1996". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
- ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ Yohn, William H. Jr. (December 2001). "Memorandum and Order" (PDF). Mumia Abu-Jamal, Petitioner, vs. Martin Horn, Commissioner, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, et al., Respondents. US District Court for the Eastern District of Philadelphia. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
- ^ a b Marquis, Christopher (September 21, 2001). "A Nation Challenged: Homeland Security; Bush Chooses Old Ally For Cabinet-Level Post". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ Starr, Alexandra (July–August 1999). "Running Mates: Who will be on the ticket in 2000?". Washington Monthly. 31 (7). Archived from the original on March 5, 2000. Retrieved September 22, 2005.
- ^ Profile of Tom Ridge, bbc.co.uk, November 9, 2004.
- ^ Security Chief Ridge: 'The Task is Enormous', NPR.org, October 8, 2001.
- ^ Newsmaker: Tom Ridge, Online NewsHour, May 9, 2002.
- ^ Person of the Week: Tom Ridge. Now for the hard part: After a week in which the Senate gave him a cabinet-level position, the Homeland Security chief is preparing to take on the toughest job in Washington, Time.com, November 22, 2002.
- ^ Ridge's journey to the national stage Archived 2004-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, goerie.com; updated January 21, 2003.
- ^ "Canadian sues US over deportation". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. January 23, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Anti-terror supremo is latest to quit Bush team, timesonline.co.uk, December 1, 2004.
- ^ a b "Ridge: I fought raising security level before '04 vote". Political Ticker. CNN. August 20, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
- ^ a b Bedard, Paul. "Tom Ridge on National Security After 9/11", U.S. News & World Report, August 19, 2009.
- CXO Media. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ "Va. Tech gunman was 'well-prepared' to continue shooting spree". USA Today. May 21, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ "Board of Directors". Atlantic Council. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- ^ Olson, Laura (June 3, 2015). "PA Gov. Tom Wolf administration hires new D.C. lobbying firm". The Morning Call.
- ^ "Former Gov. Ridge lending name, clout to new Harrisburg-D.C. lobbying firm". philly.com. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
- ^ "Ex-Homeland Security boss joins gas drilling group". Associated Press. July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
- ^ "Company News; Home Depot Names Tom Ridge a Director". The New York Times. February 25, 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ Jordan, Meredith (October 10, 2003). "Board work can be rewarding". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ "Tom Ridge Joins Savi Technology Board of Directors". RFID Update. April 8, 2005. Archived from the original on October 3, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
- ^ Meyer, Gregory (April 27, 2005). "Ex-Homeland Sec. joins Exelon board". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
- ^ "Ridge joins Deloitte". Federal Computer Week. Media, Inc. November 2, 2006. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
- ^ "Big changes at Hershey". Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Tom Ridge to Advise TechRadium On 'IRIS' Technology". Security InfoWatch. PRNewswire. January 9, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ "PURE Bioscience Forms Advisory Panel Tom Ridge, Tommy G. Thompson Among Inaugural Members". Finance.yahoo.com. September 1, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "TOM RIDGE". States United Democracy Center. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ "Ridge A Leading Candidate For McCain VP Role?". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ "Poll: Arlen Specter would top Pat Toomey, Tom Ridge in general election". May 4, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Poll says Specter holds 20-point edge over Toomey: A run by former Gov. Ridge would boost GOP's chances". post-gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 4, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
- ^ Micek, John L. (May 7, 2009). "Whither Tom Ridge?". The Morning Call. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
- ^ "Ridge Says He Won't Seek Specter's Senate Seat". WFMZ-TV. May 7, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
- ^ Stein, Sam (January 5, 2012). "Jon Huntsman Backer Tom Ridge Sets High Bar For Mitt Romney In New Hampshire". HuffPost. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
- The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
- ^ The Pro-Freedom Republicans Are Coming: 131 Sign Gay Marriage Brief. The Daily Beast (February 28, 2013). Retrieved on July 12, 2013.
- ^ Greenwald, Glenn (September 23, 2012). "Five lessons from the de-listing of MEK as a terrorist group". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "Governor Tom Ridge call on Obama to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq". mojahedi.org. November 21, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Iranian exile group removed from U.S. terror list". CNN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ "Delisting of the Mujahedin-e Khalq" (Press release). U.S. Department of State. September 28, 2012.
- ^ Shane, Scott (March 13, 2012). "U.S. Supporters of Iranian Group M.E.K. Face Scrutiny". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Mukasey, Michael B; Ridge, Tom; Giuliani, Rudolph W; Townsend, Frances Fragos (January 1, 2011). "MEK is Not a Terrorist Group". National Review. Archived from the original on January 11, 2011.
- ^ "Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense". www.biodefensestudy.org. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
- ^ Struck, Jules (May 17, 2016). "Ridge Refuses to Support Trump". PoliticsPA. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ Knoedler, Matt (July 14, 2020). "Fmr. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge pushes for mail-in voting option this November". WENY. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Fessler, Pam (June 19, 2020). "Tom Ridge, Ex-DHS Secretary, Laments 'Sad' Trump Fears About Voting By Mail". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Gibson, Bret (July 21, 2020). "Ex-DHS Secretary Tom Ridge: 'It would be a cold day in hell' before 'personal militia' would be welcomed uninvited in Pa". TribLive. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Quinn, Melissa (July 21, 2020). "White House defends legality of use of federal agents in Portland". CBS News. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Trump, Donald J. [@realDonaldTrump] (July 23, 2020). "Recently watched failed RINO Tom Ridge, former head of Homeland Security, trying to justify his sudden love of the Radical Left Mayor of Portland, who last night was booed & shouted out of existence by the agitators & anarchists. Love watching pathetic Never Trumpers squirm!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Ridge, Tom (September 27, 2020). "I was a Republican governor of Pa. I'm voting for Joe Biden". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
- ^ CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL (transcript). Don Lemon, anchor. CNN. November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Brook, Tom Vanden. "'Special jeopardy': 100 former Republican national security officials warn Trump must allow transition". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
- PennLive Patriot-News. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ "Tom Ridge backs Dr. Oz in the U.S. Senate race and is impressed by his 'desire to serve'". Erie Times-News. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-312-53487-5. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
- ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
- ^ "Mercyhurst dedicates new intel school named after Gov. Tom Ridge". Mercyhurst University. April 11, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- ^ BBC News (November 9, 2004). "Profile: Tom Ridge". BBC News.
- ^ "Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge hospitalized". Fox News. Associated Press. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
- ^ Riess, Rebekah; Cole, Devan (June 16, 2021). "Ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge hospitalized after suffering stroke". CNN. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
- ^ Murphy, Jan (June 28, 2021). "Former Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge leaves hospital, begins rehab therapy following stroke". The Patriot-News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ "US Election Atlas: 1994". Retrieved July 1, 2017.
- ^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-94.
- ^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-16.