Tom Allen (Maine politician)

Tom Allen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Maine's 1st district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	James B. Longley Jr.
Succeeded by	Chellie Pingree
110th Mayor of Portland
In office 1991–1992
Preceded by	Peter O'Donnell
Succeeded by	Charles Harlow
Member of the Portland City Council
In office 1989–1995
Personal details
Born	Thomas Hodge Allen (1945-04-16) April 16, 1945 Portland, Maine, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Diana Allen
Education	Bowdoin College (BA) Wadham College, Oxford (BPhil) Harvard University (JD)

Thomas Hodge Allen (born April 16, 1945) is an American author and former politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives representing Maine's 1st congressional district, and the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008 against Republican incumbent senator Susan Collins. Allen lost to Collins 61.5% to 38.5%.

Allen was first elected in 1996, defeating Republican incumbent James Longley, Jr. with 55 percent of votes cast to Longley's 45 percent. Allen was re-elected five times, receiving over 55 percent of the vote each time in his district, until his defeat in his 2008 run for the U.S. Senate. After, Allen was appointed president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers and began his term on May 1, 2009. His book Dangerous Convictions: What's Really Wrong with the U.S. Congress came out in 2013.

Early life

Tom Allen and his wife, Diana Allen.

Allen was born in Portland, Maine, to Genevieve ("Sukey") Lahee and Charles W. Allen. His grandfather, Neal W. Allen, was a civic leader who served as chairman (mayor) of Portland from 1925-26. He graduated from Deering High School. He went on to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, before winning a Rhodes Scholarship to Wadham College, Oxford. During this time he became friends with fellow Rhodes scholar Bill Clinton. After Oxford he went on to Harvard Law School and practiced as a lawyer.

Early political career

He entered the field of politics when he became a staff member for Governor Kenneth M. Curtis and later for Senator Edmund S. Muskie. Allen was elected to the city council of Portland, Maine, in 1989 and served as the city's mayor between 1991 and 1992 before winning election to the House. Allen ran for governor in 1994, losing to Joe Brennan in the Democratic primary.

U.S. House

Tenure

Allen fought Republican efforts to weaken environmental rollbacks between 1996 and 2007. Allen called for a pay-as-you-go system that would require offsets to pay for new tax cuts and new spending while on the Budget Committee, much like the system Democrats enacted in their first 100 hours of Congressional control in the 110th Congress.

Allen has made health care, campaign finance reform, and small business his legislative priorities.

Committees

• House Energy and Commerce Committee
  • Subcommittee on Health
  • Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee
  • Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee
• House Budget Committee
• House Affordable Medicines Task Force (Co-Chairman)
• House Oceans Caucus

Election history

Maine U.S. Senate Election 2008

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Susan Collins (incumbent)	444,587	61.5
	Democratic	Tom Allen	278,651	38.5

External links

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Rep. Tom Allen at PoliticalBase.com
• Appearances on C-SPAN