Tom Latham
| Tom Latham | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd district |
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In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Leonard Boswell |
| Succeeded by | David Young |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 4th district |
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In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Greg Ganske |
| Succeeded by | Steve King |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 5th district |
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In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Fred Grandy |
| Succeeded by | Steve King |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Paul Latham July 14, 1948 Hampton, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Kathy Latham |
| Residence |
Alexander, Iowa (1948-2006) Ames, Iowa (2006-2012) Clive, Iowa (2012-present) |
| Alma mater | Iowa State University (did not graduate) |
| Religion | Lutheranism |
Thomas Paul "Tom" Latham (born July 14, 1948) was the U.S. Representative for Iowa's 3rd congressional district, serving in Congress from 1995 to 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party. On December 17, 2013, Latham announced he would not seek reelection next term, becoming the third member of the House to announce his retirement on the same day (along with Rep. Frank Wolf from Virginia and Utah Rep. Jim Matheson).
Latham was born in Hampton, Iowa, south of Mason City, the son of Evelyn R. (née Johansen) and Willard Chester Latham. His father was of English and Danish descent and his mother was of Danish ancestry. He was raised on a farm in Alexander, near Hampton. He was educated at Iowa State University, but did not graduate. Before entering the House, he was part-owner of Latham Seeds, a family-owned seed company founded by his father. Latham sold his interest before running for Congress.
Latham was sworn in on January 3, 1995.
Latham is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.
In 2005, Latham introduced the "Angie Fatino Save the Children from Meth Act" in memory of an Iowa teenager who struggled with a Methamphetamine addiction for three years before she committed suicide at the age of 15 years in 1997. Though the bill died in committee, the Iowa legislature has since passed similar legislation and federal law has now been enacted limiting the sale of pseudoephedrine.
Latham was elected as the congressman for Iowa's 5th congressional district in 1994 as part of the wave that allowed Republicans to take over the House for the first time since 1955. The 5th was far and away the most Republican district in the state, and Latham never faced a serious challenge as the 5th District's congressman. In 1994 he defeated Democrat Sheila McGuire garnering 61 percent of the vote. In 1996 he won 65 percent of the vote in defeating Democrat MacDonald Smith, and he ran unopposed in the 1998 election.
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