Tom Riley (Iowa politician)

Tom Riley
Riley at the Iowa Legislature
Born	January 9, 1929 Cedar Rapids, IA
Died	July 21, 2011
Alma mater	University of Iowa (BA), (JD)
Occupation	Lawyer, politician
Political party	Republican Party (until 2004) Democratic (2004–death)
Spouse(s)	Nancy Riley

Tom Riley (January 9, 1929 – July 21, 2011) was an American lawyer from Cedar Rapids, Iowa who served two terms in the Iowa House of Representatives and four in the Iowa Senate.

Riley was born in Cedar Rapids on January 9, 1929 to Joseph W. Riley and Edna Kyle Riley. He graduated from Franklin High School in Cedar Rapids in 1946, then earned a B.A. and Juris Doctor degrees at the University of Iowa in 1950 and 1952 respectively. He served as first lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General Corps of the United States Air Force during the Korean War. He became a partner in the law firm Simmons, Perrine, Albright and Ellwood. Riley left the law firm in 1980 to start the Tom Riley Law Firm.

He was elected to the Iowa House in 1960, and served two terms, before being elected as one of the two Senators from the 20th district (Linn County); in 1968, he challenged incumbent Democrat John Chester Culver for Congressman from Iowa's 2nd congressional district, but lost by 84,634 votes to Culver's 103,651. He returned to the Senate, and would serve through 1974, when he again ran for the 2nd District Congress seat, and lost to Democrat Mike Blouin with 73,416 for Blouin, 69,088 for Riley, and 1,108 for James Whitford of the American Party. He was succeeded in the Senate by Democrat James Redmond. He again ran in 1976 against Blouin, losing by 100,344 votes to 102,980 for Blouin, 485 for an American Party candidate, and 741 for an independent.