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Tom Allen is a dedicated public servant, devoted husband and father — grounded in and guided by Maine values like common sense, hard work, and loyalty. A lifelong Mainer, Tom grew up in Portland and spent summers and weekends on the family farm near North Sebago. His love for the farm taught him the importance of protecting our environment early in life. The family still spends regular time on the farm. They tend the apple orchard, and Tom enjoys fishing and hiking. Tom met his future wife Diana Bell in 8th grade at Lincoln Junior High in Portland. The two have been together ever since, marrying in 1968. Tom was a gifted high school athlete, playing football and running track. His record for the half-mile relay still stands. He graduated at the top of his class, served as class president and was elected, along with Diana, "Most Likely to Succeed". Tom attended Bowdoin College, and in 1965 he made headlines when he led the Bowdoin chapter of his fraternity out of the national association because it refused to admit African Americans. His academic success and leadership earned him the Rhodes Scholarship, and during his time at Oxford his studies overlapped with that of a friend — future President Bill Clinton. Tom worked for Senator Edmund Muskie during his summer breaks and, after graduating, attended Harvard Law. The Allen family returned to Maine, where Tom spent the next 19 years practicing law in Portland and, with his wife, raising his two daughters, Gwen and Kate. A commitment to public service and progressive leadership was an important part of Tom's upbringing. His mother was President of the League of Women Voters. And Tom followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by serving on Portland's City Council. He also spent two years as Mayor, and during his tenure Portland led the state in nondiscrimination practices by outlawing bias based on sexual orientation for housing, credit and employment. Tom was first elected to Congress in 1996, defeating incumbent Republican James Longley, Jr. by 10 percentage points to become the Representative for Maine's 1st District. In Washington, Tom has been a strong and effective leader, pioneering legislation on prescription drug issues, campaign finance reform and the environment. A member of two influential House committees — Energy & Commerce and Budget — he has been a strong advocate for health care, small business, energy, fiscal responsibility and economic competitiveness. In 2002, when most members of Congress supported the resolution authorizing war in Iraq, Tom courageously voted against it, standing up to President Bush and the leadership of his own party. He has been a vocal and active opponent of the war in Iraq since its ill-conceived inception and is working to end U.S. involvement in Iraq. Through his groundbreaking legislation to prevent price gouging of senior citizens, Tom is a nationally recognized leader on prescription drug prices. A leading advocate for clean air and reliable, affordable energy, he supports a new national energy policy that would decrease our reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil and encourage innovation and conservation. Tom fights for fiscal responsibility and federal budget priorities that invest in people and communities. He has voted to prevent cuts to the Medicaid program and to increase funding for education and Navy shipbuilding. He has called for "pay as you go" rules to require offsets to pay for new tax cuts or new spending. According to the Bangor Daily News, "Tom Allen has built a record in Congress that Maine can take pride in. He has represented his district and the state well and his work promises even more in the future... Allen has distinguished himself in his service to Maine and set an impressive course to become a leading voice on national issues." |
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