Tom Casperson
Encyclopedia
Tom Casperson is a politician from the State of Michigan
. He was a Republican
member of the Michigan State House of Representatives
, representing the 108th district, which is located in the Upper Peninsula and includes Delta County
, Menominee County
, and Dickinson County
.
in 1959. He graduated from Escanaba High School in 1977. He has worked in his family's log trucking business, Casperson and Son Trucking, for the past 25 years. He has owned the business for the past 10 years. He is married to Diane Casperson. They have four children.
as a Republican against incumbent Democrat Bart Stupak
. That support translates into designating Casperson as the candidate that gathered the most support among all the candidates that have filed for the First Congressional District. Following his announcement of candidacy on March 17, Casperson traveled the entire District, covering all 31 Counties, and secured petitions from each county within the District.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Casperson reported total campaign finance receipts of $102,059 as of July, 2008 - of which three quarters of that amount was donated by individuals, one eighth from Political Action Committees (PAC) and one eighth the candidate himself loaned to his campaign. As of July the two other Republican contenders for the 1st Congressional District seat had not filed financial reports with the FEC. (Under the Federal Election Campaign Act only candidates who have raised (or spent) over $5,000 are required to file financial reports.) Rep. Bart Stupak, (D) Menominee, reported to the FEC $730,541 in total receipts; of which the majority was contributed by PAC's. Roughly three-eighths of the congressman's contributions came from individuals.
According to the FEC, Americans for Constitutional Enforcement (ACE) of Iron Mountain, the Michigan Farm Bureau PAC, the National Electrical Contractors PAC, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association Federal PAC, the MILEAD Fund, and several Republican candidates and groups constitute Casperson's PAC support. Stupak has 16 pages of PAC's listed in his FEC report. PAC's supporting Stupak include numerous communications giants like AT&T, Alltel, Time Warner, Motorola, Sony, Universal, Verizon and Viacom. (Stupak chairs the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee of the U.S. House Commerce Committee - which conducts investigations and oversight of the telecommunications industry.) In the November 2008 election, Casperson was defeated by Stupak.
and Mackinac Counties in the east. Casperson is the first Republican to respresent the western U.P. in the Michigan Senate since World War II
.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. He was a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Michigan State House of Representatives
Michigan State House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2000 federal U.S. Census.Members are elected in...
, representing the 108th district, which is located in the Upper Peninsula and includes Delta County
Delta County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 38,520 people, 15,836 households, and 10,689 families residing in the county. The population density was 33 people per square mile . There were 19,223 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile...
, Menominee County
Menominee County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 25,326 people, 10,529 households, and 7,001 families residing in the county. The population density was 24 people per square mile . There were 13,639 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, and Dickinson County
Dickinson County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 27,472 people, 11,386 households, and 7,583 families residing in the county. The population density was 36 people per square mile . There were 13,702 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...
.
Early life
Casperson was born in Escanaba, MichiganEscanaba, Michigan
Escanaba is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 13,140, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie...
in 1959. He graduated from Escanaba High School in 1977. He has worked in his family's log trucking business, Casperson and Son Trucking, for the past 25 years. He has owned the business for the past 10 years. He is married to Diane Casperson. They have four children.
Political career
Casperson was elected to the Michigan State House in 2002. He is the vice chair of the House Transportation Committee and is a member of the Agriculture and Resource Management; Land Use and Environment; and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security committees.Congressional Campaign
On May 14, 2008, Tom Casperson filed over 1700 petitions with the Secretary of State, formally launching his bid for Congress for the First Congressional District of MichiganMichigan's 1st congressional district
Michigan's 1st congressional district is a United States Congressional district containing the entire Upper Peninsula of Michigan as well as part of the Lower Peninsula. Currently the district is represented by Republican Dan Benishek.-Geography:...
as a Republican against incumbent Democrat Bart Stupak
Bart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
. That support translates into designating Casperson as the candidate that gathered the most support among all the candidates that have filed for the First Congressional District. Following his announcement of candidacy on March 17, Casperson traveled the entire District, covering all 31 Counties, and secured petitions from each county within the District.
According to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), Casperson reported total campaign finance receipts of $102,059 as of July, 2008 - of which three quarters of that amount was donated by individuals, one eighth from Political Action Committees (PAC) and one eighth the candidate himself loaned to his campaign. As of July the two other Republican contenders for the 1st Congressional District seat had not filed financial reports with the FEC. (Under the Federal Election Campaign Act only candidates who have raised (or spent) over $5,000 are required to file financial reports.) Rep. Bart Stupak, (D) Menominee, reported to the FEC $730,541 in total receipts; of which the majority was contributed by PAC's. Roughly three-eighths of the congressman's contributions came from individuals.
According to the FEC, Americans for Constitutional Enforcement (ACE) of Iron Mountain, the Michigan Farm Bureau PAC, the National Electrical Contractors PAC, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association Federal PAC, the MILEAD Fund, and several Republican candidates and groups constitute Casperson's PAC support. Stupak has 16 pages of PAC's listed in his FEC report. PAC's supporting Stupak include numerous communications giants like AT&T, Alltel, Time Warner, Motorola, Sony, Universal, Verizon and Viacom. (Stupak chairs the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee of the U.S. House Commerce Committee - which conducts investigations and oversight of the telecommunications industry.) In the November 2008 election, Casperson was defeated by Stupak.
State Senate Campaign
On November 2, 2010, Casperson was elected to the Michigan State Senate to represent the 38th Senate district which covers most of the Upper Peninsula except for ChippewaChippewa County, Michigan
-National protected areas:* Harbor Island National Wildlife Refuge* Hiawatha National Forest * Whitefish Point Unit of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:...
and Mackinac Counties in the east. Casperson is the first Republican to respresent the western U.P. in the Michigan Senate since World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Electoral history
- 2008 campaign for Congress
- Tom Casperson (R), 33%
- Bart StupakBart StupakBartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
(D), 65%
- 2006 campaign for State House
- Tom Casperson (R), 55%
- Judy NeratJudy NeratJudith "Judy" Kaczmarczyk Nerat is a Democratic politician and member of the Michigan State House of Representatives. Nerat was elected to represent the 108th State House District on November 4, 2008. The 108th District is located in the Upper Peninsula and includes all of Delta, Dickinson, and...
(D), 44%
- 2004 campaign for State House
- Tom Casperson (R), 68%
- Dennis Baldinelli (D), 31%
- 2002 campaign for State House
- Tom Casperson (R), 51%
- Laurie Stupak (D), 48%