Tom Raga
Encyclopedia
Thomas A. Raga is an American politician of the Republican Party who previously represented the Sixty-seventh District (Warren County
) in the Ohio House of Representatives
. In February 2006, he was named by J. Kenneth Blackwell as his running mate in the May 2, 2006, primary for Governor and Lieutenant Governor
. Blackwell and Raga won the Republican nomination, but lost the November 7, 2006, general election to Ted Strickland
and Lee Fisher
in a landslide, 60-36%.
A native of Cincinnati, Raga graduated from Moeller High School
in 1984 and from Cornell University
received a B.S.
in agricultural economics. Raga moved to Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio
in October 1995. Raga's first elective office was as a trustee of Deerfield Township, elected on November 4, 1997 by defeating long-time incumbent Bob Carter. In the three-way race for two seats, the results were 2,338 (33.65%) for Raga, 2,480 (35.69%) for Larry Backus, and 2,130 (30.66%) for Carter. He served from January 1, 1998 to his resignation in December 2000. (Barbara Wilkens Reed was appointed his successor.)
On March 7, 2000, he won a three-way primary against attorney and former Mason mayor Betty Davis and Clearcreek Township
trustee Ed Wade to replace Republican state representative George E. Terwilleger
, who was forced to retire because of Ohio's term limits. Both Davis and Wade had lost the 1992 Republican primary to Terwilleger for the open seat. Raga wrote in the Dayton Daily News
he was running because
The Dayton Daily News
wrote "Mr. Raga, a Deerfield Township trustee, calls for lower taxes and putting families first on Ohio's agenda. He favors local control of schools and basic education. But he is short on details about how he, as a state representative, would accomplish those goals" and endorsed Davis. Davis had the backing of former Warren County representative Corwin M. Nixon
, Terwilleger's predecessor and Republican leader in the Ohio House for years. Raga campaigned hard in northern Warren County and had the support of Lori Viars, head of the Warren County Right-to-life organization. Raga spent $50,000 on the primary. The results were 11,875 votes (45.32%) for Raga, 9,432 (35.99%) for Davis, and 4,898 (18.69%) for Wade.
On November 7, 2000, he was elected State Representative for the Second District, which comprised all of Warren County. In the general election, Raga faced landscaper Richard J. Inskeep, 42, of Mason. Inskeep had previously lost races for the Mason city council and the Seventh Senate District, losing to Richard H. Finan. Inskeep told The Cincinnati Enquirer
"I'm not looking at beating Tom Raga. I'm looking at putting the issues out on the table that I think are important." The Dayton Daily News
endorsed Raga, saying "He is a more proven quantity", unlike Inskeep, who "has no experience in government and little in community leadership." Raga easily defeated Inskeep in the heavily Republican county 48,498 (75.39%) to 15,833 (24.61%). Raga raised over $120,000 for his 2000 campaign.
After redistricting, Warren County was split into two districts. Raga's district became the Sixty-seventh and comprised about two-thirds of Warren County including all of Franklin
, Clearcreek
, and Turtlecreek
Townships, and the western part of Deerfield Township
, plus all of the cities of Franklin
and Lebanon
; the Warren County portions of the cities of Carlisle
, Springboro
, Monroe
and Middletown
; and most of the city of Mason
. Since his election in 2000, Raga has been re-elected without opposition in every primary and general election.
Raga is married to Jean M. Raga, a real estate agent, and they have two children, Colleen and Rick. They are Roman Catholic and attend St. Susanna Church in Mason, Ohio
. His daughter Colleen attends Adelphi University in Garden City, New York where she is majoring International Studies and is a member of the women's volleyball team. His younger son, Rick, is attending St. Susanna school in Mason, Ohio.
Warren County, Ohio
Warren County is a county located in the state of Ohio, United States. The population was 212,693 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Lebanon. Warren County was erected May 1, 1803, from Hamilton County, and named for Dr...
) in the Ohio House of Representatives
Ohio House of Representatives
The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate....
. In February 2006, he was named by J. Kenneth Blackwell as his running mate in the May 2, 2006, primary for Governor and Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Ohio
The position of lieutenant governor of Ohio was established in 1852. The lieutenant governor becomes governor if the governor resigns, dies in office or is removed by impeachment. Before 1852, the president of the Ohio State Senate would serve as acting governor if a vacancy in the governorship...
. Blackwell and Raga won the Republican nomination, but lost the November 7, 2006, general election to Ted Strickland
Ted Strickland
Theodore "Ted" Strickland was the 68th Governor of Ohio, serving from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives, representing ....
and Lee Fisher
Lee Fisher
Lee Fisher was the 64th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, who served with Governor Ted Strickland from 2007 until 2011.He is a member of the Democratic Party.In addition to serving as Lt...
in a landslide, 60-36%.
A native of Cincinnati, Raga graduated from Moeller High School
Moeller High School
Archbishop Moeller High School , known as Moeller, is a private, all-male, college-preparatory high school in the suburbs of Cincinnati, in Hamilton County, Ohio...
in 1984 and from Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
received a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in agricultural economics. Raga moved to Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio
Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio
Deerfield Township, one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, is located in the southwest corner of the county. The most urbanized of the eleven, it had 25,515 people in the 2000 census, down from the 26,359 in 1990...
in October 1995. Raga's first elective office was as a trustee of Deerfield Township, elected on November 4, 1997 by defeating long-time incumbent Bob Carter. In the three-way race for two seats, the results were 2,338 (33.65%) for Raga, 2,480 (35.69%) for Larry Backus, and 2,130 (30.66%) for Carter. He served from January 1, 1998 to his resignation in December 2000. (Barbara Wilkens Reed was appointed his successor.)
On March 7, 2000, he won a three-way primary against attorney and former Mason mayor Betty Davis and Clearcreek Township
Clearcreek Township, Warren County, Ohio
Clearcreek Township is one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, located in the north central portion of the county. It had a population of 20,974 in 2000, up from 13,344 in 1990; of this total, 8,747 lived in the unincorporated portions of the township. It was originally...
trustee Ed Wade to replace Republican state representative George E. Terwilleger
George E. Terwilleger
George Terwilleger was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1993-2000. His district consisted of a portion of Warren County, Ohio. He was succeeded by Tom Raga. A bridge in Foster, Ohio, where the Old 3-C Highway crosses the Little Miami River, is named in his honor.-References:...
, who was forced to retire because of Ohio's term limits. Both Davis and Wade had lost the 1992 Republican primary to Terwilleger for the open seat. Raga wrote in the Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
he was running because
We all know the issues affecting our daily lives, including: education dilemmas with inequitable and insufficient funding, meaningful achievement standards and learning in an environment free from fear; health-care issues affecting the affordability, accessibility and quality of care; and controlled and balanced growth issues involving expansion of infrastructure while maintaining green space and our own unique community standards and way of life.
The Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
wrote "Mr. Raga, a Deerfield Township trustee, calls for lower taxes and putting families first on Ohio's agenda. He favors local control of schools and basic education. But he is short on details about how he, as a state representative, would accomplish those goals" and endorsed Davis. Davis had the backing of former Warren County representative Corwin M. Nixon
Corwin M. Nixon
-Political life:Born one mile south of Red Lion, Ohio, Nixon was best known as an Ohio politician from Lebanon, Ohio. He served as Warren County Commissioner from 1950-1962, and was then elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1962, a post he maintained for 30 years until his retirement in...
, Terwilleger's predecessor and Republican leader in the Ohio House for years. Raga campaigned hard in northern Warren County and had the support of Lori Viars, head of the Warren County Right-to-life organization. Raga spent $50,000 on the primary. The results were 11,875 votes (45.32%) for Raga, 9,432 (35.99%) for Davis, and 4,898 (18.69%) for Wade.
On November 7, 2000, he was elected State Representative for the Second District, which comprised all of Warren County. In the general election, Raga faced landscaper Richard J. Inskeep, 42, of Mason. Inskeep had previously lost races for the Mason city council and the Seventh Senate District, losing to Richard H. Finan. Inskeep told The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The Cincinnati Enquirer, a daily morning newspaper, is the highest-circulation print publication in Greater Cincinnati (Ohio) and Northern Kentucky. The...
"I'm not looking at beating Tom Raga. I'm looking at putting the issues out on the table that I think are important." The Dayton Daily News
Dayton Daily News
The Dayton Daily News is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises. In the 2010 Associated Press Society of Ohio newspaper competition that takes place every year, DaytonDailyNews.com was named "the best large-newspaper web site in Ohio".-History:On August 15,...
endorsed Raga, saying "He is a more proven quantity", unlike Inskeep, who "has no experience in government and little in community leadership." Raga easily defeated Inskeep in the heavily Republican county 48,498 (75.39%) to 15,833 (24.61%). Raga raised over $120,000 for his 2000 campaign.
After redistricting, Warren County was split into two districts. Raga's district became the Sixty-seventh and comprised about two-thirds of Warren County including all of Franklin
Franklin Township, Warren County, Ohio
Franklin Township, one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, is in the northwest corner of the county. It is the most populous township in the county: the 2000 census found 27,294 people there, down from 27,510 in 1990; of this total, 9,947 lived in the unincorporated...
, Clearcreek
Clearcreek Township, Warren County, Ohio
Clearcreek Township is one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, located in the north central portion of the county. It had a population of 20,974 in 2000, up from 13,344 in 1990; of this total, 8,747 lived in the unincorporated portions of the township. It was originally...
, and Turtlecreek
Turtlecreek Township, Warren County, Ohio
Turtlecreek Township is one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States. It is in the central part of the county and surrounds the county seat of Lebanon. Turtlecreek is the largest township in the county, originally containing sixty-three whole and seven fractional sections. ...
Townships, and the western part of Deerfield Township
Deerfield Township, Warren County, Ohio
Deerfield Township, one of the eleven townships of Warren County, Ohio, United States, is located in the southwest corner of the county. The most urbanized of the eleven, it had 25,515 people in the 2000 census, down from the 26,359 in 1990...
, plus all of the cities of Franklin
Franklin, Ohio
Not to be confused with Franklin County, Ohio.Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,771 at the 2010 census.-History:...
and Lebanon
Lebanon, Ohio
The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile...
; the Warren County portions of the cities of Carlisle
Carlisle, Ohio
Carlisle is a village located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio in northwestern Warren and southern Montgomery counties. As of the 2010 census, the village's population was 4,915, down from 5,121 in the 2000 census. This population loss caused Carlisle to once again become a village...
, Springboro
Springboro, Ohio
Springboro is an affluent suburb of Cincinnati and Dayton located in Warren and Montgomery counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is in Warren County's Clearcreek and Franklin Townships and Montgomery County's Miami Township...
, Monroe
Monroe, Ohio
Monroe is a city located in east central Butler and west central Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of 2007, the city population was 7,655, up from 4,008 in 1990....
and Middletown
Middletown, Ohio
Middletown is an All-America City located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Formerly in Lemon, Turtlecreek, and Franklin townships, Middletown was incorporated by the Ohio General Assembly on February 11, 1833, and became a city in 1886...
; and most of the city of Mason
Mason, Ohio
Mason is an affluent city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, 22 miles away from Cincinnati . As of the 2010 census, Mason's population was 30,712. Mason has experienced fast growth, with its historic Main Street remaining at the center of the community...
. Since his election in 2000, Raga has been re-elected without opposition in every primary and general election.
Raga is married to Jean M. Raga, a real estate agent, and they have two children, Colleen and Rick. They are Roman Catholic and attend St. Susanna Church in Mason, Ohio
Mason, Ohio
Mason is an affluent city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, 22 miles away from Cincinnati . As of the 2010 census, Mason's population was 30,712. Mason has experienced fast growth, with its historic Main Street remaining at the center of the community...
. His daughter Colleen attends Adelphi University in Garden City, New York where she is majoring International Studies and is a member of the women's volleyball team. His younger son, Rick, is attending St. Susanna school in Mason, Ohio.