{{Short description|American politician (born 1942)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Tom Wagoner | honorific_suffix = | image = | alt = | state_senate = Alaska | district = Q | term_start = January 21, 2003 | term_end = January 15, 2013 | predecessor = Jerry Ward | successor = Peter Micciche | prior_term = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|09|19}} | birth_place = Pylesville, Maryland, U.S. | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | death_place = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates = | citizenship = | party = Republican | other_party = Republican Moderate (2002) | spouse = | children = | education = Eastern Washington University<br>University of Alaska Anchorage | alma_mater = | occupation = }}
'''Thomas H. Wagoner''' (born September 19, 1942) is an American politician and businessman who served in the Alaska Senate from 2003 until 2013.
==Biography== Wagoner was born in 1942 in Pylesville, Maryland. He graduated with a BA in technical design from Eastern Washington University in 1966, and with a BA in education from there in 1969, later becoming a teacher in Kenai, Alaska. He later graduated with an MA from the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1980. Wagoner has owned Wagoner Enterprises since 1977, Wagoner Rental Properties since 1988, and Cook Inlet Stone Products since 1992. He formerly owned Wagoner's Seamless Flooring from 1967 until 1968; Wagoner's Flooring from 1971 until 1975; and the Peninsula Flooring Center from 1986 until 1993.<ref name=votesmart/>
Wagoner served on the Kenai Harbor Committee from 1978 until 1980, on the Kenai City Council from 1980 until 1983, and as Mayor of Kenai from 1983 until 1986. He later served on the Alaska Post Secondary Committee from 1992 until 1994.<ref name=votesmart/> Wagoner unsuccessfully ran for the Alaska House of Representatives in 1986, losing to incumbent Democrat Mike Navarre.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=345032|title=AK State House 05-A 1986|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
===Alaska Senate=== In 2002, Wagoner, a former Republican, ran for the Alaska Senate from District Q as a member of the Republican Moderate Party. It was initially a four-way race between him, Democrat Pat Hawkins, Green Party candidate Thomas Stroman, and incumbent Republican Jerry Ward; however Hawkins dropped out shortly before the election and endorsed Wagoner in an effort to unseat Ward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/102702/ele_1027020006.shtml#.WOGBChjMz6Y|title=Senate race drops to two – Pat Hawkins steps down, throws support to Tom Wagoner|author=Spence, Hal|newspaper=Peninsula Clarion|date=October 27, 2002|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref> Wagoner was also endorsed by state Senator John Torgerson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/122902/new_122902new0010001.shtml#.WOGF4RjMz6Y|title=Endorsement annoys some GOP faithful – Party rules prohibit supporting candidates not on party ticket|author=Spence, Hal|newspaper=Peninsula Clarion|date=December 29, 2002|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref> He won the election by a 1-point margin over Ward, but re-registered as a Republican the day after the election.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=6656|title=AK Senate Q 2002|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://juneauempire.com/stories/012804/let_whatdiff.shtml#.WOGGzBjMz6Y|title=Republicans vs. Republican Moderates|author=Ruedrich, Randy|newspaper=Juneau Empire|date=January 28, 2004|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://juneauempire.com/stories/110602/sta_stgop.shtml#.WOGI_hjMz6Y|title=Two powerful Republicans lose, but GOP retains Senate control|author=Joling, Dan|newspaper=Juneau Empire|date=November 6, 2002|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
Wagoner was challenged by Ward in the 2004 Republican primary, but he won 47%–37%, with Scott D. Hamann taking 16%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=370294|title=AK Senate Q- R Primary 2004|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>[http://www.adn.com/article/20080811/weimar-charged-corruption-probe Weimar charged corruption probe], ''Alaska Dispatch News'', Lisa Demer, August 11, 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2015.</ref> He easily won the general election over independent candidate Robert E. Merchant, taking 77% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=167717|title=AK Senate Q 2004|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref> Wagoner won the 2008 Republican primary over Jim Kauffman, and the general election over Democrat Nels Anderson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=445865|title=AK Senate Q - R Primary 2008|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=330800|title=AK Senate Q 2008|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref> In 2012, he was redistricted to District O and was defeated in the primary by Peter Micciche, 59%–41%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=754760|title=AK Senate O- R Primary 2012|publisher=Our Campaigns|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://homernews.com/stories/082912/news_wag.shtml|title=Micciche in; Wagoner out|newspaper=Homer News|date=August 29, 2012|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
==Personal life== Wagoner and his wife, Dorothy, have 2 children: Denise and Dawn.<ref name=votesmart>{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/biography/27170/thomas-wagoner#.WOF_TBjMz6Y|title=Thomas Wagoner's Biography|publisher=Project VoteSmart|accessdate=April 2, 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wagoner, Thomas}} Category:1942 births Category:20th-century mayors of places in Alaska Category:Living people Category:Eastern Washington University alumni Category:University of Alaska Anchorage alumni Category:Republican Party Alaska state senators Category:Alaska city council members Category:Mayors of places in Alaska Category:Republican Moderate Party of Alaska politicians Category:Politicians from Harford County, Maryland Category:People from Kenai, Alaska Category:Businesspeople from Alaska Category:21st-century members of the Alaska Legislature