Tom Whatley

{{short description|American politician}} {{about|the politician|the sprinter|Thomas Whatley}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tom Whatley | state_senate = Alabama | district = 27th | term_start = November 3, 2010<ref name="ballotpedia">{{cite web |title=Tom Whatley |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Tom_Whatley |website=Ballotpedia |accessdate=27 June 2020}}</ref> | term_end = November 8, 2022 | predecessor = T. D. Little | successor = Jay Hovey | party = Republican | birth_name = Thomas McKee Whatley | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|08|07}}<ref name="votesmart">{{cite web |title=Tom Whatley's Biography |url=https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/121573/tom-whatley |website=Vote Smart |accessdate=27 June 2020}}</ref> | birth_place = Opelika, Alabama, U.S.<ref name="state-al-us">{{cite web |title=Senator Whatley, Tom |url=http://www.legislature.state.al.us/aliswww/ISD/ALSenator.aspx?NAME=Whatley&OID_SPONSOR=100470&OID_PERSON=6695&SESSNAME= |website=The Alabama Legislature |accessdate=27 June 2020}}</ref> | alma_mater = Auburn University<br />Thomas Goode Jones School of Law<ref name="ballotpedia" /> | occupation = Attorney<ref name="votesmart" /> | spouse = Lauren Kathryn Cross-Whatley (m. 2020) }}

'''Thomas McKee Whatley''' (born August 7, 1970) is an American politician. He is a Republican who represented district 27 in the Alabama State Senate from 2010 to 2022.

== Political career ==

In 2010, Whatley defeated Democratic incumbent T. D. Little to win the 27th district's seat in the Alabama State Senate. He was re-elected in 2014 and 2018.

In 2022, Whatley faced Auburn City Councilman, Jay Hovey, in the Primary Election, in May, on the Republican Ballot. On election night, Whatley trailed Hovey by four votes. After the provisional votes were counted, Hovey had won the election by one vote, making him the Republican nominee for Alabama Senate District 27. The results of this election would be questioned by Whatley, who decided to take it to the ALGOP for further examination. This ALGOP intervention would result in weeks of deliberation and a change in the Primary Election result; however, as of July 1, 2022, the ALGOP vacated its earlier decision of counting an illegal vote from, Mrs. Kenney as a tie, resulting in Councilman Hovey as the official Republican nominee for Alabama Senate District 27.

=== Electoral record ===

{{Election box begin no change|title=2010 general election: Alabama State Senate, District 27<ref name="ballotpedia" />}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Tom Whatley|votes=21,245|percentage=55.0%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=T. D. Little|votes=17,379|percentage=45.0%}} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2014 Republican primary: Alabama State Senate, District 27<ref name="ballotpedia" />}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Tom Whatley|votes=7,950|percentage=53.1%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Andy Carter|votes=7,010|percentage=46.9%}} {{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change|title=2014 general election: Alabama State Senate, District 27<ref name="ballotpedia" />}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Tom Whatley|votes=19,808|percentage=65.5%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Haylee Moss|votes=10,358|percentage=34.3%}} {{Election box candidate no change|party=|candidate=Write-in|votes=56|percentage=0.2%}} {{Election box end}}

In 2018, Whatley was unopposed in the Republican primary for the 27th district seat.<ref name="ballotpedia" />

{{Election box begin no change|title=2018 general election: Alabama State Senate, District 27<ref name="ballotpedia" />}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Tom Whatley|votes=29,741|percentage=59.0%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Nancy Carlton Bendinger|votes=20,587|percentage=40.9%}} {{Election box candidate no change|party=|candidate=Write-in|votes=50|percentage=0.1%}} {{Election box end}} {{Election box begin no change|title=2022 primary election: Alabama State Senate, District 27<ref name="ballotpedia" />}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Jay Hovey|votes=8,373|percentage=50.00%}} {{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Tom Whatley|votes=8,372|percentage=50.00%}} {{Election box candidate no change|party=|candidate=|votes=|percentage=}} {{Election box end}}

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Whatley, Tom}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:People from Opelika, Alabama Category:Auburn University alumni Category:Thomas Goode Jones School of Law alumni Category:Republican Party Alabama state senators Category:21st-century members of the Alabama Legislature