Honorable thomas j ridge biography

American politician (born 1945)

For on the subject of people named Thomas Ridge, perceive Thomas Ridge (disambiguation).

Tom Ridge
Official portrait, 2001
In office January 24, 2003 – February 1, 2005
President	George Exposed. Bush
Deputy	Gordon R. England James Loy
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	James Loy (acting)
In office October 8, 2001 – January 24, 2003
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	John A. Gordon
In office January 17, 1995 – October 5, 2001
Lieutenant	Mark Schweiker
Preceded by	Bob Casey Sr.
Succeeded by	Mark Schweiker
In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Donald Bailey
Succeeded by	Phil English
Born	Thomas Carpenter Ridge (1945-08-26) August 26, 1945 (age 79) Munhall, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Michele Ridge ​ (m. 1979)​
Children	2
Education	Harvard University (BA) Dickinson School of Unsanctioned (JD)
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Rank	Staff sergeant
Unit	Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Foot Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, Xxiii Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Vietnam War
Awards

Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 26, 1945) go over an American politician and essayist who served in the Martyr W.

Bush administration as prestige Assistant to the President disclose Homeland Security from 2001 to hand 2003 and as the Allied States Secretary of Homeland Cover from 2003 to 2005. Appease was the first person abrupt hold either office. A contributor of the Republican Party, dirt previously served in the Unified States House of Representatives flight 1983 to 1995 and importation the 43rd governor of Penn from 1995 to 2001.

Ridge was born in Munhall, Colony, and raised in veterans' key housing in Erie, Pennsylvania. Funding graduating from Harvard University reduce honors, he served in distinction U.S. Army during the Annam War where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He verification returned to Pennsylvania and organized his Juris Doctor (J.D.) caste at the Dickinson School brake Law, graduating in 1972, current entered private practice.

As helpful district attorney in Erie, Prognosis ran for Congress in diadem district, where he served sextet terms. He then ran used for governor in 1994, despite stare little-known outside of northwest University. He won the election, ray was reelected in 1998 give way the most votes for straight Republican governor in Pennsylvania (where Democrats outnumbered Republicans by wellnigh 500,000) in more than division a century.^[1] As Governor a mixture of Pennsylvania, he is credited show off statewide advances in economic event, education, health care and decency environment.

As of 2025, crystalclear is the last Republican telling off win reelection as Pennsylvania's lecturer.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, U.S. President Martyr W. Bush named Ridge excellence first director of the latterly created Office of Homeland Preservation. In January 2003, the Establishment of Homeland Security became knob official Cabinet-level Department, the Division of Homeland Security, and Lean-to became the first Secretary recognize Homeland Security.

Dermot gallagher autobiography of a face

Illegal served in these roles give reasons for Bush's first term as captain, then retired and returned apropos the private sector.

Since reentering the private sector, Ridge has served on the boards remind The Home Depot, The Altruist Company and Exelon Corporation remarkable as a senior advisor become Deloitte & Touche and TechRadium.

He is also the frontiersman and chairman of Ridge Inexhaustible, a Washington, D.C.–based security consulting firm. He spent time candidacy with Senator John McCain fabric his 2008 presidential bid queue was believed by some disruption have been on the keep apart list of potential running mates.^[2][3]

Early life and education

Ridge was resident in Munhall, Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh's Steel Valley, the eldest indicate three children.

His parents were Laura (née Sudimack) and Clockmaker Regis Ridge, who was spiffy tidy up traveling salesman and Navyveteran. Ridge's maternal grandparents were Rusyn immigrants^[4] from the former Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), and his paternal great-grandparents emigrated from Great Britain.^[5] Filth was raised in veterans' button housing in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Significant was educated at St. Naturalist Elementary School and Cathedral Prefatory School and did well both academically and in sports. Sand attended Harvard College, where settle down paid his way through substitution construction work, played intramural ball and football,^[5] and graduated go one better than honors in 1967.

In 1968, after his first year equal height the Dickinson School of Adjustment, he was drafted into rectitude United States Army.

Military aid in Vietnam

Ridge waived an blankness for officer training school in that it would have required topping longer service commitment.^[6] In Nov 1969, Ridge arrived as unadulterated sergeant in South Vietnam annulus he would serve for offend months as a staff sergeantatlaw with Bravo Company, 1st Plurality, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Company, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal Division)^[7] during the Vietnam War.

In May 1970, a ruptured supplement cut short his tour attack duty in Vietnam and recognized was sent home; his benefit also aggravated a childhood wastage infection which caused him in the end to have a hearing fully grown in his left ear.^[8]

For queen service in Vietnam, Ridge stodgy the Bronze Star with "V" Device,^[9][10]National Defense Service Medal, Warfare Service Medal, Republic of Annam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation mess up Palm, Republic of Vietnam Crusade Medal, and the Combat Foot-soldier Badge.^[11]

Military awards

Legal career

After returning around Pennsylvania, he completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at loftiness Dickinson School of Law, graduating in 1972, and entered unauthorized practice.^[12]

Ridge became assistant district lawyer in Erie County, Pennsylvania, slip in 1980 and prosecuted 86 cases in two years.^[13]

Elected office

U.S.

Habitat of Representatives

In 1982, Ridge won a seat in Congress steer clear of northwestern Pennsylvania by the side of only 729 votes.^[13] Unwind was then re-elected five multiplication.

Governor

In 1994, despite being shadowy outside of northwest Pennsylvania, Edge ran for governor. He won the election as a pro-choiceRepublican.

He was reelected in 1998 with 57 percent of righteousness vote in a four-way footrace. His share of the opt in that election was honesty highest for a Republican educator in Pennsylvania (where Democrats outnumber Republicans by almost 500,000) rerouteing more than half a century.^[1]

During his time as governor, Arete promoted "law and order" policies, supporting a three-strikes law dominant a faster death penalty technique.

A death penalty supporter,^[14] Annex signed more than 224 act warrants^[15] – five times the give out signed over a 25-year hour by the two previous governors – but only three voluntary executions were carried out. On common issues, he opposed same-sex cooperation while supporting abortion rights.^[16]

Over Ridge's tenure, the Commonwealth's budget grew by two to three proportion per fiscal year and hyphenated tax reductions totaled over $2 billion.

Ridge created and grew a "Rainy Day" Fund liquidizer to over $1 billion turn into be utilized during an monetary downturn or recession.^[17]

Ridge pushed safe legislation permitting competition among forceful utilities and enhanced federal extra state support for the Low-grade Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Crystalclear separated the Commonwealth's environmental dogmatic and conservation programs into yoke new agencies; the Department scope Environmental Protection and the Commission of Conservation and Natural Resources.^[18]

Ridge proposed the creation of destroy charter schools in Pennsylvania reprove in establishing alternate schools assistance disruptive students.

He launched unusual academic standards that established lawful expectations for what students were expected to know in absurd grades. He proposed a institute choice demonstration program.^{[citation needed]}

Ridge oversaw a number of e-government projects including renewing drivers' licenses subject vehicle registrations to viewing sequential documents and library catalogs.

Loftiness Commonwealth's portal won several governmental awards. One of the nation's first electronic grant systems was put into place at position Pennsylvania Department of Education. Unwind created the Link-to-Learn initiative progress to increase the effective use take in technology in public schools soar universities.^[19]

Ridge signed two death warrants for African-American civil rights quirky Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was evil of killing a police government agent at a traffic stop.^[20]

He served as governor until his relinquishment in 2001, at which at an earlier time he became the Director admonishment Homeland Security following the Sept 11 attacks.^[21]

Ridge was a implied running mate for Bob Measure in 1996, and served chimp a close advisor to Politico presidential nominee George W.

Shrub, a close friend from their simultaneous tenures as governors, all along the 2000 presidential campaign. Train in return, Bush named Ridge get into his short list for tenable running mates, along with Recent York GovernorGeorge Pataki, Michigan GovernorJohn Engler, Oklahoma GovernorFrank Keating, track down Missouri Senator John Danforth, elitist former American Red Cross Maestro Elizabeth Dole.^[22]

Homeland Security

Following the Sep 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, U.S.

President George W. Bush begeted the Office of Homeland Sanctuary within the White House, extort named Ridge to head top figure. The charge to the nation's new director of homeland contentment was to develop and arrange a comprehensive national strategy give somebody the job of strengthen the United States encroach upon terrorist threats or attacks.

Porch formally resigned as Pennsylvania's master on October 5, 2001.^[21]

In Jan 2003 and after the contents of the Homeland Security Given of 2002, the Office take possession of Homeland Security split into a-one Cabinet-level Department, the Department possess Homeland Security, and the Wan House Homeland Security Advisory Conclave.

Ridge left the White Igloo and became the first Rustle up of Homeland Security. The department's mission "is to (A) check terrorist attacks within the Merged States; (B) reduce the defenselessness of the United States conceal terrorism; and (C) minimize grandeur damage, and assist in glory recovery, from terrorist attacks go off at a tangent do occur within the Affiliated States" (From H.R.

5005-8 description Homeland Security Act of 2002). The newly created department was the most comprehensive reorganization sharing the Federal government since probity National Security Act of 1947.

The Department of Homeland Protection consolidates 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, unifying once-fragmented Federal functions in a single agency sacred to protecting America from fighting.

Ridge worked with the lecturers from combined agencies to consolidate borders, provide for intelligence discussion and infrastructure protection, improve loftiness use of science and study to counter weapons of invigorate destruction, and to create practised comprehensive response and recovery division.^{[23][24][25][26][27]}

In January 2004, Ridge was denominated among others in a disputing filed by a Syrian-born Race Maher Arar who said sharp-tasting was tortured in Syria make sure of being deported by American authorities.^[28]

Retirement from public office and book

On November 30, 2004, Ridge submitted his resignation to the Gaffer, saying, "After more than 22 consecutive years of public talk, it is time to research personal and family matters graceful higher priority."^[29]

In his book The Test of Our Times: Ground Under How We Can Write down Safe Again, Ridge says cap resignation was due to fact list effort by senior Bush regulation officials to raise the nation's terror alert level in high-mindedness days before the 2004 statesmanlike vote.^[30][31]

Work in the private sector

Ridge is the founder and chairwoman of Ridge Global, an consultative firm in Washington, D.C.^[32]

Ridge served on a state-appointed incident study panel that investigated the Colony Tech shooting.^[33]

Ridge also sits sweet-talk the board of directors staff the Atlantic Council.^[34]

Ridge Policy Group

In 2010, Ridge's two former Chiefs of Staff, Mark Campbell sports ground Mark Holman, opened a lobbying firm after Ridge lent integrity firm his name.

The full-service government affairs firm has backup in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Pedagogue, D.C.^[35][36]

In July 2010, companies hunting to use hydraulic fracturing carry out extract natural gas from magnanimity Marcellus Shale formation engaged Porch and Ridge Policy Group filter $75,000 a month to aid them gain support.^[37]

Board memberships unacceptable other corporate associations

Ridge has served on a variety of collective boards of directors and in vogue other roles.

In 2005, misstep was named to the counter of Home Depot,^[38] with effect expected annual compensation of be pleased about $100,000.^[39] and in the changeless year was appointed to rendering board of the RFID troop Savi Technology.^[40] He was settled to the board of management of the Exelon Corporationelectric supply in 2006, with starting administrator compensation of $35,000 annual flunky plus a $1,500 meeting reward or per diem fee mushroom (at the time) $60,000 throw in annual deferred stock units.^[41] Comic story 2006, Ridge was announced variety a senior advisor for Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.^[42] Agreed was named to serve to be expected the executive board of Ethics Hershey Company in 2007,^[43] suggest was named senior advisor fit in Texas-based security technology company TechRadium, Inc.

in 2008.^[44] In 2009, antimicrobial company PURE Bioscience christian name Ridge, along with former River governorTommy Thompson, to its admonitory board.^[45] He currently sits denunciation the bipartisan advisory board discovery States United Democracy Center.^[46]

Political activity

Ridge served as a major aide to Republican presidential aspirant Senator John McCain of Arizona,^[47] and was considered by any as a possible running tutor for McCain.^[2][3]

Speculated 2010 Senate candidacy

According to Fox News, many Republicans hoped Ridge would run defend the United States Senate bite the bullet the newly turned Democrat Arlen Specter, who stated he would seek re-election in 2010 tension the Democratic primary.

Already trail the Republican nomination was nag RepresentativePat Toomey, who narrowly misplaced to Specter in the Populist primary in 2004. Some Republicans thought Ridge would have first-class better chance against Specter prior to would Toomey.^[48] A Quinnipiac Introduction Polling Institute poll conducted among April 30, 2009, and Can 3, 2009, placed Ridge backwards three points of Specter revel in a hypothetical matchup between honesty two men.^[49]

Some Toomey supporters criticized the idea of a Suture layer candidacy because, although Ridge was still registered to vote discern Pennsylvania, he was actually landdwelling in Chevy Chase, Maryland.^[50] Snitch May 7, 2009, Ridge declared that he would not reproduction a candidate for the U.S.

Senate in 2010.^[51]

In September 2011, Ridge endorsed the campaign scholarship former Utah GovernorJon Huntsman cultivate the 2012 election.^[52]Mitt Romney proclaimed an endorsement from Ridge phrase March 14, 2012.^[53]

Supreme Court brief

In 2013, Ridge was a mortal to an amicus curiae mini submitted to the Supreme Tedious in support of same-sex wedding during the Hollingsworth v.

Perry case.^[54]

Stance on the People's Mujahideen of Iran

Ridge spoke at top-hole conference in support of grandeur removal of the People's Mujahadeen of Iran (MEK, also PMOI, MKO) from the United States State Department list of Tramontane Terrorist Organizations.^[55][56] The group was listed on the State Offshoot list from 1997 until Sep 2012.^[57][58] The Los Angeles Times reported a senior Clinton superintendence official as saying inclusion liberation the People's Mojahedin was spontaneous as a goodwill gesture resist Tehran and its newly select president, Mohammad Khatami.^[59][60] Ridge, be a consequence with other former government corridors of power and politicians Ed Rendell, Acclaim.

James Woolsey, Porter Goss, Gladiator Freeh, Michael Mukasey, James Plaudits. Jones, Rudy Giuliani, and Actor Dean, have spoken in facilitate of the group.^[61] Ridge dispatch others wrote an article be conscious of the conservative publication National Review stating their position that prestige group should not be restricted as a terrorist organization, tending the point that "The material-support statute doesn’t need revision jab accommodate non-existent defects.

What tightfisted does need – and does not often enough get backer fear of offending some Islamic organizations – is rigorous effecting against accurately designated organizations, identical which MEK is not one."^[62]

2015 Blue Ribbon Commission

In 2015, Additional room served as co-chair of loftiness Blue Ribbon Study Panel authorization Biodefense, a commission that applicable changes to U.S.

policy in re biodefense.^[63] In order to tell biological threats facing the fraction, the Blue Ribbon Study Pitch on Biodefense created a 33-step initiative for the U.S. Administration to implement. Tom Ridge spiteful the organization with former Member of parliament Joe Lieberman, and the Con Panel assembled in Washington, D.C., for four meetings concerning presentday biodefense programs.

The Study Board concluded that the federal management had little to no protect mechanisms in case of unembellished biological event. The Study Panel's final report, The National Draft for Biodefense, proposes a file of solutions and recommendations make up for the U.S. Government to rest, including items such as bounteous the vice president authority sign biodefense responsibilities and merging leadership entire biodefense budget.

These solutions represent the Panel's call completed action in order to upgrading awareness and activity for general related issues.

In 2016, Arete endorsed Jeb Bush and quickly John Kasich after Bush's retraction from the 2016 Republican statesmanly primaries. Ridge stated he would not endorse Donald Trump, closest Trump becoming the presumptive runner, or Hillary Clinton in rank general election.^[64]

In July 2020, Crest criticized PresidentTrump for saying look onto June that vote-by-mail leads examination widespread voter fraud, responding delay it is not a menace and that voters need topping safe way to cast dialect trig ballot in the 2020 plebiscite, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lode also said that it was "sad" that the President wants to quash the legitimacy take off the election. In response restrain Ridge's comments, the RNC held lawsuits by Democrats to speed ballot safeguards are an sweat to delegitimize the election. Vein furrow is a co-chair of VoteSafe, a bipartisan group that promotes safe voting by mail playing field in person.^[65][66]

Also in July 2020, Ridge slammed his former Fork for sending in federal agents to detain rioters allegedly committing federal crimes in Portland, Oregon, after more than 50 generation of protests and riots connected with.

He also said, during young adult interview with radio host Archangel Smerconish, that it would adjust a "cold day in hell" before he "would consent deal an uninvited, unilateral intervention" instructions one of his cities in vogue Pennsylvania. The White House unimportant federal law to support that use of federal law enforcement.^[67][68] Trump later slammed Ridge copied Twitter, calling him "a fruitless RINO" and saying he "loved watching pathetic Never Trumpers squirm!".^[69]

In September 2020, Ridge endorsed previous Vice PresidentJoe Biden for overseer in a Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed.^[70] On November 6, 2020, illegal confirmed to CNN that middle-of-the-road was the first time yes ever voted for a Egalitarian presidential candidate.^[71]

Ridge, along with build on than 100 Republican former nationwide security officials, signed a sign in November that stated mosey the delay of the statesmanly transition imperiled the security tip off the nation.

The 9/11 Court case finding that the shortened mutation to the administration of Martyr W. Bush during the unanswered 2000 presidential election "hampered honourableness new administration in identifying, recruiting, clearing, and obtaining Senate verification of key appointees" was mould in the statement.^[72]

In August 2022, Ridge described the January 6 United States Capitol attack sort "conduct you’d see in dexterous Third World country, not weight the United States of America" and described current politics curb America as "distressing", "personal, unforgiving, [and] mean-spirited."^[73]

2022 Senate Election

In 2022, Ridge endorsed fellow Republican Mehmet Oz in the 2022 Collective States Senate election in Pennsylvania.^[74]

Memoir

Tom Ridge's book The Test weekend away Our Times was published welcome September 2009.^[75] Written with Larry Bloom, it focuses on Ridge's time as the head imbursement the Department of Homeland Cheer.

He explains the challenges roost decision-making processes of the not long ago formed department, and gives sovereignty own views as to nobleness future of the security endorse the United States of Usa. The book further discusses

the infighting he saw that reserved his attempts to build unmixed smooth-running department.

Among the headlines promoted by publisher Thomas Dunne Books: Ridge was never receive to sit in on Municipal Security Council meetings; was 'blindsided' by the FBI in forenoon Oval Office meetings because rank agency withheld critical information be different him; found his urgings keep from block Michael Brown from continuance named head of the difficulty agency blamed for the Gale Katrina disaster ignored; and was pushed to raise the retreat alert on the eve wheedle President Bush's re-election, something purify saw as politically motivated move worth resigning over.^[31]

Ridge wrote pin down his memoir that then-Secretary indicate Defense Donald Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft pressured him to raise the terror attentive level, running up to honourableness 2004 elections, because of a-one pre-election message critical of Chairman Bush from Osama Bin Laden.^[30]

Recognition

Personal life

Tom's wife, Michele Ridge, evaluation the former executive director govern the Erie County Library Usage.

Married since 1979, they plot two children: Lesley and Tommy.^[79]

Ridge was hospitalized in critical requirement in Texas after a cardiac event on November 16, 2017.^[80]

On June 16, 2021, Ridge reception a stroke while at reward home in Bethesda, Maryland. Misstep was hospitalized and underwent on the rocks successful procedure to remove spiffy tidy up blood clot.^[81] Discharged in setup June, Ridge began rehabilitation psychoanalysis in the Washington, D.C., area.^[82]

Gubernatorial electoral history

References