Randy Tate

Randall John "Randy" Tate (born November 23, 1965) is an American politician and a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Washington.

Early life and education

Tate was born in Puyallup, Washington on November 23, 1965. He was raised in a trailer park with his Baptist minister father. Tate graduated with an Associate of Arts degree from Tacoma Community College in 1986 and he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Western Washington University at Bellingham in 1988. Tate was one of six Washington State Republicans to flip seats in the 1994 Republican Revolution. While in office, he secured passage of an amendment to the 1996 illegal immigration bill, which is now found at 8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(9). This amendment prohibits a visa or legal status to anyone who has been in the U.S. without authorization for over a year, notwithstanding the existence of U.S. Citizen children of that immigrant.

Tate ran for reelection in 1996, facing Democratic State Senator Adam Smith and was seen as one of the most vulnerable GOP incumbents. Smith criticized Tate for his close ties to Gingrich, his support for Medicare overhauls, and restrictions of environmental standards.

Later life After his one term in Congress, Tate wrote a twice-a-month column for the Federal Way News and was a guest host on KVI-AM talk-radio shows.