Thomas G. Reynolds

Thomas Gerald Reynolds (born December 16, 1956) is an American businessman and former politician from West Allis, Wisconsin. He served one term in the Wisconsin Senate, representing Wisconsin's 5th Senate district from 2003 to 2007. Reynolds was described at the time as an ultra-conservative religious Republican, he won office after defeating a Republican incumbent in a primary challenge. In office, he was also known for eccentricities and odd behavior, including the firing of his entire staff "for disloyalty" just before Christmas 2005.

Before winning his Senate election, he made several unsuccessful bids for election to the U.S. House of Representatives. After losing re-election in 2006, he set up a short-lived political action committee to support conservative candidates in the 2008 Democratic Party legislative primaries.

Biography

Reynolds was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and graduated from Nathan Hale High School in 1975. In addition to serving in the state senate, Reynolds is the owner of a printing business and an organic-practicing farm. He has five children.

Reynolds was elected to the Wisconsin Senate in 2002 after defeating incumbent Sen. Peggy Rosenzweig, who Reynolds claimed was too liberal, in the Republican primary that April. Before his defeat in 2006, he sat on the Committee on Housing and Financial Institutions, the Committee on Job Creation, Economic Development and Consumer Affairs, the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, and chaired the Committee on Labor and Election Process Reform. He was defeated in his bid for re-election by Democrat Jim Sullivan.

In 2008, Reynolds set up a political action committee to support conservative candidates in the 2008 Democratic Party legislative primaries. The PAC, known as Clean Sweep Wisconsin supported eight candidates, two of them failed to make the ballot, and the other six lost their primaries.

In 2010, Reynolds' wife filed for divorce. Their divorce was granted in 2012, but litigation dragged into 2013. Reynolds frequently represented himself in court. In August 2013, Reynolds was briefly jailed for contempt of court due to failure to comply with several court orders.

Electoral history U.S. House (1994, 1996, 1998) Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 1994 General Democratic 93,789 53.69% Rep. 78,225 44.78% 174,689 15,564 Tax. 2,611 1.49% 1996 Primary Republican 17,892 59.04% Rep. 11,676 38.53% 30,304 6,216 Rep. 736 2.43% General Democratic 134,470 57.64% Rep. 98,438 42.20% 233,284 36,032 1998 General Democratic 105,841 57.93% Rep. 76,666 41.96% 182,701 29,175

Wisconsin Senate (2002, 2006)

Year Election Date Elected Defeated Total Plurality 2002 Primary Republican 5,673 53.73% Rep. 4,882 46.24% 10,559 791 General Republican 31,693 52.85% Dem. 28,021 46.73% 59,970 3,672 2006 General Democratic 31,693 51.68% Rep. 33,686 48.16% 69,943 2,462