Tom DeLay

Cast

Born

April 8, 1947 · Laredo, Texas, USA

Birth name

Thomas Dale DeLay

Tom DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005. DeLay began his career as a politician in 1978 when he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. In 1988, he was appointed Deputy Minority Whip. In 1994 he helped Newt Gingrich orchestrate the Republican Revolution, which gave the Republicans the victory in the 1994 midterm election and swept Democrats from power in both houses of Congress, putting Republicans in control of the House of Representatives for the first time in forty years. In 1995, he was elected House Majority Whip. DeLay was elected House Majority Leader after the 2002 midterm elections. In 2005, in accordance with Republican Caucus rules, DeLay temporarily resigned from his position as House Majority Leader and later, announced that he would not seek to return to the position. He resigned his seat in Congress in June 2006. After leaving Congress, Tom DeLay co-authored, with Stephen Mansfield, a political memoir, No Retreat, No Surrender: One American's Fight. He founded the lobbying firm, First Principles, LLC.