Thomas M. "Hoke" Holcomb (born September 14, 1945) is a former member of the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

and retired secondary school teacher.

Early life

Holcomb was born on September 14, 1945, in Charlotte, Michigan. He graduated from Sexton High School in Lansing, Michigan and was involved in school politics and the baseball and tennis teams. As a young teenager, he worked as a retail associate for his fathers clothing store (Davis Clothing) in downtown Lansing, Michigan. Many state legislators would frequent the store to purchase suits and accessories, and it was there Holcomb, through his interactions assisting elected officials, he was introduced to public policy and government. He attended the University of Miami and earned his undergraduate degree in Political Science and minored in History.

Career

In 1972, and just turned 27 years old, Holcomb ran for office and was defeated as the

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

candidate for the

seat representing the 58th district. He re-engineered his campaign strategies and covered 35 miles on foot walking the county and interacting with voters. His most effective campaign marketing slogan, “Have a Coke on Hoke.” Went viral at county fairs, as he handed out coca-cola soft drinks to potential voters. On November 5, 1974, at 29 years old, Holcomb was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives where he represented the 58th district from January 8, 1975, to 1978. On April 1, 1978, he married Suzanne M. Holcomb (Spence) and had 250 people attend his wedding, which was locally televised. Rep. Holcomb was a young, very involved elected official with grass roots involvement and was praised for his contributions to state and local education, agricultural development and local unions. However, he was not re-elected in 1978. In 1980, Holcomb was a delegate to

Democratic National Convention The Democratic National Convention (DNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 ...

from Michigan, proving he still desired to represent Michigan voters vying for a shot at the State Senate. However, In 1982, Holcomb was defeated as the Democratic candidate for the

Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...

seat representing the 20th district. A huge blow to his drive, yet Holcomb stated “my family is what is important, I will take this time to enjoy my beautiful wife and help raise 3 wonderful boys. I will always be involved in politics in some way. But this is a moment for me to reflect on what is most important, and that is my family.” Holcomb, moved his family to Mason, Michigan, 15 miles south of Lansing. There he ran for city council and remained very close to the Ingham County Fair board and former city Administrator Patrick Price as well as manage the campaign initiatives of former Registrar of Deeds, Paula Johnson. He continued his career as a school teacher with Mason High School and also helped at-risk students in a newly created position within the school district. In 2000, he ran again for the 58th District Michigan House of Representatives, but was defeated.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holcomb, Thomas M. Living people 1945 births Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives 20th-century American politicians