Thomas J. Burch (born July 19, 1931) is an American politician in the state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

. Burch, born in Louisville, attended

Bellarmine College Bellarmine University (BU; ) is a private Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest ...

, graduating in 1959 in business.About Democrat Tom Burch
/ref> He served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and

United States Naval Reserve The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Sele ...

from 1948 to 1956, and also worked for

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...

from 1953 to 1991 as a production control manager.Thomas Burch's Biography – Project Vote Smart
/ref> He was elected to the

Kentucky House of Representatives The Kentucky House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kentucky General Assembly. It is composed of 100 Representatives elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. Not more than two counties can be joined to form ...

initially in 1971, serving two terms. He was defeated for reelection by Republican

Jon Ackerson Jon Winston Ackerson (born 1943) is a former member of the Kentucky House of Representatives, and the Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elect ...

in 1975. He was elected again in 1977 when Ackerson retired to run for the

Kentucky Senate The Kentucky Senate is the upper house of the Kentucky General Assembly. The Kentucky Senate is composed of 38 members elected from single-member districts throughout the Commonwealth. There are no term limits for Kentucky Senators. The Kentu ...

. Committees he served on currently are: Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources, Health and Welfare (Chair) House Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare (Co-chair), Interim Joint Committee on Licensing and Occupations, Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection, Licensing and Occupations, and Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Safety. Awards received include: * Distinguished Service Award, Jefferson County Health Board * Kentucky Association of Homes for Children Circle of Love Award * Kentucky Outstanding Legislator Award for Health Legislation *Kidney Foundation Legislative Award * Legislator of the Year Child Support Enforcement 1990 A

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

by religion, Burch is married to Patty McDevitt and has five children and resides in Louisville. He is a member a board member of Brooklawn Youth Services, and a member of the Home of the Innocents, Kentucky Domestic Violence Association, Kentucky Organ Donor Council, Kentucky Welfare Reform Coalition, Kosair Children's Hospital, Lions Foundation, and the National Organization for Women. In 2010, Burch released a statement regarding alleged sexual abuse he experienced as a youth by a

priest. In 2022, Burch was defeated by Daniel Grossberg in the Democratic

primary election Primary elections, or direct primary are a voting process by which voters can indicate their preference for their party's candidate, or a candidate in general, in an upcoming general election, local election, or by-election. Depending on the ...

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burch, Tom 1931 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Kentucky House of Representatives Politicians from Louisville, Kentucky Bellarmine University alumni Businesspeople from Kentucky 21st-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians