Thomas E. West (born October 12, 1964) is an American businessman and politician who served as the State Representative for the 49th District of the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

from 2017 to 2023. He is a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. The district consists of a portion of Stark County, including

Canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...

and most of Massillon.

Life and career

A licensed

social work Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...

er, West also owned and operated several

small business Small businesses are types of corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships which have fewer employees and/or less annual revenue than a regular-sized business or corporation. Businesses are defined as "small" in terms of being able to ap ...

es before entering politics. He holds a bachelor's degree from the

Mount Union College The University of Mount Union is a private university in Alliance, Ohio. Founded in 1846, the university was affiliated with the Methodist Church until the spring of 2019. In the fall of 2020, Mount Union had an enrollment of 1,958 undergraduate ...

, and received his Masters in Social Work from the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classified ...

. West served on the Canton City Council for 13 years, acting as the Chairman of the Annexation Committee and a member of the Capital Improvement Committee, Special Improvement District and Canton Community Improvement Corporation. He is married with two children.

Ohio House of Representatives

Campaigns

In 2016, state Representative

Stephen Slesnick Stephen Slesnick (born December 3, 1977) is a former member of the Ohio House of Representatives who represented the 49th District from 2008 to 2016. A Democrat, Slesnick represented portions of Stark County, including Canton and Massillon. Li ...

was term-limited after serving in the House since 2008. West was one of two Democrats to declare interest in the seat, along with Joyce-Healy Abrams, the daughter of William J. Healy, who represented the seat for twenty-five years, and granddaughter of William J. Healy II, who had also represented the seat and was the former Mayor of

. Healy-Abrams herself had run for Congress against

Bob Gibbs Robert Brian Gibbs (born June 14, 1954) is an American farmer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. On April 6, 2022, Gibbs announced he was not seeking reelection. ...

in 2012, losing a close race. Despite her name recognition, West ended up winning by 110 votes. West defeated Republican Dan McMasters 57% to 43% in the general election. He was sworn in on January 3, 2017. West increased his margin of victory in his 2018 reelection, defeating Republican candidate James Haavisto 58% to 42%. West defeated Haavisto again in a rematch in 2020.

Committees and Caucuses

West served on the following committees: Health, Criminal Justice, Finance, Aging and Long Term Care, Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee. In November 2020, West was elected President of the

Ohio Legislative Black Caucus The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus (OLBC), formally known as the Black Elected Democrats of Ohio, is an American political organization now composed of African Americans elected to the Ohio General Assembly. The Ohio Legislative Black Caucus is the ...

. In addition to his legislative committees and caucuses, West also received gubernatorial appointments to the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, Ohio Advisory on Aging, and the Governor's Executive Workforce Board.

Election history

References

External links

Ohio State Representative Tom West
''official site'' {{DEFAULTSORT:West, Thomas 1964 births Living people Democratic Party members of the Ohio House of Representatives 21st-century American politicians University of Akron alumni University of Mount Union alumni