Tom Carper Thomas Richard " Tom " Carper ( born January 23 , 1947 ) is the senior United States Senator from Delaware , serving since 2001 . A member of the Democratic Party , Carper served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1993 and was the 71st Governor of Delaware from 1993 to 2001 . A native of Danville , Virginia , Carper graduated from Ohio State University . Serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the U . S . Navy from 1968 until 1973 , he flew the P - 3 Orion as a Tactical Coordinator / Mission Commander and saw active duty in the Vietnam War . After leaving the active duty Navy , he remained in the U . S . Naval Reserve for another 18 years and eventually retired with the rank of Captain ( O - 6 ) . Upon receiving his Master from the University of Delaware in 1975 , Carper went to work for the State of Delaware in its economic development office . He was elected State Treasurer , serving from 1977 to 1983 and leading the development of Delaware ' s first cash management system . Encouraged by local politicians , Carper successfully ran for Delaware ' s only seat in the U . S . House of Representatives in 1982 . He served five terms in the House , where he chaired the Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization . In 1992 he arranged a " swap " with term - limited Governor Michael Castle , and the two were easily elected to each other ' s seats . Carper governed for two terms as a moderate , business - oriented " New Democrat " , following the lead of the two previous Republican governors . He successfully prevented the closing of a General Motors automobile plant and won a bid for the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca . He led a tax - reduction campaign and helped improve the state ' s credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent " AAA " . He pushed for standards - based education , among other reforms . Carper was elected to the U . S . Senate in 2000 , beating Republican incumbent William V . Roth , Jr . . He was re - elected by landslides in 2006 and 2012 . As senator , he serves as one of four Deputy Democratic Whips , chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee and also serves on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Finance . Early years and personal life . Carper was born in Beckley , West Virginia , the son of Mary Jean ( née Patton ) and Wallace Richard Carper . He grew up in Danville , Virginia and graduated from Whetstone High School in Columbus , Ohio . He then graduated from the Ohio State University in 1968 , where he was a midshipman in the Naval ROTC and earned a degree in economics . At Ohio State , Carper became a member of the Beta Phi Chapter of the Delta Tau Delta Fraternity . Serving as a Naval Flight Officer in the U . S . Navy from 1968 until 1973 , he served three tours of duty in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War . He remained in the U . S . Naval Reserve as a P - 3 aircraft mission commander for another 18 years and retired with the rank of Captain ( O - 6 ) . Meanwhile , he moved to Delaware and earned a Master from the University of Delaware in 1975 . After which he went to work for the economic development office for the State of Delaware . Carper has been married twice , first in 1978 , to Diane Beverly Isaacs , a former Miss Delaware , who had two children by a previous marriage . Following a 1983 divorce , he married Martha Ann Stacy in 1985 , and with her he has two children , Christopher and Benjamin . They are members of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington , Delaware . Professional and early political career . While in college at the Ohio State University , Carper worked on the presidential campaign of U . S . Senator Eugene McCarthy , the Minnesota peace candidate . In Delaware he worked as the campaign treasurer for University of Delaware professor James R . Soles in his unsuccessful 1974 bid for the U . S . House of Representatives . After receiving his MBA degree in 1975 , Carper went to work for the State of Delaware ' s economic development office . In 1976 , after developing good relationships with members of the state party leadership , he took out a $ 5 , 000 personal loan to fund his campaign for the Treasurer of Delaware . After convincing the party leaders , and later the voters , that he was the right person to be Delaware State Treasurer , he defeated the favored Republican Party candidate , Theodore Jones . He served three terms , from January 18 , 1977 through January 3 , 1983 , during which time he oversaw the development of Delaware ' s first cash management system . U . S . House of Representatives . It took a considerable amount of persuasion on the part of U . S . Senator Joe Biden and others to convince Carper to leave his obscure , but safe , position as Treasurer and compete for Delaware ' s only seat in the U . S . House of Representatives in 1982 . Thomas B . Evans , Jr . , the incumbent Republican was running again , and although he had been caught in a compromising " association " on a golfing trip with the young lobbyist Paula Parkinson , he was still a formidable and well - connected politician . The campaign was going well for Carper until three weeks before Election Day , when the " New York Post " published an article claiming that the " dirtiest campaign in the country is being waged in tiny Delaware . " Retelling the well - known story of Evans ' golfing trip , it went on to accuse Carper of abusing his wife and stepchildren . But the story actually ended up working to Carper ' s political advantage when suspicions spread that the allegations had been planted by an Evans supporter and when public opinion seemed to conclude that the allegations were inappropriately exploiting a private issue . Carper went on to serve five terms in the U . S . House of Representatives . He won his second term in 1984 , by defeating Elise R . W . du Pont , the wife of former Governor Pierre S . du Pont , IV . He then enjoyed easy victories over Republicans Thomas S . Neuberger in 1986 , James P . Krapf in 1988 and Ralph O . Williams in 1990 . A U . S . Representative , he was a member of the U . S . House Committee on Banking , Finance and Urban Affairs and the U . S House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries . He chaired the House Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization . In these positions he worked to allow banks into the securities business and to discourage the dumping of sludge into the ocean . During his years in the U . S . House of Representatives Carper sought to gain better control of the Democratic Party organization in Delaware in hopes of someday becoming Governor . Heavily Democratic and with over half of the population of the state , New Castle County was the key . Its Democratic organization was controlled by Eugene T . Reed , a former ironworker , and an old - time political party boss who was then among several politicians in both parties implicated in illegal money raising practices . To address this corruption and rescue the reputation of the Democratic Party , Carper recruited Joseph E . Reardon , a DuPont Company chemist , as a candidate for New Castle County Democratic Party chairman . By early 1989 , he had succeeded in getting Reardon elected , and Reardon replaced Reed at the head of a newly reformed party organization . In 1990 Carper faced a primary challenge from a Reed ally , Daniel D . Rappa , but crushed him convincingly and went on to win election to his fifth term as U . S . Representative . Governor of Delaware . In the small and intimate political community of Delaware important decisions are often made by a consensus of leaders from both parties . So it was in 1992 , when popular incumbent Governor Michael Castle was forced to retire owing to term limits . The result was what became known as " the Swap . " Castle ran for Carper ' s seat in the U . S . House of Representatives and Carper ran for Governor . Neither faced any significant opposition and Delaware retained the services of two very popular office holders . Thus , in 1992 , Carper was elected Governor of Delaware , defeating the Republican candidate , B . Gary Scott . He ended up serving two terms . As a moderate , business oriented Democrat who followed two very competent and popular Republican administrations , those of Pierre S . du Pont , IV and Michael Castle , Carper chose to govern in much the same way they had over their combined 16 years in office , adding to the mix his special interest in and talent for economic development and business recruitment . Two particular successes were his prevention of the closure of the General Motors automobile operation near Newport , Delaware and the state ' s victory in the competition with Pennsylvania for the location of the headquarters of the pharmaceutical giant , AstraZeneca . Continuing du Pont ' s tax cutting policies , Carper led an ongoing effort to reduce income tax rates , eliminate the marriage penalty and estate tax , cut the public utility tax , and eliminate the gross receipts tax for many small businesses . By doing so , his administration improved the state ' s credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent " AAA " . He also retained Castle ' s standards - based education programs , raising standards , testing students , and pushing through a teacher accountability bill . Other programs included a fully funded Head Start program and the creation of a prescription - drug benefit for seniors . Carper ' s independent , New Democrat approach made him popular among voters , but caused grumbling among old line Democrats , particularly union leaders , who complained that not enough of them were being awarded patronage jobs after the many years of Republican control . In an era of increasingly bitter , partisan politics , Carper ' s actions and policies placed him at the political center , in keeping with Delaware ' s consensus style of governing . The most poignant event during this period was the murder of Carper ' s personal scheduler , Anne Marie Fahey and the eventual conviction of Thomas J . Capano for the crime . Capano was a wealthy , well - connected lawyer , known to nearly everyone in Delaware ' s political community . Fahey , an attractive 30 year old member of another well - known family , was attempting to end a romantic relationship with the married Capano , when he murdered her and dumped her body in the Atlantic Ocean . U . S . Attorney Colm F . Connolly built the case against Capano , who was tried and convicted , then sentenced by Delaware Superior Court Judge William Swain Lee . As a tribute to Fahey , who had been a youth mentor , then - Governor Carper also became a mentor , and began actively promoting mentoring programs throughout Delaware ' s business community . As a result , by the end of his last term , Delaware held the highest per - capita ratio of youth mentors in the country . Carper also established the Delaware Mentoring Council to help sustain this important legacy . United States Senate . Elections . 2000 . The elections of 2000 promised to bring a change in Delaware ' s political lineup . For 16 years , the same four people had held the four major statewide positions - Carper and his fellow Democrat Senator Joe Biden and Republicans U . S . Representative Michael Castle and Senator William V . Roth , Jr . . Because of gubernatorial term limits , Carper had to retire from the post . He wanted to run for the Senate against the incumbent Roth . Roth would not retire voluntarily and fellow Republican Castle would not force him into a primary . Carper declared his candidacy in September 1999 and in a contest between two popular and respected politicians , the issue seemed to be Roth ' s age , who was seventy - nine , versus Carper ' s relative youth . Although Roth started the campaign with a 2 - to - 1 spending advantage , Carper went into the final month with more than $ 1 million on hand . Carper defeated Roth by almost twelve points , 55 . 5 % to 43 . 7 % . Roth received more votes than Presidential candidate George W . Bush , however , suggesting that the strength of the Democratic turnout was a boon to Carper ' s candidacy and a key factor in his victory . Analysts considered Roth ' s defeat was due to age , especially as he collapsed at a campaign event . 2006 . Carper sought re - election to a second term in 2006 . He was unopposed in the Democratic primary and faced off against Republican candidate Jan C . Ting . Ting was a professor of law who had narrowly beaten airline pilot Michael D . Protack in the Republican primary . Carper was easily re - elected in a landslide win , beating Ting 67 % to 27 % . 2012 . As the 2012 election cycle began , a Super PAC was created to oppose Carper ' s re - election campaign . " The Hill " quoted Patrick Davis , the custodian of records and agent for Renew Delaware as saying " Tom Carper has served in the United States Senate for a long time and has been part of the downturn in our economy . " " Delaware Politics " noted that the election would be costly for the Republican candidate and that the popular Carper was heavily favoured to win a third term in office . Spokesperson Emily Spain was quoted in " The Hill " saying Carper has been successful in his previous campaigns " because he works hard , takes nothing for granted , and puts the needs and interests of Delaware first . " Carper won the Democratic primary with 88 % of the vote and faced off against the only Republican candidate who filed for the race , businessman Kevin Wade . Carper was re - elected in another landslide , beating Wade 66 . 4 % to 29 % . Tenure and political positions . He served with the Democratic minority in the 108th and 109th Congresses , and was part of the Democratic majority in the 110th Congress . At the beginning of the 107th Congress , the Democratic Party was in the minority , but later held the majority . Carper is a member of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council ( DLC ) , of which he currently serves as Vice - Chairman . In December 2004 , Carper became a part of the Senate Democratic Leadership . As a member of a four - person " Executive Committee " , he is one of four deputy whips . David Broder of the " Washington Post " has called Carper " a notably effective and non - partisan leader , admired and trusted on both sides of the aisle . " Carper voted for the Budget Control Act , against cut , cap and balance , for debt increase , for debt ceiling increase , for debt limit increase , for the stimulus , for TARP , for Obamacare , for SCHIP , for DREAM , and for Immigration Reform Act of 2006 . He joined in the unsuccessful attempt to tie the Bush administration tax cuts to deficit reduction and has supported additional funding for school choice programs and charter schools . He has also sought additional funding for railroad projects and for rail security . He strongly supported legislation to limit class action lawsuits and to restrict personal bankruptcy . In addition , he is a strong proponent of free trade . Carper proposed the creation of a National Park in Delaware , the Coastal Heritage Park , in four locations along the Delaware River and Delaware Bay . In January 2009 Carper briefly chaired a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing on the Tennessee Valley Authority ' s coal ash spill in Kingston , Tennessee . Unlike most senators , who maintain residences in both Washington , D . C . , and in their home state , Carper commutes more than 100 miles by train from his home in Wilmington to the United States Capitol . Carper says this arrangement has helped his family live a normal life despite his demanding , high - profile job . Carper co - wrote the " Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act of 2010 " introduced on June 19 , 2010 , by Senator Joe Lieberman ( Senator Susan Collins is the third co - author of this bill ) . If signed into law , this controversial bill , which the American media dubbed the " " Kill switch bill " " , would grant the President emergency powers over the Internet . All three co - authors of the bill , however , issued a statement claiming that instead , the bill " [ narrowed ] existing broad Presidential authority to take over telecommunications networks " . Carper was quoted as saying that the bill “ would create a National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications in the Department of Homeland Security , with a Senate - confirmed director to oversee security of the federal government ’ s computer networks . The center would also identify vulnerabilities and help secure key private networks – like utilities and communications systems – that , if attacked or commandeered by a foreign power or cyberterrorists , could result in the crippling of our economy . ” In May 2010 , Carper introduced an amendment to limit state regulators from enforcing consumer regulations on national banks and their subsidiaries . It would also remove a Senate legislative measure requiring the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to find a ' substantive standard ' on regulation , before the office could move to preempt . The White House opposed Carper ' s amendment . The amendment passed by a vote of 80 – 18 ; some critics described the vote as a victory for the credit card industry and other financial institutions . Financial institutions stated the law allow will save the consumer from the costs of more regulations . Carper and George Voinovich of Ohio proposed a 25 - cent raise in the federal gasoline tax ; 10 cents would go to pay down the debt and the rest toward improving the nation ' s infrastructure . The measure was proposed in November 2010 . The measure did not pass . On May 14 , 2011 , the " Wall Street Journal " criticized a postal - bailout bill co - sponsored by Carper and Susan Collins of Maine . The bill would give $ 50 – $ 75 billion to USPS , and would underwrite pension obligations for retired postal workers . The bailout would cost three times the savings of the 2011 federal budget . On September 21 , 2011 , " The Wall Street Journal " noted that President Obama ' s job - creation plans were drawing resistance from Senate Democrats . The article quoted Carper as saying , “ I think the best jobs bill that can be passed is a comprehensive long - term deficit - reduction plan . That ' s better than everything else the president is talking about combined . ” Caucus membership . Senate Oceans Caucus Almanac . Elections are held the first Tuesday after November 1 . The Governor and State Treasurer take office the third Tuesday of January . The Governor has a four - year term and the State Treasurer had a two - year term at this time . U . S . Representatives take office January 3 and have a two - year term . U . S . Senators also take office January 3 , but have a six - year term .