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Thomas McDermott Jr.

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Tom McDermott
20th Mayor of Hammond
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2004
Preceded byDuane Dedelow
Personal details
Born
Thomas Matthew McDermott Jr.

(1969-03-04) March 4, 1969 (age 55)
Logan, Utah, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic (since 2002) Republican (before 2002)[1]
Spouse(s)Starla Pettus (divorced)
Marissa Kelly (1999–present)
Children4
EducationPurdue University Northwest (BS)
University of Notre Dame (JD)
Signature
WebsiteCampaign website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1988-1994
RankPetty Officer Second Class
UnitUSS Hyman G. Rickover
Battles/warsGulf War

Thomas Matthew McDermott Jr. (born March 4, 1969) is an American attorney and politician from the state of Indiana serving as the 20th mayor of Hammond, Indiana. He took office on January 1, 2004, the first elected government office he has held. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After winning the general election in November 2015 for a fourth term, McDermott became the longest-serving mayor in Hammond's history. He was elected to a sixth term in 2023.

Early life and education

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McDermott was born March 4, 1969, in Logan, Utah to Thomas M. McDermott Sr. and Susan Bobinski, both from California.[2] McDermott's father, Thomas McDermott Sr., was a Republican who served as the 18th mayor of Hammond from 1984 through 1992.[3] McDermott was raised by his mother in Northern California's Napa Valley and spent summers with his father in Indiana.[4]

After graduating from Napa High School in Napa, California in 1987, McDermott joined the United States Navy.[3] During his six years in uniform, he was assigned as a nuclear submariner aboard USS Hyman G. Rickover, and he served on Rickover during the Gulf War.[3] He later served as a nuclear electrician in the sub's reactor plant, and also passed the qualification course to become Rickover's only diver.[3]

After his navy service, McDermott moved to Northwest Indiana, where he worked as a supervisor at a local power plant while attending Purdue University Northwest.[5] He received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance in 1996, then attended Notre Dame Law School, from which he received a Juris Doctor in 2000.[3][6][7] After attaining admission to the bar, McDermott practiced law in Hammond.[3]

Career

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McDermott won the 2003 mayoral election for Hammond by defeating incumbent Republican mayor Duane Dedelow 52.1% – 47.9%, a margin of just 700 votes.[8] During McDermott's first term in office, the dilapidated River Park Apartment complex was razed under the guidance of the Hammond Redevelopment Commission.[9] Mayor McDermott's father, Tom McDermott Sr., helped attract Cabela's outdoor recreation retail store to the former Woodmar Country Club site in south Hammond in 2005. Critics at the time referred to the generous tax abatement awarded Cabela's as "corporate welfare" while supporters, including the mayor, cited a "public-private partnership."[10]

McDermott advocated for the elimination of the Hammond Health Department in 2004,[11] in 2005,[12] and finally succeeding in September 2007.[13] According to McDermott, this department was an example of duplicate government better left to the county to operate, while mayoral detractors claimed it was a valuable and much-needed service to the city, especially its poorest citizens. McDermott was re-elected in the 2007 mayoral race 52.4% – 47.6%, a margin of just 400 votes over Republican nominee George Janiec.[citation needed]

On March 28, 2008, McDermott endorsed Senator Hillary Clinton for president and hosted a rally for the senator at the Hammond Civic center. McDermott later joined her campaign at a restaurant in Crown Point.[14][failed verification] Clinton's arrival in Hammond was the first visit of any presidential political candidate since Ronald Reagan visited Hammond (Hessville Park) in 1976,[15] and Robert F. Kennedy in 1968.[16][better source needed] During the Democratic presidential primaries in Indiana, McDermott was seen on CNN questioning Gary, Indiana mayor, Rudy Clay about votes that had not yet been posted many hours after the polls had closed.[17] This "mayor fight" was satirized the following day on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.[18] He also criticized the busing of high school students to voting booths saying "These kids come from the worst performing schools in the state of Indiana and we are giving them a day off to go vote for Obama. They can vote on election day like everybody else."[19]

In November 2009, McDermott protested the arrest of his close associate David Woerpel, a postal worker, precinct captain and political commentator, after Indiana state police said they spotted marijuana growing in Woerpel's backyard. Charges of "possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance" were later dropped and McDermott accused his political rival, Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez, of "playing politics by targeting Woerpel."[20]

McDermott was mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2010 United States Senate election in Indiana to succeed the retiring Evan Bayh,[21] but dropped out, and endorsed fellow candidate Brad Ellsworth.

In 2011, McDermott won election for the third time, winning the Democratic primary with 68% of the vote and the general election in November with 80.2% of the vote in a rematch of his 2007 opponent George Janiec, a margin of 7,200 votes.[22]

In February 2014, McDermott agreed to the $200,000 settlement of a discrimination complaint filed by Hammond Housing Authority Director Maria Becerra.[23] An editorial in The Times of Northwest Indiana later called for McDermott to make a public apology in the wake of Becerra's ouster from the Hammond Housing Authority.[24]

On May 16, 2014, McDermott announced that he would step down as the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party.[25] It was speculated that McDermott planned on running for governor of Indiana in the 2016 election.[26][27] On May 5, 2015, McDermott became the first mayor in Hammond's history to win four consecutive democratic primaries when he handily beat 6th District Councilman Homero "Chico" Hinojosa with 78% of the vote. On November 3, 2015, McDermott won the general election by a landslide margin of 87% to 13% over Republican Humberto Prado, a margin of 5,100 votes, becoming the longest-serving mayor in Hammond's history.[28]

In 2015, complaints were dismissed by the Lake County, Indiana election board that McDermott allegedly violated finance laws for not properly itemizing over $200,000 in reimbursements for food, lodging, and rental cars.[29] In November 2019, McDermott publicly admitted that he had been fined $50,000 for improper campaign loans from his wife Lake Circuit Judge Marissa McDermott.[30]

Following Pete Visclosky's decision not to seek reelection to the United States House of Representatives for Indiana's 1st congressional district in the 2020 election, McDermott declared his candidacy for his seat.[31] McDermott finished in second place in the primary election behind Frank J. Mrvan.[32]

In 2021, McDermott filed with the Federal Election Commission to allow him to raise money for a potential challenge to Todd Young in the 2022 United States Senate election in Indiana.[33] McDermott won the Democratic nomination for this seat unopposed.[34] On October 16, 2022, McDermott participated in a live televised debate with Incumbent Republican Senator Todd Young, and Libertarian candidate James Sceniak.[citation needed] On election night November 8, 2022, McDermott conceded his senate campaign to Republican Todd Young. The final results of the election gave McDermott about 701,988 votes, or 37.9% of the state's total U.S. senate vote.[citation needed]

Personal life

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McDermott has been married twice. His first wife was Starla (Pettus) McDermott,[35] with whom he is the father of two children, Lindsey and Chase.[36][37] They later divorced, and in 1999, McDermott married Marissa J. Kelly, whom he met while they were attending law school.[38] They are the parents of two children, Tommy, and Patrick.[37] Marissa is a Lake County judge, attorney, and Hammond precinct committeewoman.[37] She was born in Warsaw, Poland and grew up on Long Island.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Lindsay, Meggen (June 29, 2002). "McDermott officially enters 2003 mayoral race". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ "Thomas M McDermott in the Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2005". Ancestry.com. November 13, 1999.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Harvey, Christine (October 26, 2003). "Jockeying for the Mayor's Office". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Munster, IN. p. B1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Thomas McDermott Jr". Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  5. ^ Blitstein, Ryan (October 21, 2008). "The New College Try". Pacific Standard. Seattle, WA: Grist Magazine.
  6. ^ a b "About Tom". Mcdermottformayor.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  7. ^ "Leadership Life: Thomas McDermott, Jr., Mayor, City of Hammond". LaPorteCounty Life. May 26, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  8. ^ "Hammond Mayoral Election 2003". Indiana Secretary of States. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  9. ^ Zabroski, Steve (June 21, 2006). "Mich. firm to demolish River Park Apartments | Local News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Carlson, Joe (October 28, 2005). "McDermott: Governor key to Cabela's deal | Local News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Newton, Casey (May 16, 2004). "Hammond Health Department could be cut". NWI Times.
  12. ^ Carlton, Joe (July 26, 2005). "McDermott offers $116M spending plan". NWI Times.
  13. ^ Brown, Susan (September 27, 2007). "Hammond nixes Health Department". NWI Times.
  14. ^ "President Clinton praises Hammond Mayor McDermott | Hammond News". nwitimes.com. October 12, 2012. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  15. ^ Webster, Nancy (February 17, 2017). "Presidential visits bring out the crowds in NWI history". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "CNN.com – Transcripts". Transcripts.cnn.com. May 7, 2008. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  18. ^ Harvey, Lauri (January 7, 2011). "Clay says he's right man for the job | Gary News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  19. ^ Dolan, Bill (April 24, 2008). "Hammond mayor: School field trip 'unethical' politicking".
  20. ^ Brown, Susan (February 2, 2010). "Pot charges dropped, political charges still run high | Lake County News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  21. ^ Schneider Kirk, Chelsea (February 17, 2002). "McDermott eyes Bayh's Senate seat". Post-Tribune. Sun-Times Media. Archived from the original on February 21, 2010.
  22. ^ "Indiana Municipal Elections 2011". Indiana Secretary of State. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  23. ^ Mikus, Matt (February 22, 2014). "McDermott: City settled with former housing director | News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  24. ^ Ross, Doug (February 27, 2014). "EDITORIAL: Denounce racism, apologize to Becerra | Editorials". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  25. ^ "Home – Lake County Democratic Central Committee". Lakecountyindems.org. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  26. ^ Dolan, Bill (May 16, 2014). "McDermott stepping down as chairman of Lake County Dems | Lake County News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  27. ^ "Evan Bayh won't run in 2016; Gregg, McDermott assess". Howey Politics. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
  28. ^ Chase, Marc (May 5, 2015). "McDermott lands knockout blow in apparent landslide win in Hammond | Politics". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  29. ^ Napoleon, Carrie (April 14, 2015). "Complaint against Hammond mayor dismissed | Lake County News". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved April 14, 2015.
  30. ^ Carden, Dan (November 16, 2019). "McDermott admits family is repaying $50,000 campaign contribution from wife's judicial fund | Lake County News". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 16, 2019.
  31. ^ Carden, Dan (November 6, 2019). "2 candidates already vying for Visclosky's seat representing NWI in Congress | Government and Politics". nwitimes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  32. ^ Carden, Dan (June 2, 2020). "Mrvan wins Northwest Indiana congressional contest". nwitimes.com.
  33. ^ "Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. Begins campaign for Sen. Todd Young's seat". Chicago Tribune. August 19, 2021.
  34. ^ Lange, Kaitlin (July 15, 2022). "Republicans Sen. Todd Young, Jennifer-Ruth Green outraise Democratic opponents". Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 13, 2022.
  35. ^ "GGRBC Valet Bike Parking at MSU Gran Fondo". Facebook.com/bikeGrandRapids/. Grand Rapids, MI: Greater Grand Rapids Bicycle Coalition. June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  36. ^ Watson, Rachel (September 17, 2021). "Inside Track: Homeless summer moves McDermott". Grand Rapids Business Journal. Grand rapids, MI.
  37. ^ a b c Chase, Marc (November 27, 2016). "Adoption thread women into two judges' robes". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Second page at Newspapers.com/clip/104087081/chase/. Munster, IN. p. D1, D5 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Indiana Marriage Certificates, 1960-2005, Entry for Thomas M. McDermott and Marissa J. Kelly". Ancestry.com. Lehi, UT: Ancestry.com, LLC. November 13, 1999. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
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Political offices
Preceded by
Duane Dedelow
 Mayor of Hammond
2004–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Senator from Indiana
(Class 3)
2022 		Most recent
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