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Tommy Garrett
Member of the Nebraska Legislature
from the 3rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
2013
Preceded byScott Price
Personal details
Born (1954-06-04) June 4, 1954 (age 70)
Political partyRepublican
ResidenceBellevue, Nebraska

Tommy Garrett (b. June 4, 1954) is a politician from the U.S. state of Nebraska. In 2013, he was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Nebraska Legislature, representing a district in Sarpy County, in the Omaha metropolitan area. Garrett is a member of the Republican Party.

Garrett was born on June 4, 1954, at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. His father died when he was 13, and the family settled in Colorado; Garrett graduated from William C. Hinkley High School in Aurora, Colorado, in 1972. In 1976, he received a B.S. in business management from Colorado State University; in the same year, he joined the U.S. Air Force. He received an M.S. in international relations from Troy State University in 1986, and an M.S. in national security strategy from the National War College in 2000.[1][2]

In 1977, Garrett married Julie Ann Cullen; the couple produced three children.[1]

In the Air Force, Garrett worked in the field of intelligence. He served overseas in Operation Desert Storm and in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Garrett and his family moved 17 times during his 26 years in the military, ending at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska, where he retired in 2003 with the rank of colonel.[1][2][3][4][5]

After leaving the Air Force, Garrett spent four years working as a manager for a major defense contractor. In 2007, he founded the Garrett Group in Bellevue; the disabled-veteran-owned business provides security, intelligence, and information security consulting to the Defense Department.[3][6]

In November 2013, state senator Scott Price of Bellevue resigned his seat in the Legislature, citing family responsibilities.[7] Price had represented the 3rd District, covering part of Sarpy County, including parts of Bellevue and Papillion.[8] Governor Dave Heineman, charged with naming a replacement, announced that he was appointing Bellevue businessman Patrick Shannon, who had unsuccessfully run for the position in 2004. Hours after Heineman's announcement, Shannon withdrew his name from consideration, stating that the need to care for his elderly parents took precedence. Several of Nebraska's major media outlets noted that he had never paid a $16,000 fine arising from 2004 campaign-law violations, and suggested that this might have influenced his decision to withdraw.[9][10][11] On December 11, 2013, Heineman announced that he was naming Garrett to the post; Garrett was sworn in that day.[4]

In 2014, an election was held to determine who would fill the remaining two years of the four-year legislative term. Garrett ran for the position; he was challenged by Carol Blood, a member of the Bellevue City Council. In the nonpartisan primary election, Garrett, a Republican, received 1747 votes, or 50.6% of the total, to Democrat Blood's 1706 votes (49.4%).[5][12] As the top two vote-getters, both moved on to the general election, in which Garrett defeated Blood with 4845 votes to her 4179 (53.7%–46.3%).[13]

In the Legislature, Garrett served as chairman of the Rules Committee; as vice-chairman of the Government, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee; and on the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee, and the Committee on Committees.[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Biography: Sen. Tommy Garrett". Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved 2015-03-02. Archived 2015-01-14 at Wayback Machine.
  2. ^ a b "Air Force colonel lands at Legislature". Unicameral Update. 2014-01-31. Retrieved 2015-03-02. Archived 2015-03-02 at Wayback Machine.
  3. ^ a b Young, Joanne. "Heineman appoints retired Air Force colonel to Legislature". Lincoln Journal Star. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  4. ^ a b Stoddard, Martha, and Joe Duggan. "After previous appointee resigns, Heineman picks Garrett for Nebraska Legislature". Omaha World-Herald. 2013-12-11. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  5. ^ a b Liewer, Steve. "Small-business interests are focus of familiar foes in Nebraska Legislative District 3 race". Omaha World-Herald. 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  6. ^ "Bellevue's The Garrett Group an up-and-comer in government contracting". U.S. Small Business Administration. Retrieved 2015-03-02. Archived 2015-03-02 at Wayback Machine.
  7. ^ Hammel, Paul. "Sarpy County Sen. Scott Price makes resignation from Nebraska Legislature official". Omaha World-Herald. 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  8. ^ "Legislative District 3 LB 703 - (2011)". Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved 2015-03-02. Archived 2015-02-05 at Wayback Machine.
  9. ^ Duggan, Joe, and Emily Nohr. "Heineman knew of my campaign fines before appointing me to Legislature, businessman says". Omaha World-Herald. 2013-12-09. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  10. ^ Young, Joanne. "Governor's legislative appointee withdraws quickly". Lincoln Journal Star. 2013-12-07. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  11. ^ Martin, Brent. "Gov. Heineman accepts Shannon withdrawal hours after appointment". Nebraska Radio Network. 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  12. ^ "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: Primary Election, May 13, 2014", p. 34. Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  13. ^ "Official Report of the Board of State Canvassers of the State of Nebraska: General Election, November 4, 2014", p. 19. Nebraska Secretary of State. Retrieved 2015-03-02.
  14. ^ "2015 Legislative Committees". Nebraska Legislature. Retrieved 2015-03-02. Archived 2015-02-22 at Wayback Machine.
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