Tom Gallagher

C. Thomas Gallagher III (born February 3, 1944) is an American politician, financier, and insurance agent from the state of Florida and a member of the Republican Party.

Gallagher holds the distinction of having served more years as an elected state official than any other individual in Florida history.

In 1961, he entered the University of Miami with a partial athletic scholarship.

After graduating, Gallagher enlisted in the United States Army with the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment.

Gallagher was honorably discharged and returned to Miami to start a business career.

He began his career in the Florida House of Representatives, where he served from 1974 to 1987.

Gallagher began his political career when he was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1974.

He was re-elected in 1980, defeating John F. Cosgrove by 62% to 38%.

In the House he served as Minority Whip from 1980 to 1982.

He briefly ran for Governor of Florida in 1982 but dropped out early on after realising that incumbent Democrat Bob Graham would be re-elected.

He was, defeating U.S. Representative Louis A. Bafalis in a landslide by 65% to 35%.

Gallagher was re-elected from the 117th district in 1982, defeating attorney Charlene Carres by 57% to 43%.

His final race was in 1984, when he defeated real estate agent and former actor Seth Sklarey by 70% to 30%.

In 1984, he proposed a 10-year freeze on state taxes and spending.

He declined to run for re-election in 1986, deciding instead to enter the Republican primary for Governor.

In the election, he faced fellow state representative Chester Clem, former U.S. Representative Louis Frey, Jr. and Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez.

His running mate was State Representative Betty Easley.

She had been running for Commissioner of Education but dropped out to pursue the office of lieutenant governor.

Martinez finished first with 244,417 votes (43.80%) and advanced to a runoff with Frey, who came second with 137,967 votes (24.72%).

Gallagher came third with 131,265 votes (23.52%) and Clem finished last with 44,409 votes (7.96%).

Gallagher endorsed Martinez, who won the run-off and the general election.

In September 1987, Martinez appointed Gallagher as the Secretary of the Department of Professional Regulation.

Smith, who had been appointed to his office in 1987, was the first Republican to serve on the State Cabinet since Reconstruction.

In 1988, Gallagher ran in a special election for the office of Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and Fire Marshal of Florida to fill the last two years of the term of Democrat Bill Gunter, who had resigned to run for the U.S. Senate.

He won the Republican nomination handily, taking 459,451 votes (76.48%) to Jeffrey L. Latham's 94,608 (15.75%) and Raphael Herman's 46,654 (7.77%).

In the general election, he defeated Democratic State Senator Ken Jenne by 2,223,401 votes (53.47%) to 1,935,137 (46.53%).

He and James C. Smith, who was elected Secretary of State of Florida, became the first Republicans to be elected to the State Cabinet since Reconstruction.

He was then the Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and Fire Marshal of Florida from 1989 to 1995, the Education Commissioner of Florida from 1999 to 2001 and the Treasurer, Insurance Commissioner and Fire Marshal of Florida again from 2001 to 2003.

He was elected to a full four-year-term in 1990, beating Democratic State Senator George Stuart, Jr. by 1,965,216 votes (57.22%) to 1,469,541 (42.78%).

In 1994, Gallagher announced his second run for Governor of Florida.

In the Republican primary, he faced former state Commerce Secretary (and future Governor) Jeb Bush, Florida Secretary of State James C. Smith, Florida Senate President Ander Crenshaw, former President of Florida Right to Life Kenneth L. Connor, physician Josephine A. Arnold and attorney Bob Bell.

Bush came first with 411,680 votes (45.68%) and Smith came second with 165,869 votes (18.41%), enough to force a runoff, but he dropped out and endorsed Bush.

Gallagher came third with 117,067 votes (12.99%), Crenshaw fourth with 109,148 (12.11%), Connor fifth with 83,945 (9.31%), Arnold sixth with 8,326 (0.92%) and Bell last with 5,202 (0.58%).

Gallagher was married to his second wife, Laura Wilson, from 1998 to 2011.

Wilson comes from a sixth-generation Florida family.

Gallagher has also run unsuccessfully for the United States Senate in 2000 and four times for Governor of Florida: in 1982, 1986, 1994 and 2006.

Gallagher was raised in Delaware where he participated on the high school swim team.

The Gallaghers have a son, Charlie, born in 2000.

After 2003, his office was merged with that of Comptroller to form the Chief Financial Officer of Florida, which he held from 2003 to 2007.

He ran in the 111th district and defeated the Democratic nominee, attorney Alan Rosenthal, by 51% to 49%.