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Tom Ridge

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Tom Ridge
Official portrait as Secretary
Official portrait, 2001
1st United States Secretary of Homeland Security
In office
January 24, 2003 – February 1, 2005
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
DeputyGordon R. England
James Loy
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byMichael Chertoff
1st United States Homeland Security Advisor
In office
October 8, 2001 – January 24, 2003
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byJohn A. Gordon
43rd Governor of Pennsylvania
In office
January 17, 1995 – October 5, 2001
LieutenantMark Schweiker
Preceded byBob Casey Sr.
Succeeded byMark Schweiker
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 21st district
In office
January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1995
Preceded byDonald Bailey
Succeeded byPhil English
Personal details
Born
Thomas Joseph Ridge

(1945-08-26) August 26, 1945 (age 79)
Munhall, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Michele Ridge
​
(m. 1979)​
Children2
EducationHarvard University (BA)
Dickinson School of Law (JD)
Military service
AllegianceUnited States
Branch/service United States Army
Rank Staff sergeant
UnitBravo Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division
Battles/warsVietnam War
Awards

Thomas Joseph Ridge (born August 26, 1945) is an American politician and author who served in the George W. Bush administration as the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security from 2001 to 2003 and as the United States Secretary of Homeland Security from 2003 to 2005. He was the first person to hold either office. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 and as the 43rd governor of Pennsylvania from 1995 to 2001.

Ridge was born in Munhall, Pennsylvania, and raised in veterans' public housing in Erie, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Harvard University with honors, he served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War where he was awarded the Bronze Star. He then returned to Pennsylvania and completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the Dickinson School of Law, graduating in 1972, and entered private practice.

As assistant district attorney in Erie, Ridge ran for Congress in his district, where he served six terms. He then ran for governor in 1994, despite being little-known outside of northwest Pennsylvania. He won the election, and was reelected in 1998 with the most votes for a Republican governor in Pennsylvania (where Democrats outnumbered Republicans by almost 500,000) in more than half a century.[1] As Governor of Pennsylvania, he is credited for statewide advances in economic development, education, health care and the environment. As of 2024, he is the last Republican to win reelection as Pennsylvania's governor.

Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush named Ridge the first director of the newly created Office of Homeland Security. In January 2003, the Office of Homeland Security became an official Cabinet-level Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and Ridge became the first Secretary of Homeland Security. He served in these roles for Bush's first term as president, then retired and returned to the private sector.

Since reentering the private sector, Ridge has served on the boards of The Home Depot, The Hershey Company and Exelon Corporation and as a senior advisor to Deloitte & Touche and TechRadium. He is also the founder and chairman of Ridge Global, a Washington, D.C.–based security consulting firm. He spent time campaigning with Senator John McCain during his 2008 presidential bid and was believed by some to have been on the short list of potential running mates.[2][3]

Early life and education

[edit]

Ridge was born in Munhall, Pennsylvania, in Pittsburgh's Steel Valley, the eldest of three children. His parents were Laura (née Sudimack) and Thomas Regis Ridge, who was a traveling salesman and Navy veteran. Ridge's maternal grandparents were Rusyn immigrants[4] from the former Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia), and his paternal great-grandparents emigrated from Great Britain.[5] He was raised in veterans' public housing in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was educated at St. Andrews Elementary School and Cathedral Preparatory School and did well both academically and in sports. He attended Harvard College, where he paid his way through with construction work, played intramural baseball and football,[5] and graduated with honors in 1967. In 1968, after his first year at the Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the United States Army.

Military service in Vietnam

[edit]

Ridge waived an opportunity for officer training school because it would have required a longer service commitment.[6] In November 1969, Ridge arrived as a sergeant in South Vietnam where he would serve for six months as a staff sergeant with Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, 11th Infantry Brigade, 23rd Infantry Division (Americal Division)[7] during the Vietnam War.

In May 1970, a ruptured appendix cut short his tour of duty in Vietnam and he was sent home; his service also aggravated a childhood ear infection which caused him afterwards to have a hearing aid in his left ear.[8]

For his service in Vietnam, Ridge received the Bronze Star with "V" Device,[9][10] National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation with Palm, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.[11]

Military awards

[edit]
V
Badge Combat Infantryman Badge
1st row Bronze Star Medal with "V" device National Defense Service Medal
2nd row Vietnam Service Medal Vietnam Gallantry Cross Ribbon with Palm Vietnam Campaign Medal
[edit]

After returning to Pennsylvania, he completed his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at the Dickinson School of Law, graduating in 1972, and entered private practice.[12]

Ridge became assistant district attorney in Erie County, Pennsylvania, in 1980 and prosecuted 86 cases in two years.[13]

Elected office

[edit]
Congressman Ridge during the 104th Congress
Ridge with President Ronald Reagan in 1988
Ridge with President George H. W. Bush and United States Senator John McCain in 1990

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]

In 1982, Ridge won a seat in Congress from northwestern Pennsylvania by the margin of only 729 votes.[13] He was then re-elected five times.

Governor

[edit]

In 1994, despite being little-known outside of northwest Pennsylvania, Ridge ran for governor. He won the election as a pro-choice Republican. He was reelected in 1998 with 57 percent of the vote in a four-way race. His share of the vote in that election was the highest for a Republican governor in Pennsylvania (where Democrats outnumber Republicans by almost 500,000) in more than half a century.[1]

During his time as governor, Ridge promoted "law and order" policies, supporting a three-strikes law and a faster death penalty process. A death penalty supporter,[14] Ridge signed more than 224 execution warrants[15] – five times the number signed over a 25-year period by the two previous governors – but only three voluntary executions were carried out. On social issues, he opposed same-sex marriage while supporting abortion rights.[16]

Over Ridge's tenure, the Commonwealth's budget grew by two to three percent per fiscal year and combined tax reductions totaled over $2 billion. Ridge created and grew a "Rainy Day" Fund balance to over $1 billion to be utilized during an economic downturn or recession.[17]

Ridge pushed for legislation permitting competition among electric utilities and enhanced federal and state support for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). He separated the Commonwealth's environmental regulatory and conservation programs into two new agencies; the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.[18]

Ridge proposed the creation of public charter schools in Pennsylvania and in establishing alternate schools for disruptive students. He launched new academic standards that established academic expectations for what students were expected to know in different grades. He proposed a school choice demonstration program.[citation needed]

Ridge oversaw a number of e-government projects including renewing drivers' licenses and vehicle registrations to viewing historical documents and library catalogs. The Commonwealth's portal won several national awards. One of the nation's first electronic grant systems was put into place at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He created the Link-to-Learn initiative to increase the effective use of technology in public schools and universities.[19]

Ridge signed two death warrants for African-American civil rights activist Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing a police officer at a traffic stop.[20]

He served as governor until his resignation in 2001, at which time he became the Director of Homeland Security following the September 11 attacks.[21]

2000 presidential election

[edit]
Ridge greeting President George W. Bush in 2001

Ridge was a potential running mate for Bob Dole in 1996, and served as a close advisor to Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush, a close friend from their simultaneous tenures as governors, during the 2000 presidential campaign. In return, Bush named Ridge to his short list for possible running mates, along with New York Governor George Pataki, Michigan Governor John Engler, Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, former Missouri Senator John Danforth, and former American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole.[22]

Homeland Security

[edit]

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, U.S. President George W. Bush created the Office of Homeland Security within the White House, and named Ridge to head it. The charge to the nation's new director of homeland security was to develop and coordinate a comprehensive national strategy to strengthen the United States against terrorist threats or attacks. Ridge formally resigned as Pennsylvania's governor on October 5, 2001.[21]

In January 2003 and after the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, the Office of Homeland Security split into a Cabinet-level Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the White House Homeland Security Advisory Council. Ridge left the White House and became the first Secretary of Homeland Security. The department's mission "is to (A) prevent terrorist attacks within the United States; (B) reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism; and (C) minimize the damage, and assist in the recovery, from terrorist attacks that do occur within the United States" (From H.R. 5005-8 the Homeland Security Act of 2002). The newly created department was the most comprehensive reorganization of the Federal government since the National Security Act of 1947.

The Department of Homeland Security consolidates 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, unifying once-fragmented Federal functions in a single agency dedicated to protecting America from terrorism. Ridge worked with the employees from combined agencies to strengthen borders, provide for intelligence analysis and infrastructure protection, improve the use of science and technology to counter weapons of mass destruction, and to create a comprehensive response and recovery division.[23][24][25][26][27]

In January 2004, Ridge was named among others in a lawsuit filed by a Syrian-born Canadian Maher Arar who said he was tortured in Syria after being deported by American authorities.[28]

Retirement from public office and book

[edit]
Wikinews has related news:

On November 30, 2004, Ridge submitted his resignation to the President, saying, "After more than 22 consecutive years of public service, it is time to give personal and family matters a higher priority."[29]

In his book The Test of Our Times: America Under Siege...and How We Can Be Safe Again, Ridge says his resignation was due to an effort by senior Bush administration officials to raise the nation's terror alert level in the days before the 2004 presidential vote.[30][31]

Work in the private sector

[edit]

Ridge is the founder and chairman of Ridge Global, an advisory firm in Washington, D.C.[32]

Ridge served on a state-appointed incident review panel that investigated the Virginia Tech shooting.[33]

Ridge also sits on the board of directors of the Atlantic Council.[34]

Ridge Policy Group

[edit]

In 2010, Ridge's two former Chiefs of Staff, Mark Campbell and Mark Holman, opened a lobbying firm after Ridge lent the firm his name. The full-service government affairs firm has offices in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.[35][36]

In July 2010, companies seeking to use hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation engaged Ridge and Ridge Policy Group at $75,000 a month to help them gain support.[37]

Board memberships and other corporate associations

[edit]

Ridge has served on a variety of corporate boards of directors and in other roles. In 2005, he was named to the board of Home Depot,[38] with an expected annual compensation of about $100,000.[39] and in the same year was appointed to the board of the RFID company Savi Technology.[40] He was appointed to the board of directors of the Exelon Corporation electric utility in 2006, with starting director compensation of $35,000 annual retainer plus a $1,500 meeting fee or per diem fee and (at the time) $60,000 in annual deferred stock units.[41] In 2006, Ridge was announced as a senior advisor for Deloitte & Touche USA LLP.[42] He was named to serve on the executive board of The Hershey Company in 2007,[43] and was named senior advisor to Texas-based security technology company TechRadium, Inc. in 2008.[44] In 2009, antimicrobial company PURE Bioscience named Ridge, along with former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson, to its advisory board.[45] He currently sits on the bipartisan advisory board of States United Democracy Center.[46]

Political activity

[edit]

2008 presidential election

[edit]

Ridge served as a senior aide to Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain of Arizona,[47] and was considered by some as a possible running mate for McCain.[2][3]

Ridge at McCain Palin rally
Tom Ridge at rally for John McCain

Speculated 2010 Senate candidacy

[edit]

According to Fox News, many Republicans hoped Ridge would run for the United States Senate against the newly turned Democrat Arlen Specter, who stated he would seek re-election in 2010 in the Democratic primary. Already seeking the Republican nomination was former Representative Pat Toomey, who narrowly lost to Specter in the Republican primary in 2004. Some Republicans thought Ridge would have a better chance against Specter than would Toomey.[48] A Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll conducted between April 30, 2009, and May 3, 2009, placed Ridge within three points of Specter in a hypothetical matchup between the two men.[49]

Some Toomey supporters criticized the idea of a Ridge candidacy because, although Ridge was still registered to vote in Pennsylvania, he was actually living in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[50] On May 7, 2009, Ridge announced that he would not be a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2010.[51]

2012 presidential election

[edit]

In September 2011, Ridge endorsed the campaign of former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman in the 2012 election.[52] Mitt Romney announced an endorsement from Ridge on March 14, 2012.[53]

Supreme Court brief

[edit]

In 2013, Ridge was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case.[54]

Stance on the People's Mujahedin of Iran

[edit]

Ridge spoke at a conference in support of the removal of the People's Mujahedin of Iran (MEK, also PMOI, MKO) from the United States State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.[55][56] The group was listed on the State Department list from 1997 until September 2012.[57][58] The Los Angeles Times reported a senior Clinton administration official as saying inclusion of the People's Mojahedin was intended as a goodwill gesture to Tehran and its newly elected president, Mohammad Khatami.[59][60] Ridge, along with other former government officials and politicians Ed Rendell, R. James Woolsey, Porter Goss, Louis Freeh, Michael Mukasey, James L. Jones, Rudy Giuliani, and Howard Dean, have spoken in support of the group.[61] Ridge and others wrote an article for the conservative publication National Review stating their position that the group should not be classified as a terrorist organization, raising the point that "The material-support statute doesn’t need revision to accommodate non-existent defects. What it does need – and does not often enough get for fear of offending some Muslim organizations – is rigorous enforcement against accurately designated organizations, of which MEK is not one."[62]

2015 Blue Ribbon Commission

[edit]
Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense (Ridge 2nd from left)

In 2015, Ridge served as co-chair of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, a commission that recommended changes to U.S. policy regarding biodefense.[63] In order to address biological threats facing the nation, the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense created a 33-step initiative for the U.S. Government to implement. Tom Ridge headed the organization with former Senator Joe Lieberman, and the Study Panel assembled in Washington, D.C., for four meetings concerning current biodefense programs. The Study Panel concluded that the federal government had little to no defense mechanisms in case of a biological event. The Study Panel's final report, The National Blueprint for Biodefense, proposes a string of solutions and recommendations for the U.S. Government to take, including items such as giving the vice president authority over biodefense responsibilities and merging the entire biodefense budget. These solutions represent the Panel's call to action in order to increase awareness and activity for pandemic related issues.

2016 presidential election

[edit]

In 2016, Ridge endorsed Jeb Bush and subsequently John Kasich after Bush's withdrawal from the 2016 Republican presidential primaries. Ridge stated he would not endorse Donald Trump, following Trump becoming the presumptive nominee, or Hillary Clinton in the general election.[64]

Criticisms of President Trump

[edit]
Ridge at the inauguration of Governor Tom Wolf in 2019

In July 2020, Ridge criticized President Trump for saying in June that vote-by-mail leads to widespread voter fraud, responding that it is not a threat and that voters need a safe way to cast a ballot in the 2020 election, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Ridge also said that it was "sad" that the President wants to quash the legitimacy of the election. In response to Ridge's comments, the RNC said lawsuits by Democrats to strip ballot safeguards are an attempt to delegitimize the election. Ridge is a co-chair of VoteSafe, a bipartisan group that promotes safe voting by mail and in person.[65][66]

Also in July 2020, Ridge slammed his former Department for sending in federal agents to detain rioters allegedly committing federal crimes in Portland, Oregon, after more than 50 days of protests and riots there. He also said, during an interview with radio host Michael Smerconish, that it would be a "cold day in hell" before he "would consent to an uninvited, unilateral intervention" in one of his cities in Pennsylvania. The White House cited federal law to support this use of federal law enforcement.[67][68] Trump later slammed Ridge on Twitter, calling him "a failed RINO" and saying he "loved watching pathetic Never Trumpers squirm!".[69]

2020 presidential election

[edit]

In September 2020, Ridge endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president in a Philadelphia Inquirer op-ed.[70] On November 6, 2020, he confirmed to CNN that it was the first time he ever voted for a Democratic presidential candidate.[71]

Ridge, along with more than 100 Republican former national security officials, signed a letter in November that stated that the delay of the presidential transition imperiled the security of the nation. The 9/11 Commission finding that the shortened transition to the administration of George W. Bush during the disputed 2000 presidential election "hampered the new administration in identifying, recruiting, clearing, and obtaining Senate confirmation of key appointees" was mentioned in the statement.[72]

In August 2022, Ridge described the January 6 United States Capitol attack as "conduct you’d see in a Third World country, not in the United States of America" and described current politics in America as "distressing", "personal, vengeful, [and] mean-spirited."[73]

2022 Senate Election

[edit]

In 2022, Ridge endorsed fellow Republican Mehmet Oz in the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.[74]

Memoir

[edit]

Tom Ridge's book The Test of Our Times was published in September 2009.[75] Written with Larry Bloom, it focuses on Ridge's time as the head of the Department of Homeland Security. He explains the challenges and decision-making processes of the newly formed department, and gives his own views as to the future of the security of the United States of America. The book further discusses

the infighting he saw that frustrated his attempts to build a smooth-running department. Among the headlines promoted by publisher Thomas Dunne Books: Ridge was never invited to sit in on National Security Council meetings; was 'blindsided' by the FBI in morning Oval Office meetings because the agency withheld critical information from him; found his urgings to block Michael Brown from being named head of the emergency agency blamed for the Hurricane Katrina disaster ignored; and was pushed to raise the security alert on the eve of President Bush's re-election, something he saw as politically motivated and worth resigning over.[31]

Ridge wrote in his memoir that then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft pressured him to raise the terror alert level, running up to the 2004 elections, because of a pre-election message critical of President Bush from Osama Bin Laden.[30]

Recognition

[edit]
Ridge with Kirstjen Nielsen, John Kelly, and Michael Chertoff in 2018

Personal life

[edit]

Tom's wife, Michele Ridge, is the former executive director of the Erie County Library System. Married since 1979, they have two children: Lesley and Tommy.[79]

Ridge was hospitalized in critical condition in Texas after a cardiac event on November 16, 2017.[80]

On June 16, 2021, Ridge suffered a stroke while at his home in Bethesda, Maryland. He was hospitalized and underwent a successful procedure to remove a blood clot.[81] Discharged in late June, Ridge began rehabilitation therapy in the Washington, D.C., area.[82]

Gubernatorial electoral history

[edit]
1994 Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election[83]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Ridge 1,627,976 45.40%
Democratic Mark Singel 1,430,099 39.88%
Constitution Peg Luksik 460,269 12.84%
Libertarian Patrick Fallon 33,602 0.94%
Reform Tom Holloway 33,235 0.93%
Write-in 345 0.01%
Total votes 3,585,526 100.00%
Turnout 60.98%
Republican gain from Democratic
1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election[84][85]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tom Ridge (incumbent) 1,736,844 57.42%
Democratic Ivan Itkin 938,745 31.03%
Constitution Peg Luksik 315,761 10.43%
Libertarian Ken Krawchuk 33,591 1.11%
Write-in 281 0.01%
Total votes 3,025,022 100.00%
Turnout   41.67%
Republican hold

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Pennsylvania's Tom Ridge Appointed to Bush Cabinet". Online NewsHour. September 20, 2001. Archived from the original on November 11, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2005.
  2. ^ a b "McCain Campaigns with Ridge as VP Speculation Intensifies". The Trail. The Washington Post. August 11, 2008. Archived from the original on August 12, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  3. ^ a b Wedd, Justin (August 20, 2008). "Veep predictions". BBC News. Retrieved August 21, 2008.
  4. ^ "A Few Famous Carpatho–Russians". Archived from the original on June 23, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  5. ^ a b Palattella, Ed; Scott Wescott (January 21, 2003). "Growing Up: Ridge's journey begins". Erie Times-News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
  6. ^ Strella, Stephen (Spring 2008). "Tom Ridge". The Pennsylvania Center for the Book. Penn State University. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  7. ^ History of the 23rd Infantry Division, Militaryvetshop.com; retrieved July 12, 2013.
  8. ^ Orin, Deborah (September 22, 2001). "Tom's Tremendous Task". nypost.com. NYP Holdings. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  9. ^ Murphy, Jan (January 30, 2019). "Former Gov. Tom Ridge 'doing great' as he continues his recovery from a heart attack". The Patriot-News. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  10. ^ "Tom Ridge". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  11. ^ "Tom Ridge Biography". ProCon.org. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
  12. ^ "First Homeland Security secretary to deliver Dickinson Law Commencement address". psu.edu. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  13. ^ a b Barone, Michael; Ujifusa, Grant (1987). The Almanac of American Politics 1988. p. 1054. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  14. ^ "Tom Ridge on the Issues". On the Issues. 2000. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  15. ^ "Execution Warrants Issued by Governor (1985 to Present)" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. August 19, 2008. Retrieved February 28, 2008.
  16. ^ "Tom Ridge on the Issues". ontheissues.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  17. ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  18. ^ "Conservation and Natural Resources Act, House Bill 1400, Regular Session 1995–1996". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved December 1, 2019.
  19. ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  20. ^ Yohn, William H. Jr. (December 2001). "Memorandum and Order" (PDF). Mumia Abu-Jamal, Petitioner, vs. Martin Horn, Commissioner, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, et al., Respondents. US District Court for the Eastern District of Philadelphia. Retrieved January 22, 2008.
  21. ^ a b Marquis, Christopher (September 21, 2001). "A Nation Challenged: Homeland Security; Bush Chooses Old Ally For Cabinet-Level Post". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  22. ^ Starr, Alexandra (July–August 1999). "Running Mates: Who will be on the ticket in 2000?". Washington Monthly. 31 (7). Archived from the original on March 5, 2000. Retrieved September 22, 2005.
  23. ^ Profile of Tom Ridge, bbc.co.uk, November 9, 2004.
  24. ^ Security Chief Ridge: 'The Task is Enormous', NPR.org, October 8, 2001.
  25. ^ Newsmaker: Tom Ridge, Online NewsHour, May 9, 2002.
  26. ^ Person of the Week: Tom Ridge. Now for the hard part: After a week in which the Senate gave him a cabinet-level position, the Homeland Security chief is preparing to take on the toughest job in Washington, Time.com, November 22, 2002.
  27. ^ Ridge's journey to the national stage Archived 2004-01-01 at the Wayback Machine, goerie.com; updated January 21, 2003.
  28. ^ "Canadian sues US over deportation". news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. January 23, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  29. ^ Anti-terror supremo is latest to quit Bush team[dead link‍], timesonline.co.uk, December 1, 2004.
  30. ^ a b "Ridge: I fought raising security level before '04 vote". Political Ticker. CNN. August 20, 2009. Archived from the original on August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2009.
  31. ^ a b Bedard, Paul. "Tom Ridge on National Security After 9/11", U.S. News & World Report, August 19, 2009.
  32. ^ Walsh, Katherine (October 29, 2007). "Five Things Tom Ridge Has Learned About Risk". CIO magazine. CXO Media. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  33. ^ "Va. Tech gunman was 'well-prepared' to continue shooting spree". USA Today. May 21, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  34. ^ "Board of Directors". Atlantic Council. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  35. ^ Olson, Laura (June 3, 2015). "PA Gov. Tom Wolf administration hires new D.C. lobbying firm". The Morning Call.
  36. ^ "Former Gov. Ridge lending name, clout to new Harrisburg-D.C. lobbying firm". philly.com. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  37. ^ "Ex-Homeland Security boss joins gas drilling group". Associated Press. July 30, 2010. Retrieved August 2, 2010.[dead link‍]
  38. ^ "Company News; Home Depot Names Tom Ridge a Director". The New York Times. February 25, 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  39. ^ Jordan, Meredith (October 10, 2003). "Board work can be rewarding". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  40. ^ "Tom Ridge Joins Savi Technology Board of Directors". RFID Update. April 8, 2005. Archived from the original on October 3, 2007. Retrieved November 10, 2007.
  41. ^ Meyer, Gregory (April 27, 2005). "Ex-Homeland Sec. joins Exelon board". Crain's Chicago Business. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  42. ^ "Ridge joins Deloitte". Federal Computer Week. Media, Inc. November 2, 2006. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  43. ^ "Big changes at Hershey". Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  44. ^ "Tom Ridge to Advise TechRadium On 'IRIS' Technology". Security InfoWatch. PRNewswire. January 9, 2008. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
  45. ^ "PURE Bioscience Forms Advisory Panel Tom Ridge, Tommy G. Thompson Among Inaugural Members". Finance.yahoo.com. September 1, 2009.[permanent dead link‍]
  46. ^ "TOM RIDGE". States United Democracy Center. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
  47. ^ "Ridge A Leading Candidate For McCain VP Role?". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on February 7, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  48. ^ "Poll: Arlen Specter would top Pat Toomey, Tom Ridge in general election". May 4, 2009. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  49. ^ "Poll says Specter holds 20-point edge over Toomey: A run by former Gov. Ridge would boost GOP's chances". post-gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 4, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  50. ^ Micek, John L. (May 7, 2009). "Whither Tom Ridge?". The Morning Call. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
  51. ^ "Ridge Says He Won't Seek Specter's Senate Seat". WFMZ-TV. May 7, 2009. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
  52. ^ Stein, Sam (January 5, 2012). "Jon Huntsman Backer Tom Ridge Sets High Bar For Mitt Romney In New Hampshire". HuffPost. Retrieved August 27, 2019.
  53. ^ Foley, Elise (March 14, 2012). "Tom Ridge Endorses Mitt Romney". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 17, 2012.
  54. ^ The Pro-Freedom Republicans Are Coming: 131 Sign Gay Marriage Brief. The Daily Beast (February 28, 2013). Retrieved on July 12, 2013.
  55. ^ Greenwald, Glenn (September 23, 2012). "Five lessons from the de-listing of MEK as a terrorist group". The Guardian. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  56. ^ "Governor Tom Ridge call on Obama to protect Iranian dissidents in Iraq". mojahedi.org. November 21, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  57. ^ "Iranian exile group removed from U.S. terror list". CNN. Archived from the original on September 29, 2012. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  58. ^ "Delisting of the Mujahedin-e Khalq" (Press release). U.S. Department of State. September 28, 2012.
  59. ^ Shane, Scott (September 21, 2012). "Iranian Group M.E.K. Wins Removal From U.S. Terrorist List". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 1, 2021. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  60. ^ Kempster, Norman (October 9, 1997). "U.S. Designates 30 Groups as Terrorists". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
  61. ^ Shane, Scott (March 13, 2012). "U.S. Supporters of Iranian Group M.E.K. Face Scrutiny". The New York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
  62. ^ Mukasey, Michael B; Ridge, Tom; Giuliani, Rudolph W; Townsend, Frances Fragos (January 1, 2011). "MEK is Not a Terrorist Group". National Review. Archived from the original on January 11, 2011.
  63. ^ "Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense". www.biodefensestudy.org. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  64. ^ Struck, Jules (May 17, 2016). "Ridge Refuses to Support Trump". PoliticsPA. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
  65. ^ Knoedler, Matt (July 14, 2020). "Fmr. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge pushes for mail-in voting option this November". WENY. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  66. ^ Fessler, Pam (June 19, 2020). "Tom Ridge, Ex-DHS Secretary, Laments 'Sad' Trump Fears About Voting By Mail". NPR. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  67. ^ Gibson, Bret (July 21, 2020). "Ex-DHS Secretary Tom Ridge: 'It would be a cold day in hell' before 'personal militia' would be welcomed uninvited in Pa". TribLive. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  68. ^ Quinn, Melissa (July 21, 2020). "White House defends legality of use of federal agents in Portland". CBS News. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  69. ^ Trump, Donald J. [@realDonaldTrump] (July 23, 2020). "Recently watched failed RINO Tom Ridge, former head of Homeland Security, trying to justify his sudden love of the Radical Left Mayor of Portland, who last night was booed & shouted out of existence by the agitators & anarchists. Love watching pathetic Never Trumpers squirm!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  70. ^ Ridge, Tom (September 27, 2020). "I was a Republican governor of Pa. I'm voting for Joe Biden". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 27, 2020.
  71. ^ CNN LIVE EVENT/SPECIAL (transcript). Don Lemon, anchor. CNN. November 6, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2022.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  72. ^ Brook, Tom Vanden. "'Special jeopardy': 100 former Republican national security officials warn Trump must allow transition". USA TODAY. Retrieved November 24, 2020.
  73. ^ Murphy, Jan (August 29, 2022). "'It could bring a tear to your eye': Former Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge reflects on politics, Jan. 6, his health". PennLive Patriot-News. Advance Local Media LLC. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  74. ^ "Tom Ridge backs Dr. Oz in the U.S. Senate race and is impressed by his 'desire to serve'". Erie Times-News. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
  75. ^ Ridge, Tom; Bloom, Larry (2009). The Test of Our Times. Thomas Dunne Books. ISBN 978-0-312-53487-5. Retrieved February 15, 2010.
  76. ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  77. ^ "Ridge" (PDF). ausa.org. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
  78. ^ "Mercyhurst dedicates new intel school named after Gov. Tom Ridge". Mercyhurst University. April 11, 2014. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
  79. ^ BBC News (November 9, 2004). "Profile: Tom Ridge". BBC News.
  80. ^ "Ex-Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge hospitalized". Fox News. Associated Press. November 16, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2017.
  81. ^ Riess, Rebekah; Cole, Devan (June 16, 2021). "Ex-Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge hospitalized after suffering stroke". CNN. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  82. ^ Murphy, Jan (June 28, 2021). "Former Pa. Gov. Tom Ridge leaves hospital, begins rehab therapy following stroke". The Patriot-News. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  83. ^ "US Election Atlas: 1994". Retrieved July 1, 2017.
  84. ^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-94.
  85. ^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-16.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom Ridge.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 21st congressional district
1983–1995 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Pennsylvania
1994, 1998 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Chair of the Republican Governors Association
2001 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Pennsylvania
1995–2001 		Succeeded by
New office United States Homeland Security Advisor
2001–2003 		Succeeded by
United States Secretary of Homeland Security
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Cabinet Member Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Cabinet Member 		Succeeded byas Former US Cabinet Member
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