Tom Corbett

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Tom Corbett is the current Attorney General of the state of Pennsylvania, United States, elected in 2004. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Corbett also served as the Pennsylvania Attorney General from 1995 until 1997 when he was appointed by Governor Tom Ridge to fill the unexpired term of Ernie Preate who was convicted of mail fraud.

Contents 1 Biography 2 2004 Attorney General Race 3 Education 4 Personal 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Biography

Corbett's career has been split between private practice and civil service. He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. After three and a half years, he was hired in 1980 as assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

In 1983, Corbett went into private practice for several years. During this period, Corbett won his first election as a township commissioner in Shaler Township, Pennsylvania.

He re-entered the public arena in 1988 when a judge appointed him to monitor the Allegheny County jail while it was under the court's supervision. Not long afterwards, President George H. W. Bush appointed him to serve as the US Attorney, a role in which he would serve until August 1993.

Following his resignation as US Attorney, Corbett returned to private practice, also serving as an advisor to the gubernatorial campaign of Tom Ridge. Following Ridge's victory, Corbett served on a number of state commissions which continuing his legal practice.

After, Preate was convicted in 1995, Corbett was appointed to fill the remainder of his term. As a condition of his Senate confirmation, Senate Democrats required him to pledge that he would not run for re-election in 1996. This is a common practice in Pennsylvania for appointments to elected offices. Jerry Pappert made the same pledge in 2003 when he succeeded Mike Fisher as State Attorney General.

Corbett left office in 1997 and again went into the private sector, this time for Waste Management as a lobbyist. This experience would prove to be a campaign issue later in his career.

[edit] 2004 Attorney General Race

The race began with Corbett and Montgomery County district attorney Bruce Castor fighting for the Republican party endorsement. With Corbett from western Pennsylvania and Castor from the southeast, it was initially expected that endorsement votes would follow geographic lines. However, four of the five southeastern county chairmen came out in support of Corbett with Castor taking only Montgomery County.

Furious that he had lost party endorsements, Castor attacked Corbett and the county chairman of backroom deals with Bob Asher, the state's national GOP committeeman and a convicted felon connected to Budd Dwyer. The result was a bitter and hard fought campaign.

While Castor attacked Corbett for his work as a lobbyist for a trash company, Corbett responded with charges that the Montgomery County DA had been lenient with a large donor in a drunk driving case. Castor also reminded the voters that Corbett's major supporter was a convicted felon.

In the end, Corbett prevailed in the primary election with 53% of the vote. Castor then announced his support of Corbett in the general election against Democrat Jim Eisenhower.

The General election was not as contentious as it was close. Early on, news outlets called the race for Eisenhower. However, Corbett's vote surged later in the evening and Corbett won narrowly with just over 50%.

[edit] Education

• J.D., St. Mary's University Law School
• Bachelor's degree, Lebanon Valley College

[edit] Personal

Corbett is married; he and his wife Susan have two children, Tom and Katherine.

[edit] References

• Bio from Montgomery County GOP, used to cite dates
• Editorial: A rare public dispute in ranks of the GOP, Delco Times, 02/06/2004
• Corbett, Eisenhower win in attorney general race, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 4/28/04
• Most still undecided on Corbett, Castor, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 4/22/04
• Castor backs Corbett in attorney general race The Colonial, 6/4/04
• PA's Attorney General Race May Trigger Recount, WPXI-TV 11/3/04
• Primary Election Results, Pennsylvania Department of State
• General Election Results, Pennsylvania Department of State

[edit] External links

• Official bio of A.G. Corbett
• NAAG bio

Preceded by Jerry Pappert	Attorney General of Pennsylvania 2005 - present	Succeeded by incumbent
Preceded by Ernest Preate, Jr.	Attorney General of Pennsylvania 1995 - 1997	Succeeded by Mike Fisher

State Attorneys General in the United States This box: view • talk • edit
AK: Talis J. Colberg AL: Troy King AR: Dustin McDaniel AZ: Terry Goddard CA: Jerry Brown CO: John Suthers CT: Richard Blumenthal DE: Beau Biden FL: Bill McCollum GA: Thurbert Baker	HI: Mark J. Bennett IA: Tom Miller ID: Lawrence Wasden IL: Lisa Madigan IN: Steve Carter KS: Paul Morrison KY: Greg Stumbo LA: Charles Foti MA: Martha Coakley MD: Doug Gansler	ME: G. Steven Rowe MI: Mike Cox MN: Lori Swanson MO: Jay Nixon MS: Jim Hood MT: Mike McGrath NC: Roy A. Cooper ND: Wayne Stenehjem NE: Jon Bruning NH: Kelly Ayotte	NJ: Stuart Rabner NM: Gary King NV: Catherine Cortez Masto NY: Andrew Cuomo OH: Marc Dann OK: Drew Edmondson OR: Hardy Myers PA: Tom Corbett RI: Patrick C. Lynch SC: Henry McMaster	SD: Larry Long TN: Robert E. Cooper, Jr. TX: Greg Abbott UT: Mark Shurtleff VA: Bob McDonnell VT: William Sorrell WA: Rob McKenna WI: J. B. Van Hollen WV: Darrell McGraw WY: Patrick Crank
Other members of the National Association of Attorneys General AS: Malaetasi Togafau • GU: Alicia Limtiaco • NMI: Matt Gregory • PR: Roberto Sánchez Ramos • VI: Kerry Drue DC: Linda Singer • United States: Alberto Gonzales (honorary member)