Representative Tom Tancredo

Biography
Tom Tancredo was born in 1945 in Denver, Colorado. Tancredo grew up on the north side of Denver, taught junior high school civics, and in 1976, at 30, was elected to the state House. After Ronald Reagan was elected president in 1981, he appointed Tancredo as the regional representative for the Department of Education in Denver. Tancredo stayed on through the first Bush administration. In 1993, he became president of the Independence Institute, a conservative think tank based in Golden, Colorado, serving there until 1998. When the 6th District incumbent retired in 1998, Tancredo jumped into the race. He had four opponents in the Republican primary, but defeated moderate Bill Schroeder 25%-22%. He easily won the general election 56%-42%. Tancredo has been comfortably re-elected ever since.
--2006 Almanac of American Politics