ks_gov_sawyer
STATE REPRESENTATIVE TOM SAWYER
Age: 40 Born: April 15, 1958; Omaha, Nebraska Education: Wichita State University, B.A. (1984) Military: None Family: Single Hometown: Wichita, Kansas Religion: Baptist Career: Minority Leader, Kansas House of Representatives (1993-current); Kansas State Representative (1987-current); accountant (1984-current); Sedgewick County Clerk (1984-85); Chief Deputy County Clerk (1979-85) |
• Born on Tax Day, April 15, 1958, Sawyer grew up to be an accountant. He still maintains a small accounting practice in his house in Wichita.
• Sawyer attended college part-time for seven years so that he could pay his own way. He graduated in 1984 with honors from Wichita State University in 1984 with a degree in business administration.
• Beginning in 1979, Sawyer served as Chief Deputy County Clerk and later as Segdewick County Clerk (1984-85). He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1980. In 1984, he made an unsuccessful run for Sedgewick County Treasurer.
• First elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1987, Sawyer represents Sedgewick County. In 1991, he became the Majority Leader. Since control of the Kansas House shifted to Republicans in 1993, Sawyer has served as Minority Leader.
• As a state legislator, Sawyer has been a proponent of strong ethics in government. In 1990, he served on the Select Commission on Ethical Conduct, and in 1991, he sponsored an ethics reform bill that strengthened the state laws on ethics and campaign finance. In 1993, Sawyer was appointed to the GovernorÂ's Task Force on Ethics.
• Sawyer filed to run for governor at the last minute after Kansas Democrats had trouble recruiting a credible candidate. He sits on the executive committee of the Kansas Democratic Party.