Wayne Thomas Gilchrest (born April 15, 1946) is an American politician who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

representing . In 2008, Gilchrest was defeated in the Republican

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works ...

by State Senator Andy Harris. Following his departure from politics he has worked on environmental education. He is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of

Issue One Issue One is an American nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce the role of money in politics. It aims to increase public awareness of what it views as problems within the present campaign finance system, and to reduce the influ ...

. In 2019, Gilchrest changed his party affiliation to Democratic.

Early life and education

Born in

Rahway, New Jersey Rahway () is a city in southern Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A bedroom community of New York City, it is centrally located in the Rahway Valley region, in the New York metropolitan area. The city is southwest of Manhattan ...

, Gilchrest was the fourth child of Elizabeth and Arthur Gilchrest's six boys. After graduating high school in 1964, he joined the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through c ...

. His tour of duty saw action during the

invasion An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing ...

of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

, and later the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

. He earned the rank of

Sergeant Sergeant ( abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other ...

in Vietnam where, as a platoon leader, he was wounded in the chest. Gilchrest was decorated with the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

Bronze Star The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement, or meritorious service in a combat zone. W ...

, and

Navy Commendation Medal The Commendation Medal is a mid-level United States military decoration presented for sustained acts of heroism or meritorious service. Each branch of the United States Armed Forces issues its own version of the Commendation Medal, with a fifth ...

. He is a member of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is a non-profit organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is made up of state, U.S. territory, and overseas departments, and these are in turn made up of ...

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an organization of US war veterans, who, as military service members fought in wars, campaigns, and expeditions on foreign land, waters, or ...

, and Military Order of the Purple Heart. In 1969, he received an

associate's degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of Tertiary education, post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelo ...

from Wesley College in

Dover, Delaware Dover () is the capital and second-largest city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County and the principal city of the Dover, DE, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County and is part o ...

. He then spent a semester in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

studying rural poverty in

Appalachia Appalachia () is a cultural region in the Eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York State to northern Alabama and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Newfoundland and Labrador, C ...

. He went on to receive a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to si ...

in history from

Delaware State College Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four ...

in 1973. Since then, he has done some work towards a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Career

While teaching at

Kent County High School Kent County High School (KCHS) is a public school located in Worton, Maryland in Kent County. It is the only high school within Kent County, is part of the Kent County Public Schools district, and serves students from ninth through twelfth grad ...

on the

Eastern Shore of Maryland The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula tha ...

, Gilchrest ran against four-term 1st District Democratic incumbent

Roy Dyson Royden Patrick Dyson (born November 15, 1948), is an American politician. He is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland. Born in Great Mills, Maryland, Dyson attended private schools and gradua ...

in 1988. Dyson was plagued by allegations of improper contributions from defense contractors, questions about his sexual orientation, and the suicide of his top staffer. Despite being badly outspent, Gilchrest lost narrowly to Dyson. He sought a rematch in 1990; this time soundly beating Dyson by 14%. In 1992, he survived a close contest against

Tom McMillen Charles Thomas McMillen (born May 26, 1952) is an American politician, businessman, and retired professional basketball player. A Rhodes Scholar, McMillen represented Maryland's 4th congressional district from January 3, 1987 to January 3, 199 ...

, who had represented the 4th District before being drawn into the 1st District. Gilchrest won by only 3%, largely by swamping McMillen on the Eastern Shore. He wouldn't face serious opposition again for over a decade. Gilchrest broke ranks with his party more often than any other House member in 2007. While Democrats and Republicans were nearly tied in registration in 2006 (183,332 Democrats to 180,856 Republicans), the district had a strong tinge of

social conservatism Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institut ...

that usually favored Republicans. The 1st had a

Cook Partisan Voting Index The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated Cook PVI, CPVI, or PVI, is a measurement of how strongly a United States congressional district or U.S. state leans toward the Democratic or Republican Party, compared to the nation as a whole, based ...

rating of R+13, indicating that it was a strongly Republican district, and supported President Bush's re-election with over 60% of the vote. Gilchrest was a member of many moderate Republican groups such as the

Republican Main Street Partnership The Republican Main Street Partnership is a 501(c)(4) organization that was allied with the congressional Republican Main Street Caucus. The Partnership continues to exist, while the Caucus was dissolved by its members in February 2019. Hist ...

Republicans for Environmental Protection ConservAmerica, formerly known as Republicans for Environmental Protection (REP), is a national nonprofit organization formed in 1995. REP's stated purpose is to strengthen the Republican Party's stance on environmental issues and support effor ...

, and the

Republican Majority For Choice The Republican Majority for Choice (RMC) was a Republican organization in the United States dedicated to preserving legal access to abortion. The group also supported federal funding for all kinds of stem cell research, including embryonic stem c ...

. He was also the co-chairman of the Congressional Climate Change Caucus together with Democrat John Olver ( MA-1). Gilchrest was a Republican co-sponsor of Rep.

Marty Meehan Martin Thomas Meehan (born December 30, 1956) is an American academic administrator, politician, and attorney. Since July 2015, Meehan has served as the President of the University of Massachusetts after serving as Chancellor of the University of ...

's "Military Readiness Enhancement Act" which would have repealed the "

Don't ask, don't tell "Don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) was the official United States policy on military service of non-heterosexual people, instituted during the Clinton administration. The policy was issued under Department of Defense Directive 1304.26 on Decembe ...

" policy. Gilchrest also spoke in favor of same-sex marriage while the Maryland Legislature was considering legalizing it, calling same-sex marriage a matter of "social justice, civil rights and a more viable democracy." In 1993, Gilchrest was the lone Republican vote in support of a bill that would have created

DC Statehood The District of Columbia statehood movement is a political movement that advocates making the District of Columbia a U.S. state, to provide the residents of the District of Columbia with voting representation in the Congress and complete ...

. Aside from his socially liberal stance, Gilchrest has drawn attention for his stance on the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. Though he initially supported the war, Gilchrest's support waned as the occupation became increasingly violent, expressing his support for the

Iraq Study Group Report ''The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward – A New Approach'' is the report of the Iraq Study Group, as mandated by the United States Congress. It is an assessment of the state of the war in Iraq as of December 6, 2006, when the ISG released ...

and called on setting a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Gilchrest also joined 16 Republicans and 229 Democrats voting in favor of House

Concurrent Resolution A concurrent resolution is a resolution (a legislative measure) adopted by both houses of a bicameral legislature that lacks the force of law (is non-binding) and does not require the approval of the chief executive (president). Concurrent resolut ...

(H.CON.RES) 63, a non-binding resolution expressing disapproval for the Iraq War troop surge of 2007.

2008 election

Gilchrest's moderate voting record resulted in vigorous primary challenges from Republicans who considered him a Republican in Name Only. However, none were successful until 2008. That year, State Senator Andrew Harris, State Senator E. J. Pipkin, Joe Arminio, and Robert Banks challenged Gilchrest in the 2008 Republican primary. Harris was strongly supported by the

Club for Growth The Club for Growth is a 501(c)(4) conservative organization active in the United States, with an agenda focused on cutting taxes and other economic policy issues. Club for Growth's largest funders are the billionaires Jeff Yass and Richard U ...

. Harris defeated Gilchrest in the Republican primary, with Pipkin finishing third. After Gilchrest's loss in the primary, he broke with his party and endorsed

Queen Anne's County Queen Anne's County is located on the Eastern Shore of the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 49,874. Its county seat and most populous municipality is Centreville. The census-designated place of Stevensvill ...

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a lo ...

Frank Kratovil Frank Michael Kratovil Jr. (born May 29, 1968) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011. Elected in 2008, he was defeated in his bid for reelection on November 2, 2010. Kratovil is a member of the Democratic ...

, the Democratic nominee, in the general election, being quoted as saying, "Let's see, the Republican Party, or my eternal soul?" and "Party loyalty, or integrity?" when questioned. Kratovil won the election. On September 18, 2008, Gilchrest made radio comments praising the Democratic Presidential ticket of

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

and Joe Biden, causing some media outlets to claim his endorsement of the Democratic ticket. However, Gilchrest quickly clarified these comments, saying that they did not amount to an endorsement. Despite the fact that he did not officially endorse Obama, in an October 2 ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large na ...

'' article, Gilchrest sharply criticized his own party and their presidential nominee, fellow Vietnam veteran

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two te ...

. Gilchrest said that the Republican party "has become more narrow, more self-serving, more centered around 'I want, I want, I want.'" and said that McCain "recites memorized pieces of information in a narrow way, whereas Barack Obama is constantly evaluating information, using his judgment. One guy just recites what's in front of him, and the other has initiative and reason and prudence and wisdom." Gilchrest later told

WBAL-TV WBAL-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Baltimore, Maryland, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is the flagship property of Hearst Television, which has owned the station since its inception, and is sister to the company's sole r ...

that he voted for Obama in the November election. Gilchrest was ranked as the House's most liberal Republican in 2008 (his final term) by the ''

National Journal ''National Journal'' is an advisory services company based in Washington, D.C., offering services in government affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder mapping, and policy brands research for government and business leaders. It publishes d ...

'', placing him to the left of 8 House Democrats.

Committee and caucus membership

* Committee on Natural Resources ** Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans (Chairman 2001–2007) * Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure ** Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation ** Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials ** Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment * Founder and Co-chair of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force * Co-founder and Co-chair of the Congressional Climate Change Caucus * Co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus * Chairman of the House Corps Reform Caucus * Co-founder and Co-chair of the House Organic Caucus * Co-founder and Co-chair of the House Dialogue Caucus *Board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).

Election history

! style="background:#ccc;", Year ! style="background:#ccc;", Office ! style="background:#ccc;", Election ! ! style="background:#ccc;", Subject ! style="background:#ccc;", Party ! style="background:#ccc;", Votes ! style="background:#ccc;", % ! ! style="background:#ccc;", Opponent ! style="background:#ccc;", Party ! style="background:#ccc;", Votes ! style="background:#ccc;", % , - , 1990 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 88,920 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 56.84 , , style="background:#def;",

, style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 67,518 , style="background:#def;", 43.16 , - , 1992 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 120,084 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 51.27 , , style="background:#def;",

, style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 112,771 , style="background:#def;", 48.15 , - , 1994 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 120,975 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 67.65 , , style="background:#def;", Ralph Gies , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 57,712 , style="background:#def;", 32.27 , - , 1996 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 131,033 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 61.55 , , style="background:#def;", Steven Eastaugh , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 81,825 , style="background:#def;", 38.44 , - , 1998 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 135,771 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 69.19 , , style="background:#def;", Irving Pinder , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 60,450 , style="background:#def;", 30.81 , - , 2000 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 165,293 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 64.4 , , style="background:#def;", Bennett Bozman , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 91,022 , style="background:#def;", 35.46 , - , 2002 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 192,004 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 76.67 , , style="background:#def;", Ann Tamlyn , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 57,986 , style="background:#def;", 23.16 , - , 2004 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 245,149 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 75.77 , , style="background:#def;", Kostas Alexakis , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 77,872 , style="background:#def;", 24.07 , - , 2006 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 185,353 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 68.80 , , style="background:#def;", Jim Corwin , style="background:#def;", Democratic , style="background:#def;", 83,817 , style="background:#def;", 31.11 , - , 2008 , Congress, 1st district , Primary , , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Wayne Gilchrest , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 23,797 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 33.08 , , style="background:#ffe8e8;", Andy Harris , style="background:#ffe8e8;",

, style="background:#ffe8e8;", 31,180 , style="background:#ffe8e8;", 43.34

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrest, Wayne 1946 births 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Methodists from Maryland Delaware State University alumni Living people Maryland Democrats People from Kent County, Maryland People from Rahway, New Jersey Rahway High School alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland United States Marine Corps personnel of the Vietnam War United States Marines Wesley College (Delaware) alumni