Thomas McDermott Jr.
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Thomas Matthew McDermott Jr. (born March 4, 1969) is an American attorney and politician from the
state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...
of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
serving as the 20th
mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Hammond, Indiana Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...
. He took office on January 1, 2004, the first elected government office he has held. He is a member of the Democratic Party. After winning the general election in November 2015 for a fourth term, McDermott became the longest-serving mayor in Hammond's history. He was elected to a sixth term in 2023.


Early life and education

McDermott was born March 4, 1969, in
Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 United States Census, 2020 census recorded the population at 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Ca ...
to Thomas M. McDermott Sr. and Susan Bobinski, both from California. McDermott's father, Thomas McDermott Sr., was a Republican who served as the 18th mayor of Hammond from 1984 through 1992. McDermott was raised by his mother in
Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal) is a geocultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California, spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's List of counties in California, 58 counties. Northern Ca ...
's
Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Napa County, California. The area was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on February 27, 1981, after a 1978 petition submitted by the Napa Valley Vin ...
and spent summers with his father in Indiana. After graduating from
Napa High School Napa High School, established in 1897, is a four-year comprehensive high school located in Napa, California with 1860 students. It is one of three comprehensive high schools in the Napa Valley Unified School District. The other comprehensive h ...
in
Napa, California Napa is the largest city and county seat of Napa County, California, Napa County and a principal city of Wine Country in Northern California, United States. Located in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the Bay Area, th ...
in 1987, McDermott joined the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
. During his six years in uniform, he was assigned as a nuclear submariner aboard USS ''
Hyman G. Rickover Hyman G. Rickover (27 January 1900 – 8 July 1986) was an admiral in the United States Navy. He directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reacto ...
'', and he served on ''Rickover'' during the
Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...
. He later served as a nuclear electrician in the sub's reactor plant, and also passed the qualification course to become ''Rickovers only diver. After his navy service, McDermott moved to
Northwest Indiana Northwest Indiana, nicknamed "The Region" after the Calumet Region, is an unofficial region of Northern Indiana, northern Indiana, United States that is located at the northwestern corner of the state. Though there is no official definition of th ...
, where he worked as a supervisor at a local power plant while attending
Purdue University Northwest Purdue University Northwest (PNW) is a public university with two campuses in Northwest Indiana; its main campus is in Hammond with a branch campus in Westville. It is part of the Purdue University system and offers more than 70 undergradu ...
. He received a
Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...
degree in finance in 1996, then attended
Notre Dame Law School Notre Dame Law School is the law school of the University of Notre Dame. Established in 1869, it is the oldest continuously operating Catholic law school in the United States. The school enrolls about 600 students and in addition to the J.D. ...
, from which he received a
Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...
in 2000. After attaining admission to the bar, McDermott practiced law in Hammond.


Career

McDermott won the 2003 mayoral election for Hammond by defeating incumbent Republican mayor Duane Dedelow 52.1% – 47.9%, a margin of just 700 votes. During McDermott's first term in office, the dilapidated River Park Apartment complex was razed under the guidance of the Hammond Redevelopment Commission. Mayor McDermott's father, Tom McDermott Sr., helped attract
Cabela's Cabela's Inc. is an American retailer that specializes in hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and other outdoor recreation merchandise. The chain was founded by Richard N. Cabela and Jim Cabela in 1961. Cabela's was acquired by Springfield, Mi ...
outdoor recreation retail store to the former Woodmar Country Club site in south Hammond in 2005. Critics at the time referred to the generous tax abatement awarded Cabela's as "
corporate welfare Corporate welfare refers to government financial assistance, Subsidy, subsidies, tax breaks, or other favorable policies provided to private businesses or specific industries, ostensibly to promote economic growth, job creation, or other public b ...
" while supporters, including the mayor, cited a "public-private partnership." McDermott advocated for the elimination of the Hammond Health Department in 2004, in 2005, and finally succeeding in September 2007. According to McDermott, this department was an example of duplicate government better left to the county to operate, while mayoral detractors claimed it was a valuable and much-needed service to the city, especially its poorest citizens. McDermott was re-elected in the 2007 mayoral race 52.4% – 47.6%, a margin of just 400 votes over Republican nominee George Janiec. On March 28, 2008, McDermott endorsed Senator
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...
for president and hosted a rally for the senator at the Hammond Civic center. McDermott later joined her campaign at a restaurant in Crown Point. Clinton's arrival in Hammond was the first visit of any presidential political candidate since
Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...
visited Hammond (Hessville Park) in 1976, and
Robert F. Kennedy Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925 – June 6, 1968), also known as RFK, was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 64th United States attorney general from January 1961 to September 1964, and as a U.S. senator from New Yo ...
in 1968. During the Democratic presidential primaries in Indiana, McDermott was seen on
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
questioning
Gary, Indiana Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
mayor, Rudy Clay about votes that had not yet been posted many hours after the polls had closed. This "mayor fight" was satirized the following day on ''
The Daily Show ''The Daily Show'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night talk and news satire television program. It airs each Monday through Thursday on Comedy Central in the United States, with extended episodes released shortly after on Paramount+ ...
'' with
Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...
. He also criticized the busing of high school students to voting booths saying "These kids come from the worst performing schools in the state of Indiana and we are giving them a day off to go vote for Obama. They can vote on election day like everybody else." In November 2009, McDermott protested the arrest of his close associate David Woerpel, a postal worker, precinct captain and political commentator, after Indiana state police said they spotted marijuana growing in Woerpel's backyard. Charges of "possession of marijuana and maintaining a common nuisance" were later dropped and McDermott accused his political rival, Lake County Sheriff Rogelio "Roy" Dominguez, of "playing politics by targeting Woerpel." McDermott was mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2010 United States Senate election in Indiana to succeed the retiring
Evan Bayh Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III ( ; born December 26, 1955) is an American politician who served as the List of governors of Indiana, 46th governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997 and as a United States Senate, United States senator representing Indi ...
, but dropped out, and endorsed fellow candidate
Brad Ellsworth John Bradley Ellsworth (born September 11, 1958) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2011. In 2010, he was the Democratic candidate for a seat in the United States Senate, but he was defeated by Dan Coats, ...
. In 2011, McDermott won election for the third time, winning the Democratic primary with 68% of the vote and the general election in November with 80.2% of the vote in a rematch of his 2007 opponent George Janiec, a margin of 7,200 votes. In February 2014, McDermott agreed to the $200,000 settlement of a discrimination complaint filed by Hammond Housing Authority Director Maria Becerra. An editorial in ''
The Times of Northwest Indiana ''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (NWI) is a daily newspaper headquartered in Munster, Indiana. It is the second-largest newspaper in Indiana, behind only ''The Indianapolis Star''. History The paper was founded on June 18, 1906, as ''The Lake ...
'' later called for McDermott to make a public apology in the wake of Becerra's ouster from the Hammond Housing Authority. On May 16, 2014, McDermott announced that he would step down as the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party. It was speculated that McDermott planned on running for
governor of Indiana The governor of Indiana is the head of government of the U.S. state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term and is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state gover ...
in the 2016 election. On May 5, 2015, McDermott became the first mayor in Hammond's history to win four consecutive democratic primaries when he handily beat 6th District Councilman Homero "Chico" Hinojosa with 78% of the vote. On November 3, 2015, McDermott won the general election by a landslide margin of 87% to 13% over Republican Humberto Prado, a margin of 5,100 votes, becoming the longest-serving mayor in Hammond's history. In 2015, complaints were dismissed by the Lake County, Indiana election board that McDermott allegedly violated finance laws for not properly itemizing over $200,000 in reimbursements for food, lodging, and rental cars. In November 2019, McDermott publicly admitted that he had been fined $50,000 for improper campaign loans from his wife Lake Circuit Judge Marissa McDermott. Following
Pete Visclosky Peter John Visclosky ( ; born August 13, 1949) is an American politician who served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for from 1985 until his retirement in 2021. He is a member of the United States Democratic Pa ...
's decision not to seek reelection to the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
for in the 2020 election, McDermott declared his candidacy for his seat. McDermott finished in second place in the primary election behind Frank J. Mrvan. In 2021, McDermott filed with the
Federal Election Commission The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent agency of the United States government that enforces U.S. campaign finance laws and oversees U.S. federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Campaign ...
to allow him to raise money for a potential challenge to
Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving as the senior United States senator from Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previou ...
in the 2022 United States Senate election in Indiana. McDermott won the Democratic nomination for this seat unopposed. On October 16, 2022, McDermott participated in a live televised debate with Incumbent Republican Senator
Todd Young Todd Christopher Young (born August 24, 1972) is an American politician, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran serving as the senior United States senator from Indiana, a seat he has held since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Young previou ...
, and Libertarian candidate James Sceniak. On election night November 8, 2022, McDermott conceded his senate campaign to Republican Todd Young. The final results of the election gave McDermott about 701,988 votes, or 37.9% of the state's total U.S. senate vote.


Personal life

McDermott has been married twice. His first wife was Starla (Pettus) McDermott, with whom he is the father of two children, Lindsey and Chase. They later divorced, and in 1999, McDermott married Marissa J. Kelly, whom he met while they were attending law school. They are the parents of two children, Tommy, and Patrick. Marissa is a Lake County judge, attorney, and Hammond precinct committeewoman. She was born in
Warsaw, Poland Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at 1.86 million residents within a grea ...
and grew up on
Long Island Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
.


References


External links


Mayor Thomas M McDermott Jr.
official government website
McDermott for Senate
U.S. Senate campaign website
McDermott for Mayor
mayoral campaign website * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:McDermott, Thomas Jr. 1969 births 21st-century American lawyers 21st-century mayors of places in Indiana Candidates in the 2022 United States Senate elections Indiana Democrats Indiana lawyers Living people Mayors of Hammond, Indiana Notre Dame Law School alumni People from Napa, California Purdue University alumni United States Navy personnel of the Gulf War United States Navy sailors Napa High School alumni Candidates in the 2020 United States House of Representatives elections