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

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 Work ...

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. In 2019, Gilchrest became a registered Democrat.

Early life and education

Born in

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

, 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 or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

. His tour of duty saw action during the

invasion An invasion is a Offensive (military), military offensive of combatants of one geopolitics, geopolitical Legal entity, entity, usually in large numbers, entering territory (country subdivision), territory controlled by another similar entity, ...

of the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

, and later the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. He earned the rank of

Sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

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. Wh ...

, and Navy Commendation Medal. He is a member of the

American Legion The American Legion, commonly known as the Legion, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States, U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. It comprises U.S. state, state, Territories of the United States, U.S. terr ...

Veterans of Foreign Wars The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), formally the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, is an Voluntary association, organization of United States Armed Forces, United States war veterans who fought in wars, Military campaign, campaig ...

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

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

from Wesley College in

Dover, Delaware Dover ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and the List of municipalities in Delaware, second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, Delaware, Kent County and the princ ...

. He then spent a semester in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

studying rural poverty in

Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...

. He went on to receive a

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

in history from Delaware State College in 1973. Since then, he has done some work towards a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate 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 prac ...

at Loyola College in Baltimore.

Career

While teaching at Kent County High School 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 that Ma ...

, Gilchrest ran against four-term 1st District Democratic incumbent Roy Dyson 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 former professional basketball player. A Rhodes Scholar, McMillen represented Maryland's 4th congressional district from January 3, 1987, to January 3, 1993 ...

, 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 a variety of conservatism which places emphasis on Tradition#In political and religious discourse, traditional social structures over Cultural pluralism, social pluralism. Social conservatives ...

that usually favored Republicans. The 1st had a

Cook Partisan Voting Index The Cook Partisan Voting Index, abbreviated PVI or CPVI, is a measurement of how partisan a U.S. congressional district or U.S. state is. This partisanship is indicated as lean towards either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party, com ...

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,

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 Republican Party (United States)#Environmental policies, the Republican ...

, 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 ce ...

. 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'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 Sexual orientation in the United States military, military service of homosexual people. Instituted during the Presidency of Bill Clinton, Clinton administration, the pol ...

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

Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...

. 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 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 reso ...

(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 Edward Joseph Pipkin Jr. (born November 1, 1956) is an American activist, politician, and United States Republican Party, Republican former member of the Maryland State Senate, had represented Maryland's Maryland Legislative District 36, 36th Se ...

, Joe Arminio, and Robert Banks challenged Gilchrest in the 2008 Republican primary. Harris was strongly supported by the Club for Growth. 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

State's Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

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 Democrat ...

, 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 was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

and

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

, 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'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' 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 statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...

. 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 ra ...

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 ...

'', 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

! Year ! Office ! Election ! ! Subject ! Party ! Votes ! % ! ! Opponent ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , 1990 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 88,920 , , 56.84 , , , Roy Dyson , , Democratic , , 67,518 , , 43.16 , - , 1992 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 120,084 , , 51.27 , , ,

, , Democratic , , 112,771 , , 48.15 , - , 1994 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 120,975 , , 67.65 , , , Ralph Gies , , Democratic , , 57,712 , , 32.27 , - , 1996 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 131,033 , , 61.55 , , , Steven Eastaugh , , Democratic , , 81,825 , , 38.44 , - , 1998 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 135,771 , , 69.19 , , , Irving Pinder , , Democratic , , 60,450 , , 30.81 , - , 2000 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 165,293 , , 64.4 , , , Bennett Bozman , , Democratic , , 91,022 , , 35.46 , - , 2002 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 192,004 , , 76.67 , , , Ann Tamlyn , , Democratic , , 57,986 , , 23.16 , - , 2004 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 245,149 , , 75.77 , , , Kostas Alexakis , , Democratic , , 77,872 , , 24.07 , - , 2006 , Congress, 1st district , General , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 185,353 , , 68.80 , , , Jim Corwin , , Democratic , , 83,817 , , 31.11 , - , 2008 , Congress, 1st district , Primary , , , , Wayne Gilchrest , , Republican , , 23,797 , , 33.08 , , , Andy Harris , , Republican , , 31,180 , , 43.34

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilchrest, Wayne 1946 births Methodists from Maryland Delaware State University alumni Living people Maryland Democrats People from Kent County, Maryland 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 20th-century Maryland politicians 21st-century Maryland politicians 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives