Tom Craddick

Not to be confused with Tom Craddock.
Tom Craddick
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 14, 2003 – January 13, 2009
Preceded byJames "Pete" Laney
Succeeded byJoe Straus
Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 14, 1969
Preceded byFrank Kell Cahoon
Constituency70th district (1969–1973)
68th district (1973–1983)
76th district (1983–1993)
82nd district (1993–present)
Personal details
Born
Thomas Russell Craddick

(1943-09-19) September 19, 1943 (age 81)
Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseNadine Nayfa
Children2, including Christi Craddick
Residence(s)Midland, Texas, U.S.
Alma materTexas Tech University (BBA, MBA)
OccupationBusinessman

Thomas Russell Craddick (born September 19, 1943) is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives representing the 82nd district. Craddick was Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from January 2003 to January 2009. He was the first Republican to serve as Speaker since Reconstruction.

Craddick was first elected in 1968 at the age of twenty-five and, as of 2023, is the longest serving legislator in the history of the Texas House of Representatives and the longest serving incumbent state legislator in the United States.[1][2] In November 2023, Craddick announced he would run for reelection to a record twenty-ninth term in the 2024 Texas House of Representatives election.[3]

  1. ^ Kurtz, Adam (January 8, 2021). "44 years in, Sen. Ray Holmberg is tied for longest serving state senator in the nation". Grand Forks Herald. Archived from the original on December 31, 2021.
  2. ^ Moritz, John C. (January 7, 2019). "Longest-serving man, woman of the Texas Legislature show that grit endures". Abilene Reporter-News. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  3. ^ Doreen, Stewart (November 9, 2023). "Craddick to seek reelection as state rep". Midland Reporter-Telegram. Retrieved March 26, 2024.