| Tommy 2008 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Campaign | U.S. presidential election, 2008 |
| Candidate | Tommy Thompson Governor of Wisconsin (1987–2001) Secretary of Health and Human Services (2001–2005) |
| Affiliation | Republican Party |
| Headquarters | Alexandria, VA |
| Key people | Darrin Schmitz (Director) Rodman Hise (Treasurer) Phil Prange (Finance Director) Brian Dumas (Consultant) Steve Grubbs (Adviser) |
| Receipts | US$.890398 (2007-06-30) |
| Website | |
| http://www.tommy2008.com | |
The Tommy Thompson presidential campaign of 2008 began when the former Wisconsin Governor and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson announced his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination for President of the United States on April 1, 2007. Thompson centered his campaign in Iowa, where he had spent the previous year building an organization in anticipation of the Ames straw poll. Throughout the campaign, Thompson remained low in Republican opinion polls and garnered very few political endorsements and campaign donations. He dropped out of the race on August 12, 2007 following a sixth-place finish at Ames.
For his campaign, Thompson focused primarily on the issues of health care reform and the War in Iraq. He campaigned almost exclusively in Iowa but did participate in four nationally televised presidential debates. Political gaffes and health issues beset the campaign. After his withdrawal, Thompson endorsed Rudy Giuliani for president and backed John McCain once Giuliani exited the race. Four years later, Thompson unsuccessfully ran for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin as the Republican nominee.