Preceded by Phil Larrabee Children Ryan, Shannon Residence Hampton, Virginia Theme song Jessica | Political party Republican Name Tom Gear Predecessor Top Gear Spouse(s) Janice Graham Sigler Role British television series | |
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Born May 2, 1949
Hampton, Virginia ( 1949 -05-02 ) Presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Jason Dawe, Richard Hammond, James May Awards National Television Award for Most Popular Factual Entertainment Programme Episodes 10 Episode 10Season 22 - Mar 29 - 2015, 10 Episode 10, 9 Episode 9Season 22 - Mar 22 - 2015, 9 Episode 9, 7 Episode 7Season 22 - Mar 8 - 2015, 7 Episode 7, 6 Episode 6Season 22 - Mar 1 - 2015, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 22 - Feb 22 - 2015, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 22 - Feb 15 - 2015, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 22 - Feb 8 - 2015, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 22 - Feb 1 - 2015, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 22 - Jan 25 - 2015, 1 Episode 1, 7 Episode 7Season 21 - Mar 16 - 2014, 7 Episode 7, 6 Episode 6Season 21 - Mar 9 - 2014, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 21 - Mar 2 - 2014, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 21 - Feb 23 - 2014, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 21 - Feb 16 - 2014, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 21 - Feb 9 - 2014, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 21 - Feb 2 - 2014, 1 Episode 1, 6 Episode 6Season 20 - Aug 4 - 2013, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 20 - Jul 28 - 2013, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 20 - Jul 29 - 2013, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 20 - Jul 14 - 2013, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 20 - Jul 7 - 2013, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 20 - Jun 30 - 2013, 1 Episode 1, 7 Africa Special: Part 2Season 19 - Mar 10 - 2013, 7 Africa Special: Part 2, 6 Africa Special: Part 1Season 19 - Mar 3 - 2013, 6 Africa Special: Part 1, 5 Episode 5Season 19 - Feb 24 - 2013, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 19 - Feb 17 - 2013, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 19 - Feb 10 - 2013, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 19 - Feb 3 - 2013, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 19 - Jan 27 - 2013, 1 Episode 1, 7 Episode 7Season 18 - Mar 11 - 2012, 7 Episode 7, 6 Episode 6Season 18 - Mar 4 - 2012, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 18 - Feb 26 - 2012, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 18 - Feb 18 - 2012, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 18 - Feb 12 - 2012, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 18 - Feb 5 - 2012, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 18 - Jan 29 - 2012, 1 Episode 1, 7 India SpecialSeason 17 - Dec 28 - 2011, 7 India Special, 6 Episode 6Season 17 - Jul 31 - 2011, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 17 - Jul 24 - 2011, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 17 - Jul 17 - 2011, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 17 - Jul 10 - 2011, 3 Episode 3, 2 Episode 2Season 17 - Jul 3 - 2011, 2 Episode 2, 1 Episode 1Season 17 - Jun 26 - 2011, 1 Episode 1, 6 Episode 6Season 16 - Feb 27 - 2011, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 16 - Feb 19 - 2011, 5 Episode 5, 4 Episode 4Season 16 - Feb 13 - 2011, 4 Episode 4, 3 Episode 3Season 16 - Feb 6 - 2011, 3 Episode 3, 2 The Lost WorldSeason 16 - Jan 30 - 2011, 2 The Lost World, 1 Episode 1Season 16 - Jan 23 - 2011, 1 Episode 1, 6 Episode 6Season 15 - Aug 1 - 2010, 6 Episode 6, 5 Episode 5Season 15 - Jul 25 - 2010, 5 Episode 5 Similar Fifth Gear, James May's Cars of the Pe, Richard Hammond's Crash Co, Top Gear Australia, James May's Man Lab | ||
First episode date October 20, 2002 Succeeded by Gordon C. Helsel, Jr. | ||
Thomas D. "Tom" Gear (born May 2, 1949) is an American politician of the Republican Party. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 until 2010. He represented the 91st district on the Virginia Peninsula, made up of the city of Poquoson plus parts of York County and the city of Hampton. He resigned his seat on December 31, 2010 citing health problems.
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Gear is a graduate of Kecoughtan High School in Hampton, Virginia. His father (also named Thomas Gear) was Mayor of Hampton, Virginia from 1980 to 1982. Gear was a commercial printer; the owner of Gear Up Printing. He was on Hampton City Council from 1998 to 2001.
2005
Gear was re-elected in the November 6, 2005 General Election with 11,057 (59.43%) votes, versus 7,419 (39.88%) votes for Independent candidate Randy A. Gilliland, with 128 voters casting write in votes. Voter turnout was 47.69%.
2007
Gear was re-elected in the November 6, 2007 General Election with 9,156 (93.15%) votes, with 673 voters casting write in votes. Voter turnout was 24.06%.
2009
Gear was up for re-election in a three way race with Independent Gordon C. Helsel, Jr. the then-current Mayor of the City of Poquoson, Virginia. and Democrat Samuel L. Sam Eure, Jr. (a Social Studies Teacher in the York County School Division) of York County, Virginia, As of August 31, 2009 the State Board of Elections website reported that Gear had raised $25,976.00, Helsel had raised $65,261.00, and Eure had raised $5,076.00. Helsel has run on the Republican ticket in the past, but did not secure the Republican nomination for this election.
Republican Gear captured 9,576 votes (48 percent). Independent Helsel finished in second with 6,463 votes (about 33 percent). Democrat Eure finished third in the race with 3,757 votes (19 percent).
Teddy Thompson controversy
Tom Gear sponsored and fought for legislation giving Teddy P. Thompson $270,000 for spending seven years in prison for a robbery he did not commit. Since the legislation passed, Thompson has committed three misdemeanors, including two assault charges and a breach of peace count, and on August 17, 2009 Thompson faced revocation of a suspended sentence on an older robbery charge, for which he received a suspended sentence.
Hampton judicial appointment controversy
In the 2007 session, Virginia General Assembly members representing Hampton reached a tentative deal to fill nominations for several Hampton judgeships that have been vacant for six years. Gear's insistence that his sister, Kathy Gear Owens, an attorney and substitute judge, be appointment to Hampton's Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court was one of several issues raised by Gear to hold up the appointment of the judges. Because the tentative deal included the appointment of his sister, Gear's fellow Senate Republicans walked off the floor in protest when the selections came up for a vote. Several democrats also voted against the resolution. During the 2009 General Assembly Session Gear Owens finally removed her name from consideration.