Slade Gorton Biography

Thomas Slade Gorton III (born January 8, 1928) is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. Senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and in 2000 by Maria Cantwell after a recount. Gorton was twice both senior senator (1983–87, 1993–2001) and junior senator (1981–83, 1989–93). Since Gorton's 2000 re-election loss, no other Republican from Washington has been elected as a U.S. Senator.