[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 102 (Thursday, June 15, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  IN RECOGNITION OF CHRISTOPHER THOMAS FOR HIS SERVICE AS MICHIGAN'S 
                         DIRECTOR OF ELECTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 15, 2017

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Christopher 
Thomas for his distinguished service on behalf of the State of 
Michigan. As the state's Director of Elections for the past 36 years, 
Mr. Thomas has served Michigan voters well through his rigorous 
oversight of the state's electoral processes.
  Mr. Thomas began his career in 1974 managing campaign finance 
regulations at U.S. House of Representatives and later moved to the 
Federal Election Commission, where he worked with candidates to ensure 
compliance with federal election laws. As a result of his performance, 
Mr. Thomas was appointed to be Michigan's Director of Elections in 1981 
by Michigan Secretary of State Richard Austin. As Director of 
Elections, Mr. Thomas has overseen 1,600 clerks in counties, townships 
and cities across the state to run Michigan elections and work to staff 
and train workers. Throughout his time as director, Mr. Thomas has 
earned a reputation as an effective administrator who impartially 
handled Michigan's elections. He is also well-regarded among his peers, 
having served as president of the National Association of State 
Election Directors, a national forum that shares best practices on 
running accurate and transparent elections in 2013.
  Mr. Thomas has been a model Director of Elections who has served the 
State of Michigan with distinction. Under his leadership, Michigan has 
successfully leveraged advances in technology to improve the 
functioning of our state's electoral processes. In addition, Mr. Thomas 
is well-known for his nonpartisan handling of elections and thorough 
knowledge of procedure and election law. He also served on President 
Obama's Presidential Commission on Election Administration, which 
enabled him to utilize his decades of knowledge to improve the election 
experience for America's voters. He has been an outstanding leader 
during his career in election administration, and I wish him well as he 
retires after an extraordinary career serving Michigan.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. 
Christopher Thomas for his 36 years of public service as Michigan's 
Director of Elections and his leadership in the nation for ensuring 
fair elections throughout the country. Mr. Thomas's work has helped 
ensure the integrity and accessibility of Michigan's elections.

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