Tom Strickland is an attorney and politician in Colorado. Born in Texas, Tom Strickland left the Lone Star State to attend college at LSU. He later returned, studying law at the University of Texas, where he graduated in 1977. Strickland got involved in politics early in life, volunteering for then-Colorado Governor Dick Lamm, and later becoming Lamm's director of policy and research and serving on two state transportation commissions. In 1984, Strickland accepted a position at Brownstein, Hyatt & Farber, a Denver law firm known for its political connections, where he eventually became partner. After the 1996 campaign, Strickland returned to his law practice. In 1999, President Bill Clinton appointed him US Attorney for Colorado -- a position he held until 2001, when President George W. Bush took office. In 1996, Strickland was the Democratic candidate for United States Senate, losing to Wayne Allard by five percent. In 2002, Strickland was again the Democratic nominee, when he lost to Allard for the second time by the same margin, five percent.
