Tom Tilden

Tom Tilden

Tom Tilden, was in 2016, contact for Omaha Democratic Socialists of America Organizing Committee.

He is an IP paralegal at West Corporation. He is married to Janet Tilden.

Education

Carleton College

Backing Biden

Open Letter from RWU to the President

In November 2022 Tom Tilden, signed the Open Letter from RWU to the President .

PDA contact

2017 Progressive Democrats of America in Nebraska contact - Tom Tilden .

Progressive Democrats of America

Progressive Democrats of America, February 26, 2017.

It's time to make sure all Americans have the health care services and medications we need and deserve!!!

Ian Schiffer, Cheryl Harris, Bill Honigman, Patrick Morales, Belen Sisa, Judy Hess, Conor Boylan, Aaron Mandell, Allan Affeldt, Donna Smith, Janis Kay, Russell Freedman, Sarah Mahler, Tom Tilden, Cameron Stempel, Michael Fox, Michael Thaller and Sharon Janis at Historic Plaza Hotel.

Bernie supporter/PDA

Tom Tilden, a longtime activist in Omaha, was one of the key Sanders grassroots leaders in Nebraska. After some encouragement from the Progressive Democrats of America, Tilden hosted a very early house party April 2016.

“I thought there would be like 5, 10 people show up,” Tilden said. “Because it was all organized through Facebook. I figured that couldn’t be a very good way to reach out to people, because that’s not what I traditionally understood, you got to call people. But about 50 people showed up, there was no room in the house, people were standing out in the yard. We knew early on something was going on, this was going to be big.”

Democratic Party leader

Tom Tilden is 2nd Associate-chair of the Nebraska Democratic Party. A position he won in 2016.

Our Revolution

Progressive Nebraska - Omaha Our Revolution Organizing Kickoff. Hosted by Mahmud Fitil and Tom Tilden.

Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 7 PM - 9 PM CDT.

House of Loom, 1012 S 10th St, Omaha, Nebraska 68108.

Nebraska socialism

Tom Tilden, 59 in 2017, is among those Democratic Socialists of America members setting up shop for socialism deep in Trump country. Tilden is a DSA veteran, having joined when he lived in Chicago in the late ’80s. But when he moved to Nebraska in 1993, Tilden says, he didn’t consider starting a new chapter there, though he remained a member of the national organization. When people talk about “the Left” in conservative Nebraska, Tilden explains, they’re referring to “people in the middle of the Democratic Party leftward. ‘The Left’ is progressive. People don’t usually think in terms of socialist.”

But that may be changing after Sanders’ primary run, which “changed the nature of the Democratic Party in the state” while stripping away some of the taboos that plague socialist politics, says Tilden. In Nebraska’s March 2016 caucus, Clinton won just 10 of the state’s pledged delegates to Sanders’ 15, and he successfully won over some of the state’s most rural counties. Since the caucuses, Tilden has been working to get a new chapter off the ground in Omaha, and another has sprung up in nearby Lincoln. About 30 people attended the first meeting in December 2016.

Like many other DSA members around the country, Tilden sees potential in building institutions outside the Democratic Party, but is also a firm believer in trying to stage a takeover from the inside. This fall, he joined Keystone XL pipeline opponent Jane Kleeb on the ticket to run Nebraska’s Democratic Party. She’s now the party’s state chair. Tilden is second associate chair, and has similar goals for his work in this position as he does as a local DSA organizer: Reaching working-class voters, especially those who went for Trump but might yet be won over to the kind of anti-racist, anti-capitalist movement that DSA hopes to build.

“People in rural Nebraska are more progressive than they realize,” Tilden reasons. While door-knocking during the Sanders campaign, he and other volunteers found that many rural voters took firm stands against corporate agriculture and attacks on public education. “I think once we work with them on their issue, they’ll see that the people on their side are not the Republicans.”

Progressive philosophy

Compromise is part of our political process - it has been described as the genius of our American system. It certainly can lead to the best from our Unicameral legislature.

But, compromise does NOT mean sacrificing core beliefs. I will never, no matter what the circumstances sacrifice my Progressive beliefs - these are the beliefs that compelled me to work hard for Bernie Sanders, and you can be certain they are the beliefs that will motivate me to work hard for Progressive change in Nebraska!

Anti-Trump protest

Bold Nebraska protesters held a rally in Omaha January 20, 2016 to convince senators to reject some of president elect Trump’s cabinet picks.

The group held a rally at Sen. Deb Fischer's office as part of a nationwide "Day Against Denial" calling on all 100 U.S. Senators to reject President-elect Trump's climate-denying cabinet selections.

Those in attendance said they were fighting against Trump’s cabinet picks including Rex Tillerson, CEO of Exxon, for Secretary of State, Scott Pruitt for EPA Administration, Ex-Gov. Rick Perry for Secretary of Energy and Rep. Ryan Zinke for Department of Interior.

“I want to make sure the Senator knows that this is important issue and there is a lot of people who care about the climate and the choice is here are you on the side of science or are you on the side of Exxon, big energy companies, are you for them or for science? It's one of the other,” said attendee Tom Tilden.

Rally goers said anyone who denies climate change shouldn't be in the White House cabinet.

UNO: Democratic Socialists Public Group

Members of the UNO: Democratic Socialists Public Facebook Group, accessed October 15, 2017 included Tom Tilden.

Democratic Socialists of America Unity

Tom Tilden supported the Democratic Socialists of America Unity grouping, established for the 2017 Democratic Socialists of America National Convention in Chicago.

Lincoln DSA Facebook group

Members of the Lincoln Democratic Socialists of America closed Facebook group, as of April 1, 2017, included Tom Tilden.

Endorsing Fetonte

Democratic Socialists of America members who endorsed Danny Fetonte when he ran for DSA NPC in 2017 included Tom Tilden, Omaha.

DSA Prairie Dog Caucus

Members of DSA Prairie Dog Caucus closed Facebook group. As of August, 2017, included Tom Tilden.

DSA National Climate & Environmental Justice Working Group

Members of the DSA National Climate & Environmental Justice Working Group closed FB page, as of August 30, 2017 included Tom Tilden.

Canvassing for Kara

Tom Tilden October 6, 2018:

Had a great canvass for Kara Eastman today! Looking forward to having this Nebraska progressive representing us in Congress. #EastmanForCongress — with Sarah Jane Teetzel, Scott Burger, Tom Tilden and Alex Garrison.

DSA North Star

In 2018 Tom Tilden was an original signatory of the DSA North Star founding principles statement.

Socialist Majority Caucus

DSA's Socialist Majority Caucus signatories list as of April 25 2019 included Tom Tilden of Omaha Democratic Socialists of America.