35 Facts About Randall Terry

Randall Allen Terry was born on 1959 and is an American activist and political candidate.

Randall Terry has been arrested more than 40 times, including for violating a no-trespass order from the University of Notre Dame in order to protest against a visit by President Barack Obama.

In 2003, Randall Terry founded the Society for Truth and Justice and conducted a program which he called Operation Witness.

In 1986, Randall Terry was arrested for the first time for chaining himself to a sink at an abortion clinic.

Randall Terry was frequently in the news because of his activities as the leader of Operation Rescue.

Randall Terry settled out of court with the National Organization for Women.

In 1990, Randall Terry helped to organize protests outside the hospital where Nancy Cruzan was a patient, around the time when her feeding tube was removed.

Randall Terry was involved in protests which were related to the Terri Schiavo case.

In 1994, Terry was a named defendant in Madsen v Women's Health Center Inc which ultimately made it all the way to the US Supreme Court.

In 1998, Randall Terry ran for the United States House of Representatives in Upstate New York.

Randall Terry competed with radio station owner William "Bud" Walker for the Republican nomination to face Democratic incumbent Maurice Hinchey.

Randall Terry received the endorsement of Focus on the Family head James Dobson; however, national and state Republicans were not supportive of Randall Terry's candidacy.

In June 2005, Terry announced plans to run in the primary against Florida Republican state senator James E King, citing King's attempt to block legislation which would have kept Terri Schiavo alive.

On September 5,2006, Randall Terry was defeated in the primary, with King receiving over two-thirds of the votes which were cast.

Randall Terry declared that Notre Dame, which is one of the foremost Catholic universities in the nation, should not have allowed Obama to speak.

Randall Terry objected to Obama's speech because Obama supports abortion rights.

Randall Terry posted a bond of $250 at the St Joseph County Jail, was released that same day, and was assigned a court date later that month.

When Kansas obstetrician George Tiller was murdered while he was serving as an usher in his Wichita church on the morning of May 31,2009, Randall Terry immediately issued a statement in which he denounced Tiller.

In 2013, Randall Terry appeared on an episode of MTV's True Life and during his appearance on the show, he advocated the criminalization of all forms of birth control.

In January 2011, Randall Terry announced his intention to challenge President Barack Obama in the Democratic Party primaries for the presidential election of 2012.

The attempt to air the ads led to legal action and a statement by the Democratic National Committee that Randall Terry was not a legitimate candidate, and thus should be forbidden privileges given others running.

Randall Terry won 12 counties in the state, including the entire panhandle, and was awarded two delegates in the Democratic Primary.

Randall Terry had appeared on the ballots in Alaska, Missouri, and New Hampshire.

Randall Terry has been married twice, and he has fathered children during both of his marriages.

Randall Terry has four sons with his second wife, Andrea.

The son of public school teachers, Randall Terry was raised in Rochester, New York.

Randall Terry persuaded her to continue with the pregnancy and a daughter named Tila was born later that year.

In 1987, Cindy and Randall Terry had a daughter together, whom they named Faith.

Randall Terry formally adopted the two younger children in 1994 and on his resume, he began to describe his family as: "Children: One by birth and three black foster children," although Ebony had left home at the age of 16 in 1991.

Ebony, who was not adopted by Randall Terry, uses the surname Whetstone, but Jamiel and Tila took and retained the surname Randall Terry.

In 1998, when Randall Terry was accused of advocating racism while he was running for Congress, his son Jamiel stepped forward to defend him.

When he learned that the Out article was going to be published, Randall Terry pre-empted Jamiel by writing an essay, "My Prodigal Son, the Homosexual", in which he writes of pain and disappointment, blames Jamiel's homosexuality and his other troubles on his childhood experiences, and contends that much of the Out Magazine article is false and was written by other people.

In 2000, Randall Terry divorced Cindy Dean, his wife of 19 years, and married his former church assistant, Andrea Sue Kollmorgen.

Randall Terry stated, "The piece was intended to be incendiary and basically a satire," a protest against vehicles in the church parking lot which, he said, carried bumper stickers supporting pro-choice political candidates, particularly Rudy Giuliani.

In 2012, Randall Terry moved his growing family to Romney, West Virginia, to focus on his campaign.