Please answer the following question: Facts:   - jr/sr: united states senator    - birth name: thomas richard carper    - party: democratic    - alongside: chris coons    - predecessor: william wolf thomas evans mary jornlin v. roth , jr. . joe lieberman dale    - lieutenant: ruth ann minner      - birth date: 23 january 1947    - branch: 20px    - order: 71st governor of delaware    - spouse: diane beverly isaacs -lrb- divorced -rrb- martha ann stacy    - office: chairman of delaware of the senate committee on homeland security treasurer    - district: delaware al at-large    - term end: january 3 , 1993 january 3 , 1983 3 , 2015 january 3 , 2001 january    - unit: naval flight officer navy reserve    - name: tom carper    - website: senate website    - birth place: beckley , west virginia , u.s.    - successor: ron johnson ruth ann minner michael castle janet rzewnicki    - state: delaware delaware    - alma mater: ohio state university university of delaware    - battles: vietnam war    - allegiance: united states    - rank: 25px captain    - term start: january 19 , 1993 january 3 , 1983 january 18 , 3 1977 , 2001 january 3 , 2013 january    - image: tom carper , official portrait , 112th congress.jpg    - religion: presbyterianism    - governor: pierre du pont   Based on these bullet points, write a short biography describing the life of tom carper .
A:
thomas richard `` tom '' carper -lrb- born january 23 , 1947 -rrb- is the senior united states senator from delaware , serving since 2001 .a member of the democratic party , carper served in the united states house of representatives from 1983 to 1993 and was the 71st governor of delaware from 1993 to 2001 .a native of danville , virginia , carper graduated from ohio state university .serving as a naval flight officer in the u.s. navy from 1968 until 1973 , he flew the p-3 orion as a tactical coordinator/mission commander and saw active duty in the vietnam war .after leaving the active duty navy , he remained in the u.s. naval reserve for another 18 years and eventually retired with the rank of captain -lrb- o-6 -rrb- .upon receiving his mba from the university of delaware in 1975 , carper went to work for the state of delaware in its economic development office .he was elected state treasurer , serving from 1977 to 1983 and leading the development of delaware 's first cash management system .encouraged by local politicians , carper successfully ran for delaware 's only seat in the u.s. house of representatives in 1982 .he served five terms in the house , where he chaired the subcommittee on economic stabilization .in 1992 he arranged a swap with term-limited governor michael castle , and the two were easily elected to each other 's seats .carper governed for two terms as a moderate , business-oriented new democrat , following the lead of the two previous republican governors .he successfully prevented the closing of a general motors automobile plant and won a bid for the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant astrazeneca .he led a tax-reduction campaign and helped improve the state 's credit rating from among the worst in the nation to an excellent aaa .he pushed for standards-based education , among other reforms .carper was elected to the u.s. senate in 2000 , beating republican incumbent william v. roth , jr. .he was re-elected by landslides in 2006 and 2012 .as senator , he serves as one of...