Randall S. Harmon

{{Short description|American politician}}

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Randall Harmon

|image = Randall S. Harmon (Indiana Congressman).jpg

|state = Indiana

|district = {{ushr|IN|10|10th}}

|term_start = January 3, 1959

|term_end = January 3, 1961

|predecessor = Ralph Harvey

|successor = Ralph Harvey

|birth_date = {{birth date|1903|7|10}}

|birth_place = North Vernon, Indiana, U.S.

|death_date = {{death date and age|1982|8|19|1903|7|10}}

|death_place =

|party = Democratic

|otherparty =

|education =

|profession =

|spouse =

|residence =

}}

Randall S. "Front Porch" Harmon (July 19, 1903 – August 18, 1982) was a U.S. Representative from Indiana.

Harmon was born in North Vernon, Indiana and he graduated from North Vernon High School. Harmon also took extension courses in law and tool engineering. He was employed as a tool engineer with Delco Battery Operations in Muncie, Indiana from 1933 to 1959.

Harmon ran for Congress seven times from 1944 to 1956, running from 1944 to 1952 as a Republican and in 1954 and 1956 as a Democrat. He failed to win a Congressional primary once during this time.

Due to the Democratic party's landslide victory in the 1958 Congressional elections, Harmon was elected to Congress, defeating incumbent Ralph Harvey. During his term in office, Harmon attracted controversy by putting his wife on the Congressional payroll {{cite news

|title=10 New House Members Put Relatives on Payroll

|work=Washington Post

|date=February 21, 1959

}} and declaring his front porch a Congressional district office.{{cite news

|title=Congressman Collects U.S. Rent on Own Porch

|work=Los Angeles Times

|date=March 5, 1959

}} Harmon also explored the possibility of running for President in 1960,{{cite news

|title='Front Porch' Harmon Eyes 1600 Pa. Portico

|work=Washington Post

|date=June 25, 1960

}} but he refused to spend money on such a candidacy, and never proceeded to run.{{cite news

|title=HARMON HAT'S IN RING, BUT NOT IN $295 STATES

|publisher=Chicago Tribune

|date=October 14, 1959

}} Harmon won his primary with 30% of the vote in a field of nine candidates.[http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=414937 Our Campaigns] In the general election, he campaigned with a replica of a front porch on a truck,{{cite news

|title=HARMON TAKES 'PORCH' ALONG ON VOTE TOUR

|publisher=Chicago Tribune

|date=October 25, 1960

}} Harmon lost his bid for re-election in 1960 to Ralph Harvey.

After leaving office, Harmon campaigned for Congress in 1962.{{cite news

|title=Harmon to Run Again

|work=New York Times

|date=March 22, 1962

}} He then attempted to run for Congress in 1964, but he filed for Congress and the Delaware County Council, and the state ruled that he could run for neither office.{{cite news

|title='Front Porch' Harmon, former Indiana Congressman, dies at 79

|publisher=Chicago Tribune

|date=August 21, 1982

}} Harmon then ran for Congress eight more times from 1968 to 1982, failing to get out of the primary once, before dying in August 1982.