Name Ken Wolf Home Fort Lauderdale, Florida Profession Public Relations Executive Office Sought Fort Lauderdale City Commission Primary Date February 8, 1994 Run-Off Date March 8, 1994 Ken Wolf for Fort Lauderdale City Commission Fast-growing Florida is now the fourth largest state in the union. Yet it falls woefully short when it comes to the number of lesbians and gays holding elected office. Only recently has the tide begun to turn with the election of openly gay candidates in two small South Florida communities John Fiore in Wilton Manors and Chris Wilson in Oakland Park. With Fort Lauderdale now the second largest city in South Florida, Ken Wolf's election would signal the first time an openly gay candidate was elected to represent a major Florida City. Ken Wolf is now in the final stretch of his campaign for City Commission. He is running neck-and-neck with the incumbent and needs a final boost to make it across the finish line first. With your help, he can win. The Campaign In February 1994, Wolf started his campaign on a historic note: he was the first candidate in Florida to declare for a 1994 race, and the earliest announced city commission candidate in the history of Fort Lauderdale. His strategy has been to keep a step ahead on fundraising and grassroots organizing and his efforts are paying off. Wolf's legion of supporters, dubbed the "WOLFPACK," has grown steadily and recently passed the 1,000 mark. Unfortunately, hatemongers have targeted Ken Wolf. A number of his lawn signs have been torched KKK-style, and a written bomb threat forced the evacuation of his entire office complex. Concerned about this and other threats directed against Wolf, Florida police authorities have launched an thorough investigation. As a Florida business leader and community activist, Ken Wolf is well- versed on the issues that affect to his community. At the same time that Wolf has been solidifying his support, the incumbent, Carey Keno, has made mistakes which have alienated his constituents. Keno was labeled "Villain of the Week" by a local newspaper after he was caught using City Hall staff to process a political mailing. Processing this mailing cost the taxpayers thousands of dollars in staff time. Many voters feel that the quality of life in Fort Lauderdale's neighborhoods has declined dramatically during Keno's three-year term. And many Fort Lauderdale residents are angered that there has been a marked increase in violent crimes including gay bashings at the same time that the city commission has allowed police staffing to decline. Wolf, on the other hand, has been unanimously endorsed by the Fort Lauderdale Fraternal Order of Police and has offered detailed proposals that would raise funds to meet public safety needs without raising taxes. Endorsed by the popular and progressive former Mayor of Fort Lauderdale, Virginia Young, Wolf has won the strong support of board members from every homeowners and civic association in his district When he secured the nod of the Florida Consumer Action Network, the influential statewide citizen and environmental lobby, their endorsement read, "You are a model leader for the 21st Century. You have an optimistic, can-do attitude that is desperately needed in Florida government. Through your record of community service, you have proven yourself as an environmentalist and a humanitarian concerned about the needs of all segments of our community." The Candidate A native of South Florida, Ken Wolf is a senior executive with a marketing and public relations agency, where he specializes in community and media relations. His impressive political resume includes tenures as deputy press secretary to former U.S. Senator Lawton Chiles in Washington, as South Florida coordinator for Chiles' successful 1990 gubernatorial campaign and as a member of the Florida steering committee for Clinton/Gore '92. He is an appointed member of the City of Fort Lauderdale Community Appearance Board, communications director of the Broward County Democratic Executive Committee and the vice president of both the Greater Fort Lauderdale Democratic club and the Broward Young Democrats. Wolf also serves on the Public Policy Panel of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and is a director of the Environmental Coalition, the Broward Education Foundation, the Florida Consumer Action Network, and the United Way's Volunteer Broward. He is also an active member of National Organization for Women and Voice for Choice. Ken Wolf is a magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University, and a guest lecturer for Nova University's Non-Profit Management Institute. Volunteerism runs in his blood. In 1984, both Ken and his family were honored at a White House ceremony as one of nine "Great American Families" in recognition of their community service activities. Ken has been named an "Up & Comer" finalist by South Florida magazine and "Downtowner of the Month" by Fort Lauderdale Downtown. Ken has also received special recognition for his community service from the NAACP. The District Over the past three decades, Fort Lauderdale has grown rapidly from the small-town setting of Where the Boys Are to South Florida's second largest city. Ken's District II includes Fort Lauderdale beach and downtown Fort Lauderdale with its surrounding neighborhoods such as Victoria Park. The single-member district has more than 30,000 residents and is believed to have the largest concentration of lesbian and gay residents in the state. Working for the Gay and Lesbian Community Ken founded the Progressive Reform Coalition to foster better communications between Broward County police agencies and their minority and gay constituents. He actively supports AIDS agencies such as Center One and Broward House, and is a member of many community organizations including Broward United Against Discrimination, Dade ActionPAC, Sunshine Athletic Association, and GUARD. Can He Win? Yes. In 1992, Ken appeared on the ballot for a local Democratic party post and proved his electability by pulling over 60% of the vote in a three-way race. He was consequently elected to serve as the Democratic party's Area Leader for all of Fort Lauderdale. Impressed with the strength of the Wolf campaign, political writers have good things to say. "Forward-thinking Ken Wolf has launched a campaign for Fort Lauderdale City Commission and diversity in our community is one of his key issues...Wolf has taken fast action in this non- partisan race." --The Weekly News "Wolf brings some big-time political skills to the City Commission race." --Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel Why Ken Wolf's Election Matters to You South Florida is one of the biggest vacation destinations in the United States and anyone who visits Florida has a stake in helping the state foster a progressive climate that embraces diversity. It is also the target of an anti-gay ballot initiative engineered by the radical right. We need strong, capable openly gay officials like Ken Wolf will be, to lead the fight against bigotry and hatred. Why Your Contribution Matters to Ken Wolf When Ken Wolf entered this race last year, six other viable candidates were circling the incumbent. By campaigning early and hard, Wolf has successfully narrowed the field to himself the incumbent, and a lesser- known third candidate. Because of his tireless campaigning, Wolf has the momentum going into the final stretch. But his strong position has created an air of complacency among supporters which has hampered his recent fundraising efforts. Meanwhile, the incumbent has been collecting big contributions from the city's developers, lobbyists, and vendors. Wisely, Wolf is still running like he's behind in the polls, and is depending on supporters like you to make the difference in this race. To Support Ken Wolf Make your checks payable to: Ken Wolf Campaign And mail them to: The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund 1012 14th Street, N.W., Suite 707 Washington, DC 20005 Individual and corporate contributions are allowed to a maximum of $500 each. Paid for by the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and authorized by the Friends of Ken Wolf. Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund voice: 202-842-8679 fax: 202-289-3863 email: victoryf@aol.com