John Wolfe Jr.
John Wolfe Jr. | |
---|---|
Personal details | |
Born |
John McConnell Wolfe Jr. April 21, 1954 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Residence | Chattanooga, Tennessee |
Alma mater |
University of Tennessee (B.A.) Memphis State University (J.D.) |
John McConnell Wolfe Jr. (born April 21, 1954) is an American attorney and perennial political candidate. He challenged President Barack Obama for the Democratic Party's 2012 presidential nomination. He ultimately emerged as the most successful challenger, receiving the second-highest number of delegates (23) and popular votes (116,639).[1][2]
Political campaigns
Wolfe made an unsuccessful bid in 1998 for the Democratic congressional nomination in Tennessee's 3rd district.[1] In 2001, he ran for Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, and received 2.8% of the vote in that race, which was won by Bob Corker.[1] In 2002, he lost a second congressional bid in the 3rd District to then-U.S. Representative Zach Wamp, and garnered 34% of the vote as the Democratic nominee.[1] Wolfe faced Wamp again in a 2004 congressional rematch,[3] and was again defeated, this time acquiring 33% of the vote.[1] In 2007, he ran unsuccessfully in a special election for a Tennessee State Senate seat.[1][4]
Wolfe was fined $10,000 in 2008 after he failed to file a fourth-quarter campaign finance disclosure report for his 2007 State Senate campaign with the state as required by law. Until it is paid, Wolfe is barred from qualifying for election in any Tennessee state or local office.[1] In 2010, he ran for Congress in Tennessee's 3rd district,[5] and lost to Chuck Fleischmann 57%-28%.[6]
Wolfe has also made two runs the Democratic presidential primaries, in 2012 and in 2016.
Congressional campaigns
1998 congressional campaign
In 1998 Wolfe ran, unsuccessfully, in the Democratic primary for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.
2002 congressional campaign
John McConnel Wolfe Jr for Congress | |
---|---|
Campaign | 2002 US congressional elections, Tennessee's 3rd district |
Candidate | John Wolfe Jr. |
In the 2002 race for Tennessee's 3rd district, Wolfe was the Democratic challenger to incumbent Republican Zach Wamp. Wolfe ultimately lost to Wamp.
Below is the result of the general election
2010 election for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district[7] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |||
Republican | Zach Wamp | 112,254 | 64.54% | |||
Democratic | John Wolfe, Jr | 58,824 | 33.82% | |||
Independent | William C. Bolen | 1,743 | 1.00% | |||
Independent | Timothy A. Sevier | 947 | 0.54% | |||
Independent | Write-in | 153 | ||||
2004 congressional campaign
John McConnel Wolfe Jr for Congress | |
---|---|
Campaign | 2004 US congressional elections, Tennessee's 3rd district |
Candidate | John Wolfe Jr. |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Headquarters | 3815 Forest Highlands Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37415[8] |
Key people | Albert F. Teague Jr. treasurer[8] |
Receipts | US$180[8] |
In 2004 Wolfe again was nominated to run against Wamp for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.[3] Wolfe lost again. Wolfe, however, was able to garner a greater number and a greater percent of the vote in 2004 than he had in 2002.
Below is the result of the general election
2010 election for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district[9] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |||
Republican | Zach Wamp | 166,154 | 64.7% | |||
Democratic | John Wolfe, Jr | 84,295 | 32.8% | |||
Independent | June Griffin | 3,018 | 1.2% | |||
Independent | Doug Vandagriff | 1,696 | 0.7% | |||
Independent | Jean Howard-Hill | 1,473 | 0.6% | |||
Campaign finances
Detailed below are the FEC-filed finances of his 2004 congressional campaign committee as of 12/31/2008[8]
Financial Source | Amount (USD) |
---|---|
Itemized Individual Contributions | 0 |
Unitemized Individual Contributions | 90 |
Party Committees Contributions | 0 |
Other Committees Contributions | 20 |
Candidate Contributions | 90 |
Total Contributions | 180 |
Transfers from Authorized Committees | 0 |
Candidate Loans | 0 |
Other Loans | 0 |
Offsets to Operating Expenditures | 0 |
Other Receipts | 0 |
Total Receipts | 180 |
Disbursements | Amount (USD) |
---|---|
Operating Expenditures | 210 |
Transfers To Authorized Committees | 0 |
Candidate Loan Repayments | 0 |
Other Loan Repayments | 0 |
Individual Contribution Refunds | 0 |
Political Party Contribution Refunds | 0 |
Other Committee Contribution Refunds | 0 |
Other Disbursements | 0 |
Total Disbursements | 210 |
Category | Amount (USD) |
---|---|
Beginning Cash On Hand | 12,920 |
Current Cash On Hand | 12,890 |
Net Contributions | 180 |
Net Operating Expenditures | 210 |
Debts/Loans Owed By Campaign | 0 |
Debts/Loans Owed To Campaign | 0 |
2010 congressional campaign
John McConnel Wolfe Jr for Congress | |
---|---|
Campaign | 2010 US congressional elections, Tennessee's 3rd district |
Candidate | John Wolfe Jr. |
In 2010 Wolfe again ran for Congress in Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.[5] He ultimately lost to Chuck Fleischmann 57% to 28%.[6]
Wolfe faced three other candidates for the Democratic nomination. The three other candidates on the August 2010 Democratic primary ballots were Alicia Mitchel of Oak Ridge, Brenda Freeman Short of East Ridge, and Brent Staton of Chattanooga.[10] Several candidates had dropped-out ahead of the primary, including Tom Humphrey,[11][12] Paula Flowers of Oak Ridge (a former member of Governor Phil Bredesen's cabinet), and Brent Benedict (who was the 2006 Democratic nominee for the 3rd district).[13]
Below is the result of the general election
2010 election for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district[14] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | Percentage | |||
Republican | Chuck Fleischmann | 92,032 | 56.79% | |||
Democratic | John Wolfe, Jr | 45,387 | 28.00% | |||
Independent | Savas T. Kyriakidis | 17,077 | 10.54% | |||
Independent | Mark DeVol | 5,773 | 3.56% | |||
Independent | Don Barkman | 811 | 0.50% | |||
Independent | Gregory C. Goodwin | 380 | 0.24% | |||
Independent | Robert Humphries | 380 | 0.24% | |||
Independent | Mo Kiah | 216 | 0.13% | |||
Totals | 162,056 | 100.00% |
Presidential campaigns
2012 presidential campaign
Wolfe 2012 | |
---|---|
Campaign | United States presidential election, 2012 |
Candidate | John Wolfe Jr. |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Headquarters | 3815 Forest Highlands Drive, Chattanooga, TN 37415[8] |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Wolfe Jr. presidential campaign, 2012. |
Wikinews has related news: Wikinews interviews John Wolfe, Democratic Party presidential challenger to Barack Obama |
Platform
Wolfe supports a return to the Glass-Steagall Act to separate speculative activity from commercial banking. He favors the use of Anti-Trust Laws to reduce the size of "megabanks," and proposes a tax on financial derivatives. He also proposes an "Alternate Federal Reserve" which would loan to community banks, small business, and individuals, as opposed to the Federal Reserve Bank, which, Wolfe contends, serves primarily the interests of the six largest banks. Wolfe is also a critic of the Affordable Care Act, saying that it is oriented primarily toward helping the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Instead, he supports Medicare for All.[15]
Reception
Wolfe took part in the New Hampshire "lesser known candidates forum" in December 2011.[16] He qualified for the ballot in the New Hampshire Democratic primary, in which he received 246 votes, 0.4% of the vote total. In addition to New Hampshire,[1] he qualified for presidential primary ballots in the states of Missouri,[17] Louisiana[18] and Arkansas.[19]
In the Louisiana primary, Wolfe polled 11.83%[20] which qualified him to earn a minimum of three delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[18][21][22] Following the primary, officials of the Democratic Party of Louisiana announced that Wolfe was ineligible for the delegates he had apparently won because, according to the party officials, Wolfe had not properly complied with the party's qualification requirements.[23][24] In response, Wolfe filed a lawsuit against the party, disputing the claim that he did not qualify to receive the delegates.[23][24]
Following incumbent President Barack Obama's narrower-than-expected primary win in West Virginia, where convicted felon Keith Russell Judd finished a strong second as a protest vote, press began to speculate on the possibility of Wolfe, who lacks Judd's criminal record, possibly contending and even winning the state of Arkansas.[25][26] A poll conducted by Hendrix College of Democrats in Arkansas's 4th congressional district showed Wolfe within seven points of Obama there.[27] Wolfe finished second in that primary, garnering 41.6% of the vote.[28] He filed a legal action to have delegates seated at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[29]
Wolfe contested the Texas Democratic primary, garnering 5.05 percent of the vote, winning one county (Borden County) and tying in another (Sherman County). No delegates were at stake in the contest.[30]
Wolfe lost his court case one week before the convention, and as a result, neither he nor any other candidates other than Obama had their delegates seated.[31]
Below is a table of the results of primary competitions he competed in during the Democratic primaries.
Date | Contest | Votes | Place | Percent | Delegates (hard count) | Delegates (floor count) | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jan 10 | New Hampshire primary | 245 | 15th of 27 | 0.40 | 0 | 0 | The Green Papers |
Feb 7 | Missouri primary | 1,000 | 3rd of 4 | 1.37 | 0 | 0 | The Green Papers |
March 24 | Louisiana primary | 17,804 | 2nd of 4 | 11.82 | 4 (5.56%) | 0 | The Green Papers |
May 22 | Arkansas primary | 67,711 | 2nd of 2 | 41.63 | 19 (34.55%) | 0 | The Green Papers |
May 29 | Texas primary | 29,879 | 2nd of 4 | 5.06 | 0 | 0 | The Green Papers |
Total | 116,639 | 2nd | 1.43 | 23 | 0 |
General election campaign as an 'Independent Democrat'
After the Democratic Primaries, Wolfe continued his presidential campaign. In the 2012 general election Wolfe was included as a write-in candidate for the state of Idaho's presidential ballot. Wolfe failed to receive a single vote. Republican Party nominee Mitt Romney and his running mate Paul Ryan came first in Idaho's general election, and thus received Idaho's four votes in the Electoral College. Incumbent President Barack Obama and incumbent Vice President Joe Biden, however, won the overall national election.[32]
2016 presidential campaign
Wolfe 2016 | |
---|---|
Campaign | United States presidential election, 2016 |
Candidate | John Wolfe Jr. |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Status | Active |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to John Wolfe Jr. presidential campaign, 2016. |
In November 2015, Wolfe filed for the Arkansas presidential primary.[33]
Below is a table of the results of primary competitions he's competed in during the Democratic primaries.
Date | Contest | Votes | Place | Percent | Delegates | Source(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Feb 9 | New Hampshire primary | 54 | 9th of 28 | 0.02 | 0 | The Green Papers |
March 1 | Arkansas primary | 2,539 | 4th of 6 | 1.16 | 0 | The Green Papers |
March 5 | Louisiana primary | 4,507 | 4th of 10 | 1.45 | 0 | The Green Papers |
March 15 | Missouri primary | 245 | 9th of 9 | 0.04 | 0 | The Green Papers |
June 7 | California primary | TBD | TBD of 7 | TBD | TBD | The Green Papers |
Total (Current) | 7,352 | 0.03 | 0 | The Green Papers |
Personal
Wolfe resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Carroll, Chris (December 20, 2011). "Chattanooga man John Wolfe running for president in New Hampshire". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ Tupper, Leean (March 4, 2012). "John Wolfe running for President". OakRidger.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 "Wolfe Says Wamp Should Abide By Term Limit, PAC Pledges". The Chattanoogan. July 14, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ Frank, Judy (September 11, 2007). "Wolfe, Whittaker Take Campaigns To JFK Club". The Chattanoogan. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 Huotari , John (September 10, 2010). "Wolfe: Conservative, Fleischmann 'radical'?". OakRidger.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 "Results Summary of Tennessee Races". MyFox Memphis. November 3, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ "STATISTICS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2, 2004" (PDF). clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "FEC Viewer". Federal Election Commission. Retrieved May 27, 2016.
- ↑ "STATISTICS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2, 2004" (PDF). clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ↑ Democratic Primary Unofficial Results, Tennessee Election Commission website, accessed August 6, 2010
- ↑ Congressional candidate money notes, Humphrey on the Hill, Knoxville News Sentinel website, October 15, 2009
- ↑ Joe Lance, What Kind of Democrat Will Win the Third District Primary?, September 28, 2009
- ↑ 3rd District hopefuls tout finances, AllBusiness.com website, attributed to Chattanooga Times Free Press, October 17, 2009
- ↑ "STATISTICS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 2, 2010" (PDF). clerk.house.gov. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ↑ John Wolfe on the Issues, campaign website
- ↑ Ríos, Simón (December 20, 2011). "Lesser-known candidates bring colorful campaigns to St. Anselm". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Missouri Democrat: Presidential nominating process". The Green Papers. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 Tilove, Jonathan (March 26, 2012). "Louisiana primary makes its mark". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ "Democrat files in Arkansas to run against Obama". WDEF-TV. Associated Press. March 1, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ Winger, Richard (March 27, 2012). "Little-Known Democratic Presidential Candidate May Have Polled Enough Votes in Louisiana for a Delegate". Ballot Access News. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ Tilove, Jonathan (March 27, 2012). "Democratic challenger to Barack Obama picks off delegates in Louisiana". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ↑ Tilove, Jonathan (March 28, 2012). "John Wolfe faces challenge to place on Texas ballot". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- 1 2 Pare, Mike (April 18, 2012). "John Wolfe cries foul in Louisiana primary". Chattanooga Times Free Press. WRCB. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- 1 2 Tilove, Jonathan (April 23, 2012). "President Obama will clinch renomination Tuesday, but it may not be unanimous". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
- ↑ Kristol, William (May 9, 2012). Arkansas's moment: John Wolfe for president? The Weekly Standard. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ↑ Pappas, Alex (May 16, 2012). Obscure candidate in Ark. optimistic after poll shows him in competitive race with Obama. The Daily Caller. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ↑ Brock, Roby (May 15, 2012). Obama In For A Battle In The Fourth, Romney On Cruise Control. TalkBusiness. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- ↑ Parker, Suzi (May 23, 2012). Obama struggles in Kentucky, Arkansas primaries. Reuters. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
- ↑ Candidate who won 42 percent in Arkansas Democratic primary sues for his delegates. Fox News. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
- ↑ Wolfe fails to repeat Arkansas success as Obama easily wins Texas primary. KDFW. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
- ↑ Tau, Byron (September 3, 2012). Convention vote expected to be unanimous for Obama. Politico. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
- ↑ "Idaho 2012 General Election". The Green Papers. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ↑ "The Latest: Late congressman's son running for state House". Times Union. Associated Press. November 9, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
External links
- John Wolfe for America, official 2012 campaign site
- Extremely Unofficial John Wolfe Jr. for President 2012 Page
- Appearances on C-SPAN