Dirk Haire

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Dirk Haire is an attorney and Republican politician. Haire was born October 24, 1967 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Haire grew up in Indiana and later moved to Minnesota where he worked for the state Department of Agriculture. Haire moved to Crofton in Anne Arundel County in 1996 and now resides in Annapolis.

Haire has been employed by the prestigious law firm of Holland & Knight LLP at its Washington, D.C. office since 2001. He briefly left the firm to form his own firm, HaireLogan in 2004. The firm failed shortly after it opened, and Haire returned to Holland & Knight. Haire has claimed to be involved as General Counsel for the state Republican Party, but he is not listed as such and there is no mention of him on their web site.

Haire has not sought public office as an elected candidate. In September, 2001, he first announced his candidacy for public office, stating that he was running for County Council in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. He quit the race shortly thereafter.

In 2004 Haire announced that he was seeking the Republican Nomination for Anne Arundel County Executive in 2006. Haire came under heavy criticism in early 2005 for conducting a push poll for his campaign. His campaign had been led by political operative Carrie Geldart -- managing her second campaign -- who is also considering a run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 33A. Geldart quit the Haire campaign in May, 2005.

Haire withdrew from the County Executive's race on May 12, 2005 and endorsed John Leopold

Haire is a prolific donor, the vast majority to Republican candidates. As of May 2005, he donated to: Bob Ehrlich, E.J. Pipkin, Bob Duckworth, George W. Bush, Bob Baldwin, David G. Boschert, Gregory Kline, Michael Malone, Tony McConkey, Herb McMillan, Larry Myers, Ed Reilly, and Cathleen Vitale.

Haire donated to the 2004 campaign of Paul F. Harris who was running as a Republican for Judge of the Circuit Court, but also donated to the campaigns of the three Democrats appointed by Governor Parris Glendening to the Circuit Court. Haire did not support two other Republicans running in this race, one of whom won and one of whom lost by a very close margin.