John Wolfe, Jr.

John Wolfe, Jr.
Personal details
Born John Wolfe, Jr.
Political party Democratic Party
Residence Chattanooga, Tennessee
Website www.johnwolfeforamerica.com

John Wolfe, Jr., 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 amount of delegates and popular votes.[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]

2012 presidential campaign

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.[7]

Reception

Wikinews has related news: Wikinews interviews John Wolfe, Democratic Party presidential challenger to Barack Obama

Wolfe took part in the New Hampshire "lesser known candidates forum" in December 2011.[8] 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,[9] Louisiana[10] and Arkansas.[11]

In the Louisiana primary, Wolfe polled 11.83%[12] which qualified him to earn a minimum of three delegates to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[10][13][14] 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.[15][16] In response, Wolfe filed a lawsuit against the party, disputing the claim that he did not qualify to receive the delegates.[15][16]

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.[17][18] A poll conducted by Hendrix College of Democrats in Arkansas's 4th congressional district showed Wolfe within seven points of Obama there.[19] Wolfe finished second in that primary, garnering 41.6% of the vote.[20] He plans on filing legal action to have delegates seated at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[21]

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.[22]

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.[23]

Personal

Wolfe resides in Chattanooga, Tennessee.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Carroll, Chris (December 20, 2011). "Chattanooga man John Wolfe running for president in New Hampshire". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  2. ↑ Tupper, Leean (March 4, 2012). "John Wolfe running for President". OakRidger.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Wolfe Says Wamp Should Abide By Term Limit, PAC Pledges". The Chattanoogan. July 14, 2004. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  4. ↑ Frank, Judy (September 11, 2007). "Wolfe, Whittaker Take Campaigns To JFK Club". The Chattanoogan. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  5. ↑ Huotari , John (September 10, 2010). "Wolfe: Conservative, Fleischmann 'radical'?". OakRidger.com. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Results Summary of Tennessee Races". MyFox Memphis. November 3, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  7. ↑ John Wolfe on the Issues, campaign website
  8. ↑ Ríos, Simón (December 20, 2011). "Lesser-known candidates bring colorful campaigns to St. Anselm". New Hampshire Union Leader. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Missouri Democrat: Presidential nominating process". The Green Papers. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Tilove, Jonathan (March 26, 2012). "Louisiana primary makes its mark". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Democrat files in Arkansas to run against Obama". WDEF-TV. Associated Press. March 1, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  12. ↑ 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.
  13. ↑ Tilove, Jonathan (March 27, 2012). "Democratic challenger to Barack Obama picks off delegates in Louisiana". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  14. ↑ Tilove, Jonathan (March 28, 2012). "John Wolfe faces challenge to place on Texas ballot". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Pare, Mike (April 18, 2012). "John Wolfe cries foul in Louisiana primary". Chattanooga Times Free Press. WRCB. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Tilove, Jonathan (April 23, 2012). "President Obama will clinch renomination Tuesday, but it may not be unanimous". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  17. ↑ Kristol, William (May 9, 2012). Arkansas's moment: John Wolfe for president? The Weekly Standard. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  18. ↑ 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.
  19. ↑ Brock, Roby (May 15, 2012). Obama In For A Battle In The Fourth, Romney On Cruise Control. TalkBusiness. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  20. ↑ Parker, Suzi (May 23, 2012). Obama struggles in Kentucky, Arkansas primaries. Reuters. Retrieved May 23, 2012.
  21. ↑ Candidate who won 42 percent in Arkansas Democratic primary sues for his delegates. Fox News. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  22. ↑ Wolfe fails to repeat Arkansas success as Obama easily wins Texas primary. KDFW. Retrieved May 30, 2012.
  23. ↑ Tau, Byron (September 3, 2012). Convention vote expected to be unanimous for Obama. Politico. Retrieved September 4, 2012.

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