Gay Republican to Announce Potential Run for President on
Saturday, April 10th at 11:00 am at SRLC
Fred Who? It’ longtime Republican political consultant, turned national gay activist, Fred Karger. He will hold a press conference today to announce that he is “seriously considering becoming a candidate for President of the United States in 2012 as an Independent Republican.”
11:00 am on Saturday, April 10, 2010
Marlborough Room
Hilton New Orleans Riverside, 2 Poydras Street, New Orleans
The announcement is in conjunction with the Southern Republican Leadership Conference (SRLC) 2010 which is being held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside from April 8th thru April 11th. Karger’ press conference is not an official activity of the SRLC.
The SRLC is the most prominent Republican event outside of a Republican National Convention. It is held every two to four years and brings the top Republican activists, donors, candidates and elected officials together for three days of training, briefings, receptions and speeches from the leaders of the Republican Party.
Karger’ announcement will be delivered during the SRLC, which will be attended by nearly every major prospective candidate for President in 2012.
“The day after Sarah Palin speaks to the delegates, I will be speaking at a press conference,” said Karger. “I would be the first Republican to discuss the possibility of running for the Republican nomination, and to take on Barack Obama in 2012.”
Karger is not yet a household name. But, his political career spans nearly four decades, all behind the scenes until he retired in 2004.
He worked as a senor campaign aide on three Presidential campaigns. He has been involved in six other Presidential campaigns. Through his former firm the Dolphin Group he managed campaigns for Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, Congress, as well as ballot propositions and state and local races in several states.
In July 2008 Karger started Californians Against Hate to follow the money in California’ Proposition 8 campaign. He gained prominence by leading boycotts of four of the major donors to the Yes on 8 campaign. He also filed formal complaints with state election commissions in California and Maine that brought about ongoing investigations of the Mormon Church and the National Organization for Marriage.
If he becomes a candidate, Karger would be the first openly gay candidate for President of either political party.
