Jim Stork

Jim Stork (born November 3, 1966) is an American businessman and politician from Florida.

Stork was born in Gainesville, Florida and grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and moved to New York City, where he became a salesman for Campbell Laboratories. Stork successfully landed Campbell's flagship product, the Herpecin cold sore remedy, on the shelves of Wal-Mart, which won him a promotion to chief operating officer. He briefly became president of the company in 1995 following the death of its founder; the company was then liquidated in keeping with the founder's will.

Stork then moved to Wilton Manors, Florida; where he opened Stork's Cafe and Bakery. The restaurant became popular after its opening in 1997, and Stork became a popular figure in the city's large gay community. He was elected mayor of Wilton Manors in 2002, succeeding John Fiore.[1] Wilton Manors thus became the first city in the United States to elect two consecutive openly gay mayors.

Stork became romantic partners with Ronald Ansin, a well-known Bostonian philanthropist, Democratic fundraiser, and brother of billionaire Edmund Ansin in 2002. The couple is very well known nationwide for their support of various social and political causes.

Stork announced his candidacy for Florida's 22nd congressional district in 2004, running as the Democratic nominee against seven-term incumbent Clay Shaw. Florida's 22nd congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress, located in southeast Florida.[5][6] Based in South Florida. The district was created in 1993 in response to the 1990 United States Census, mostly out of the former 15th District. E. Clay Shaw, Jr., who had represented the 15th and its predecessors since 1981. The district encompassed the coastline from central Broward County to northern Palm Beach County and was the center of the disputed 2000 presidential election in Florida and the ensuing recount.

Stork raised more than $1 million from over 9000 contributors, and was poised to give Shaw only his third credible challenge ever, even after the district was redrawn in 2003 in response to the 2000 United States Census, cutting out all of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Lazy Lake, Lighthouse Point, Sea Ranch Lakes, [[Wilton Manors[[, Oakland Park ([[Wilton Manors[[ and Oakland Park are notable for the their large LGBT population and minority residents) as well as portions of Coconut Creek, Deerfield Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sunrise. Farther north in Palm Beach County, this congressional district enveloped Atlantis, Boca Raton, Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Golf, Gulf Stream, Hypoluxo, Lake Clarke Shores, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach, Palm Springs, and South Palm Beach, and also includes sections of Boynton Beach, Lake Worth, Lantana, Riviera Beach, and West Palm Beach.

Although Stork was forced to drop out of the race in August 2004 due to a problematic heart condition, Florida's 22nd congressional redistricting of Wilton Manors and Oakland Park, were driving forces behind passage of the Fair Districts Amendments. A Florida Circuit Court issued an opinion in Romo v. Detzner, a case that examined whether Florida's congressional districts violate that state’s constitution. The final judgment of the court was that the congressional map drawn by the Florida legislature and adopted in 2012 violates the Fair District Amendments to Florida’s constitution which were adopted by citizen initiative in 2010 to remove partisan influence from the redistricting process. [[The League of Women Voters of Florida[[ was the lead organizational plaintiff in the lawsuit.


References

  1. ↑ Newest Gay Mecca Is Less of Key West, More of Mayberry. New York Times. May 15, 2004. Accessed July 19, 2008
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