John McKager "Mac" Stipanovich (born November 26, 1948) is an American lobbyist, political strategist, and activist, best known for his role in the 2000 United States presidential election recount in Florida, in which he helped advise then-Secretary of State of Florida, Katherine Harris.[1][2][3]
Early life and education
Stipanovich was born in Ocala, Florida. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Florida in 1972, followed by a Juris Doctor from the Fredric G. Levin College of Law in 1974.
Career
Stipanovich previously served as chief of staff to Florida Governor Bob Martinez from 1987 to 1991. After that, he served on Jeb Bush's gubernatorial campaign against Lawton Chiles during the 1994 Florida gubernatorial election.[4]
Stipanovich is portrayed in the HBO film Recount by Bruce McGill. The film, which had a broadcast premiere on May 25, 2008, chronicled the events in Florida during the presidential election lawsuits and appeals.[5]
Stipanovich has written op-ed columns for The New York Times, Tampa Bay Times, Sun-Sentinel, and others. Since the 2016 United States presidential election, Stipanovich has been critical of President Donald Trump and the Republican Party, calling the latter "...isolationist, protectionist, nativist, and xenophobic."[6] In 2019, Stipanovich registered as a Democrat, stating that he was supportive of 2020 candidates Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Amy Klobuchar. In a February 2020 op-ed for the Tampa Bay Times, Stipanovich stated that he would be "voting in the Democratic primary for the first time in 40 years."[7] In March 2020, Stipanovich officially endorsed Joe Biden.[8]
References
- ^ Levey-Baker, Cooper, War Room: A Katherine Harris Adviser Reflects on the High Stress and High Stakes of the 2000 Recount, Sarasota Magazine, February, 2016, volume 38, Number 6, page 54
- ^ "War Room: A Katherine Harris Adviser Reflects on the High Stress and High Stakes of the 2000 Recount". Highbeam.com. February 1, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved July 7, 2017.
- ^ "HBO's 'Recount': But Who's Counting?". Nysun.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ Flegenheimer, Matt (2020-02-04). "Everyone Kept Saying Politics Was Broken. Well?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
- ^ "Recount (TV Movie 2008)". IMDb.
- ^ Moran, Lee (2020-01-03). "Longtime Republican Strategist Rails Against What GOP Has Become Under Trump". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
- ^ "I'll be voting in the Democratic primary for the first time in 40 years | Column". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
- ^ "Former Florida Republican supports Biden, but will Bernie supporters do the same if Sanders loses?". Daily Kos. Retrieved 2020-04-07.