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Ken V. Krawchuk
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Ken V. Krawchuk (born February 25, 1953) is a Libertarian Party activist, writer, inventor, public speaker, business architect, Information Technology professional, and outdoorsman. Political activist Krawchuk has been a political activist since 1993, serving in the Libertarian Party as a candidate and a party official at all levels. He has run as a candidate for public office eight times under the Libertarian Party banner, including two record-breaking campaigns for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1998 and 2002. In 2000, he sought the Libertarian Party's 2000 vice-presidential nomination, ultimately placing third in a field of five. In January 2003 he declared his intent to seek the Libertarian Party's 2004 presidential nomination, but bowed out of the race in May 2003 citing professional commitments. Krawchuk also ran for U.S. Congress in 2000, Pennsylvania State Representative in 1994, and Abington Township (Pennsylvania) Commissioner in 1995, 1997, 2001, and 2005. Krawchuk served two terms as the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania from December 2002 until March 2004, and as the state party's Legislative Action Committee chair from March 2004 until May 2012. He was selected as a Pennsylvania delegate to the Libertarian Party National Convention in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. He also served as the chair of the Libertarian Party in 1999, plus various other leadership roles for the county. He has filled the post of county party Secretary since January 2008. Candidate for Pennsylvania governor Krawchuk's name has appeared on the ballot for Governor of Pennsylvania in 1998 and 2002. Both campaigns garnered a record percentage of votes for that office within the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party. Krawchuk has refused to run for statewide office again, citing the "chilling" effect of recent court decisions which upheld that statewide candidates are liable for civil fees of over $80,000 if their nominating petitions are successfully challenged in court. Krawchuk remains the last third-party or independent gubernatorial candidate to appear on the Pennsylvania ballot, due primarily to the ballot access requirements levied against third-party and independent candidates. Under state law, statewide candidates who are members of the Democratic and Republican Parties are required to collect between 1,000 and 2,000 signatures from registered voters to appear on the ballot, but all others must collect a varying number of signatures, ranging from 21,032 in 2002 to 67,070 in 2006. Gubernatorial campaign, 1998 Krawchuk was nominated candidate for Governor by the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania in March 1998 at their annual convention in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, defeating Pittsburgh resident Henry Haller III on the first ballot. Haller was subsequently chosen as the party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Krawchuk faced Tom Ridge (Republican), Ivan Itkin (Democrat), and Peg Luksik (Constitution). During the campaign, Krawchuk participated in two major debates. The first, held in Lancaster PA, was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters, and broadcast statewide. The second, held in Philadelphia PA, was sponsored by the League of Women Voters, and broadcast nationally. On election day, the Krawchuk/Haller ticket received 1.10% of the vote (33,591 votes total), the first Libertarian gubernatorial ticket in Pennsylvania to break the 1% mark, and surpassing the existing record of 0.94% set by the Patrick Fallon/Vincent Hatton ticket of 1994. Gubernatorial campaign, 2002 Krawchuk was nominated candidate for Governor by the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania in April 2002 at their annual convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Henry Haller III was chosen as the party's candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Krawchuk ran unopposed for the nomination, as did Haller. Krawchuk faced Edward G. Rendell (Democrat), D. Michael Fisher (Republican), and Michael Morrill (Green). During the campaign, Krawchuk participated in four major debates. The first, held at Penn State University in State College PA, was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Economy League and broadcast nationally. The second, held at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre PA, was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and broadcast nationally. The third, held at the State Theatre in Easton PA, was sponsored by the Easton Express-Times and broadcast statewide. The fourth, held at the Harrisburg Forum Auditorium in Harrisburg PA, was sponsored by the NAACP and broadcast statewide. One of the more notable features of the campaign was Krawchuk's penchant for tearing up dollar bills to demonstrate how most of a tax dollar is wasted by the bureaucracy. In response, his Republican opponent Mike Fisher called for Krawchuk to be barred from future debates. On election day, the Krawchuk/Haller ticket received 1.14% of the vote (40,923 votes total), breaking their own percentage record from 1998, and setting a new record for the number of votes received by any Pennsylvania Libertarian gubernatorial ticket. Candidate for U.S. Vice President Krawchuk was an unsuccessful contender for the Libertarian Party's Vice Presidential nomination in the 2000 election. The campaign Krawchuk kicked off his campaign at the Delaware Libertarian Party's state convention on March 4, 2000 ("March Forth on March Fourth"), followed by appearances at several other state conventions, including, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. In the final three weeks prior to the nominating convention in Anaheim, California, Krawchuk and his family staged a "whistle stop" tour of the nation via Amtrak, with major stops in Pennsylvania, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California. Vice-Presidential Nominating Convention Libertarian Party rules require that the Vice Presidential candidate to be nominated by the delegates at their national convention in the same manner as the Presidential candidate is selected, that is, by a majority vote of the convention delegates. Krawchuk was opposed for the vice-presidential nomination by three Californians, Art Olivier, Steve Kubby, and Gail Lightfoot, plus "none of the above". After no candidate received a majority on the first ballot, Lightfoot's name was dropped from the ballot, per party rules, because she received the lowest number of votes. But before the second round of balloting began, having only received 70 votes (9%) on the first ballot versus 333 for Olivier, 303 for Kubby, 7 for Lightfoot, and 45 for others, Krawchuk withdrew his name and endorsed Olivier, who then defeated Kubby by a vote of 418 to 338. Candidate for U.S. President In late 2002, Krawchuk was approached by numerous libertarian activists who asked him to consider running for the . An ad hoc exploratory committee was established to test the waters, with positive results. By March 2003, Krawchuk had risen to third place in the Cass County (MO) Libertarian poll, and had made several public appearances, most notably on the Harry Browne radio show. However, Krawchuk withdrew in May 2003, citing professional commitments. Candidate for U.S Congress, Pennsylvania 2nd District In July 2000, Krawchuk was asked by the national Libertarian Party to run for Pennsylvania's Second District Congressional seat. Their goal was to assemble a slate of Libertarian Congressional candidates which would span a majority of seats. Krawchuk agreed, and became one of 256 Libertarian candidates who ran for seats in the House of Representatives that year This was the first time in over 80 years that any third party has contested a majority of House seats. Krawchuk faced Democrat Chaka Fattah and no Republican. Owing to such a late start, Krawchuk garnered a mere 1.8% of the vote. Candidate for Pennsylvania State Representative Krawchuk has run twice for State Representative in Pennsylvania's 153rd District in suburban Philadelphia. State Representative campaign, 1994 Krawchuk's first political campaign was in 1994 where he faced Republican Ellen Bard, Democrat David Barol, and Independent George Stevenson. Krawchuk participated in four debates, the first sponsored by the Glenside Everywoman's Club, the second by the League of Women Voters, the third by United We Stand America, and the fourth by the McKinley Civic Association. In one of the more-notable features of the race, Krawchuk became the first third-party candidate ever to be endorsed by the Pennsylvania National Rifle Association. On election day, Krawchuk finished third with 5% of the vote, placing behind the winner Ellen Bard and David Barol, but ahead of George Stevenson's 4%. State Representative campaign, 2012 Krawchuk's most-recent political campaign is currently underway where he is facing Republican Mattiacci and Democrat Madeline Dean. The election is scheduled to be held on November 6, 2012. Candidate for Township Commissioner, Abington Township, Pennsylvania In addition to his higher-profile races, Krawchuk has run for Abington Township Commissioner in four successive elections: 1995, 1997, 2001, and 2005. 1995 Candidate for Township Commissioner in Ward 4, Abington Township, Pennsylvania A special election was held in November 1995 to fill the seat vacated by the death of President Commissioner Richard Fluge. Aside from Krawchuk running on the Libertarian Party ticket, the only other candidate to appear on the ballot was Republican Stanford Gross. In an attempt to bolster his chances for victory, Krawchuk challenged Gross' signature filing and other paperwork, requesting the Montgomery County Common Pleas Court to strike his name from the ballot. Gross ultimately prevailed in the action, and he went on to defeat Krawchuk 75% to 25%. 1997 Candidate for Township Commissioner in Ward 4, Abington Township, Pennsylvania Krawchuk ran again on the Libertarian Party ticket in 1997, running his most-active local campaign before or since. It was featured by the national Libertarian Party as one of three "campaigns to watch". He faced the incumbent Republican Stanford Gross and Democratic newcomer Pamela Reiss. Krawchuk knocked on thousands of constituent doors, sent four direct-mail pieces, and participated in two debates. Come election day, Krawchuk came in third with 11% of the vote. 2001 Candidate for Township Commissioner in Ward 4, Abington Township, Pennsylvania In 2001 Krawchuk ran a "paper campaign" as a Libertarian for Abington Township Commissioner against incumbent Republican Stanford Gross and Democrat Andy Leader-Smith. Aside from filing the paperwork required by the state and responding to media requests, Krawchuk did virtually no campaigning; hence the term "paper campaign". As a result, he came in third with 2% of the vote. 2005 Candidate for Township Commissioner in Ward 4, Abington Township, Pennsylvania Taking a new tack, Krawchuk ran again in 2005 for Abington Township Commissioner, except this time as a registered Libertarian in the Democratic primary. Pennsylvania law permits such cross-filing provided that all signatories to his petition are registered Democrats and that Krawchuk does not file paperwork to appear on the ballot under any other party. He faced Democratic political newcomer Matthew S. Fineberg who ultimately won the race with 76.42% to Krawchuk's 23.58% Libertarian Party Official Krawchuk has served as an official of the Libertarian Party at many levels, including: * Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (2002-2004) * Eastern Vice Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (1995-1996) * Legislative Action Committee Chair, Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania (2004-2012) * Chair, Montgomery County (PA) Libertarian Committee (1999-2000) * Secretary, Montgomery County (PA) Libertarian Committee (2006-present) * Secretary, Delaware County (PA) Libertarian Committee (1997-2001) * Chair, Abington/Rockledge Libertarian Committee (1996-present) * Delegate, Libertarian Party National Convention (1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004) * Libertarian Presidential Elector to the Electoral College (2012) Inventor In 1995, Krawchuk, along with Barton Smith of Ridley Park, PA, was granted the United States patent which formed the backbone of the Business Architecture System, patent number 5,418,942, entitled, "System and Method for Storing and Managing Information". The core concept is that any information system can be represented exclusively by connections, an approach known as Connection Based Architecture, Two more patents, numbers 5,564,119, and 5,960,437, expanded upon the basic concept to include a user-friendly interface and to incorporate various management features. Entrepreneur Over the course of his professional career, Krawchuk founded or co-founded several companies, two of which are still in operation. He has been a member of the Philadelphia chapter of the Association of Business Process Management Professionals (ABPMP) since 2006. In October 2007 he was appointed to the national board of directors as their Vice President of Communications, serving until December 2009. Ken Krawchuk & Associates, Ltd. Krawchuk's first company, Ken Krawchuk & Associates, Ltd., was founded in 1988 and incorporated in 1989 to provide Information Technology consulting to a broad array of clients in the financial sector. In 2011 it expanded its focus to serve as publisher for Krawchuk's latest novel, Atlas Snubbed (see below). As of 2012, the company was continuing to serve clients in the mid-Atlantic marketplace. Amendment 16 Krawchuk founded Amendment 16 in 1990 to provide invoicing services. Primarily serving independent consultants in the Information Technology sector, Amendment 16 would invoice a consultant's client, and once the invoice was paid, the funds would be forwarded to the consultant, minus all applicable taxes. The service was discontinued in 2003 after the bursting of the Dot Com Bubble. Business Architects, LLC In 2004 Krawchuk co-founded Business Architects, LLC, along with Eric A. Lucas of Swarthmore PA and Wayne Casanova of Newark DE, with the goal of commercializing the three patents held by Krawchuk and Smith. The company suspended operations in 2007 due to poor economic conditions. Ralphalpha, LLC In 2003 Krawchuk co-founded Ralphalpha LLC along with Barton Smith and Allan Edels of Morrisville, PA to hold and license intellectual property, specifically, the three U.S. patents granted to Krawchuk and Smith. As of 2012, the company was continuing to license and further develop the patents. Public speaker Krawchuk has served as a professional public speaker since 2001. His public speaking career is divided into two broad categories: Political Speaker and Toastmasters. Political speaker Krawchuk began his career as a professional public speaker in 2001 as a featured speaker for the Educational Testing Service Toastmasters speakers bureau in 2001. Among his most popular topics are The Nuts and Bolts of Political Activism, which is a "how-to" for those interested in becoming involved in politics, and Just Ducky, the tale of living with the ability to talk like Donald Duck. Over the years, Krawchuk's repertoire has expanded to include numerous political topics, including Libertarian philosophy, the Pennsylvania Constitution, Pennsylvania's onerous ballot access laws, and other current events. He has been a guest on the award-winning Comcast program It's Your Call with Lynn Doyle, NPR's Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane, the 2000 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Harry Browne's radio program, and the 2004 Libertarian Party presidential candidate Michael Badnarik's radio program, among many others. In 2008 he moderated the Pennsylvania/New Jersey Libertarian Party presidential debates which featured nine of the declared candidates. and in 2004 he moderated the Libertarian Party Vice-Presidential debates at their national convention in Atlanta. Toastmaster Krawchuk has been a member of Toastmasters International since November 1997. Since then, he has achieved his Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award, the highest award attainable, and is currently working toward his second DTM. In 2001 he won the District 38 Table Topics Contest for impromptu speaking; in 2005 he won their Evaluation Contest; and in 2010 he won their Humorous Speech contest, each of the three victories being the highest attainable in Toastmasters. Krawchuk's most-noteworthy achievement in Toastmasters came in 2008 when District 38 presented him with the prestigious John E. Foster, DTM Achievement Award. In addition, he has served on the District 38 Executive Council in several capacities, including Division B Governor (2009-2010, President's Distinguished), Area 15 Governor (2003-2004, Distinguished), District Parliamentarian (1999-2000, 2002-2003, 2007-2008, 2012-2013), and District Sergeant-at-Arms (2002-2003). Krawchuk is also the founder and sponsor of the Libertarian Toastmasters club in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. He served as charter president (2000-2001), Vice President of Education (2004-2005), Sergeant-at-Arms (2002-2012), and Treasurer (2012-2013). In its twelve-year history, the club has achieved Distinguished status ten times, most-recently as a President's Distinguished club for the fourth year in a row. On September 10, 2012, the club officially changed its name to King of Prussia Toastmasters. Author Krawchuk has been a prolific writer over the years. Most of his publicly-circulated writings are political position papers and speeches. He has penned two works related to epic novel, Atlas Shrugged. The first is a full-length novel, Atlas Snubbed, written as a pastiche parody. The novel was officially released on November 27, 2011. The second is a critique entitled Atlas Flubbed which cites the grammatical, logical, and philosophical errors contained within Atlas Shrugged. Personal life Krawchuk was born and raised in the Feltonville section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended Feltonville School (kindergarten and Grade 1), St. Ambrose Catholic school (Grades 1 through 8), Cardinal Dougherty High School (Grades 9 through 12), and Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Physics in 1975. He and his wife Roberta were married in 1977 and have three daughters and two grandchildren. They currently live in Abington Township, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia suburb. 
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