Tim D'Annunzio
Encyclopedia
Timothy Bruce D'Annunzio (born January 14, 1958) is an American businessman and political figure from Raeford, North Carolina
. He is best known for his unsuccessful 2010 bid for North Carolina's 8th congressional district
.
D'Annunzio is a conservative who favors gun rights and small government
, including privatizing the social "safety net
". He has a history of publicly denouncing Barack Obama
, among others. While his candidacy was heavily supported by the Tea Party movement
, he was not favored by the leadership of the North Carolina Republican Party
.
A former Army paratrooper, Tim D'Annunzio is also a professional skydiver and sponsors Paraclete XP skydiving team.
, D'Annunzio admitted to having "a troubled upbringing" on the streets of inner city
Philadelphia. His actions led to several teenage arrests and jail time in 1973, and a 1996 trespass
ing charge during a domestic dispute. In an attempt to leave life of gangs and drugs
, D'Annunzio relocated to North Carolina
at some point in the 1970s
to join the United States Army
. He was commissioned as an Infantryman and Parachute Rigger. He became a member of the U.S. Army’s elite Parachute team, the Golden Knights
, and traveled the nation and world representing the Army. In 1985, he received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Staff Sergeant
. He credits a religious conversion sometime in the 1990s
for turning his life around.
D'Annunzio has six children and two grandchildren. His second wife Colleen is also a veteran.
. He went on to found Paraclete XP Skyventure LLC, which makes a vertical wind tunnel
used to simulate skydiving.
In Christianity
, the word Paraclete refers to the Holy Spirit
.
. In 2008, D'Annunzio went on to fund and produce his own political commercials, including four ads attacking then-candidate Barack Obama
on taxes, abortion
, Rev. Jeremiah Wright
and Bill Ayers
. Along with web distribution, D'Annunzio purchased television time for at least one of his ads.
.
A collector of semi-automatic weapons, and an advocate of the right to keep and bear arms, D'Annunzio publicized his campaign by hosting two "Machine Gun Social" fundraiser
s at area shooting range
s. Video of these fundraisers was picked up by television news outlets across the country.
In March 2010, former state Republican Party chair Jack Hawke left his full time advisory position in the D'Annunzio campaign over disagreements about D'Annunzio's web log
, Christ's War, which Hawke felt conflicted in tone with the moderate themes Hawke wanted to advance in the campaign's advertising. When D'Annunzio insisted he would continue blogging, he and Hawke agreed to part ways, though the D'Annunzio campaign says Hawke continued consulting in an unofficial capacity.
While D'Annunzio was backed by the local Tea Party
group, We the People NC, his main rival Harold Johnson
was endorsed by most GOP party leaders, including state GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer
, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot
, former Governor James G. Martin
, and former 8th District Representative Robin Hayes
.
In the May 4 Primary election, D'Annunzio received a plurality
of the Republican votes cast, 37 percent of the vote compared to 33 percent for Johnson. Since no candidate got over 40 percent, the two frontrunners competed in a runoff election
June 22, 2010 to determine who would face Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell
in November.
North Carolina Republican officials continued to put their weight behind Harold Johnson. The Charlotte Observer
published statements made by D'Annunzio's ex-wife during divorce proceedings, which The Observer reported were from court documents being publicized by the Republican Party, along with records of D'Annunzio's past legal troubles.
In response, D'Annunzio held a press conference, naming Tom Fetzer
as the origin of the alleged libel. He subsequently called for Fetzer to resign his position, claiming abuse of his office, and citing the State Republican Plan of Organization which prohibited party officials from choosing sides in a primary election.
D'Annunzio lost the runoff election to Harold Johnson by over 20 points. In the subsequent 8th district general election, Harold Johnson lost to Democrat Larry Kissell.
.
D'Annunzio proposes collected Social Security
and Medicare
monies be divided proportionately, and delegated to the states, to be replaced by a new, private
savings based system.
Raeford, North Carolina
Raeford is a city in Hoke County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,386 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Hoke County. The county was named after Confederate General Robert F. Hoke, as Tar Heel native....
. He is best known for his unsuccessful 2010 bid for North Carolina's 8th congressional district
North Carolina's 8th congressional district
North Carolina's eighth congressional district consists of a large portion of southern North Carolina from Charlotte to Fayetteville, including Concord, Albemarle, Monroe, Wadesboro, Troy, Rockingham, Laurinburg, and Raeford...
.
D'Annunzio is a conservative who favors gun rights and small government
Small government
A Small government is one which minimizes its own activities. It is a concept important to classical liberalism and libertarianism.-In Hong Kong:...
, including privatizing the social "safety net
Social safety net
Social safety nets, or "socioeconomic safety nets", are non-contributory transfer programs seeking to prevent the poor or those vulnerable to shocks and poverty from falling below a certain poverty level. Safety net programs can be provided by the public sector or by the private sector...
". He has a history of publicly denouncing Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, among others. While his candidacy was heavily supported by the Tea Party movement
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
, he was not favored by the leadership of the North Carolina Republican Party
North Carolina Republican Party
The North Carolina Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party in North Carolina. Robin Hayes was elected Chairman of the party on January 15, 2011, to serve the five months left in the unexpired term of Tom Fetzer....
.
A former Army paratrooper, Tim D'Annunzio is also a professional skydiver and sponsors Paraclete XP skydiving team.
Early life
Born in Darby, PennsylvaniaDarby, Pennsylvania
Darby is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, along Darby Creek southwest of downtown Philadelphia. It has a public library founded in 1743 and a cemetery more than 300 years old. The Quakers lived there early in the colonial era. Darby was settled about 1660 and was...
, D'Annunzio admitted to having "a troubled upbringing" on the streets of inner city
Inner city
The inner city is the central area of a major city or metropolis. In the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, the term is often applied to the lower-income residential districts in the city centre and nearby areas...
Philadelphia. His actions led to several teenage arrests and jail time in 1973, and a 1996 trespass
Trespass
Trespass is an area of tort law broadly divided into three groups: trespass to the person, trespass to chattels and trespass to land.Trespass to the person, historically involved six separate trespasses: threats, assault, battery, wounding, mayhem, and maiming...
ing charge during a domestic dispute. In an attempt to leave life of gangs and drugs
DRUGS
Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows are an American post-hardcore band formed in 2010. They released their debut self-titled album on February 22, 2011.- Formation :...
, D'Annunzio relocated to North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
at some point in the 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
to join the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was commissioned as an Infantryman and Parachute Rigger. He became a member of the U.S. Army’s elite Parachute team, the Golden Knights
Golden Knights
*For the Byzantine order of Knights, see Angelici.*For the ancient sect, see Angelici .*For the US Army Parachute Team The Golden Knights, see United States Army Parachute Team* For the annual correspondence chess tournament, see Golden Knights...
, and traveled the nation and world representing the Army. In 1985, he received an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Staff Sergeant
Staff Sergeant
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
. He credits a religious conversion sometime in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
for turning his life around.
D'Annunzio has six children and two grandchildren. His second wife Colleen is also a veteran.
Business
D'Annunzio started several business, including Paraclete Armor & Equipment, which manufactured body armor and equipment for police and the U.S. Military. In 2006, shortly after Paraclete received over $26 million in federal contracts, D'Annunzio sold it for $30 million to Mine Safety AppliancesMine Safety Appliances
Mine Safety Appliances, or MSA, is a maker of sophisticated safety products that help protect workers who may be exposed to a variety of hazardous conditions...
. He went on to found Paraclete XP Skyventure LLC, which makes a vertical wind tunnel
Wind tunnel
A wind tunnel is a research tool used in aerodynamic research to study the effects of air moving past solid objects.-Theory of operation:Wind tunnels were first proposed as a means of studying vehicles in free flight...
used to simulate skydiving.
In Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, the word Paraclete refers to the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
.
Political advertising
In 2004, D'Annunzio's company Paraclete donated $2,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for TruthSwift Vets and POWs for Truth
Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, formerly known as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth , was a political group of United States Swift boat veterans and former prisoners of war of the Vietnam War, formed during the 2004 presidential election campaign for the purpose of opposing John Kerry's candidacy...
. In 2008, D'Annunzio went on to fund and produce his own political commercials, including four ads attacking then-candidate Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
on taxes, abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
, Rev. Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Wright
Jeremiah Alvesta Wright, Jr. is Pastor Emeritus of Trinity United Church of Christ , a megachurch in Chicago exceeding 6,000 members...
and Bill Ayers
Bill Ayers
William Charles "Bill" Ayers is an American elementary education theorist and a former leader in the movement that opposed U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. He is known for his 1960s activism as well as his current work in education reform, curriculum, and instruction...
. Along with web distribution, D'Annunzio purchased television time for at least one of his ads.
2010 candidacy
While largely self-financed, D'Annunzio raised more money from individual contributions than any of his opponents during the Republican primaryPrimary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
.
A collector of semi-automatic weapons, and an advocate of the right to keep and bear arms, D'Annunzio publicized his campaign by hosting two "Machine Gun Social" fundraiser
Fundraiser
A fundraiser is an event or campaign whose primary purpose is to raise money for a cause. See also: fundraising. A fundraiser can also be an individual or company whose primary job is to raise money for a specific charity or non-profit organization...
s at area shooting range
Shooting range
A shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master or "RSO – Range Safety Officer" in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
s. Video of these fundraisers was picked up by television news outlets across the country.
In March 2010, former state Republican Party chair Jack Hawke left his full time advisory position in the D'Annunzio campaign over disagreements about D'Annunzio's web log
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
, Christ's War, which Hawke felt conflicted in tone with the moderate themes Hawke wanted to advance in the campaign's advertising. When D'Annunzio insisted he would continue blogging, he and Hawke agreed to part ways, though the D'Annunzio campaign says Hawke continued consulting in an unofficial capacity.
While D'Annunzio was backed by the local Tea Party
Tea Party movement
The Tea Party movement is an American populist political movement that is generally recognized as conservative and libertarian, and has sponsored protests and supported political candidates since 2009...
group, We the People NC, his main rival Harold Johnson
Harold Johnson (sportscaster)
Harold Johnson, known as "The Big Guy", was sports director for WSOC-TV in Charlotte, North Carolina for 26 years, during which time he won four Emmy Awards and was nominated for two others. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for ....
was endorsed by most GOP party leaders, including state GOP Chairman Tom Fetzer
Tom Fetzer
Thomas Harrison Fetzer served three two-year terms as Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from December 1993 to December 1999...
, former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot
Richard Vinroot
Richard A. Vinroot is a Republican political figure and attorney from Charlotte, North Carolina. He served as the 52nd Mayor of the City of Charlotte from 1991–1995, and ran unsuccessfully for Governor of North Carolina in 1996, 2000, and 2004.-Early life:The son of a Swedish immigrant, Richard...
, former Governor James G. Martin
James G. Martin
James Grubbs "Jim" Martin is the 70th Governor of the state of North Carolina. He served from 1985 to 1993. He was the second Republican elected to the office after Reconstruction, and the fifth overall. He is also the only Republican to serve two full terms as governor.-Early Life &...
, and former 8th District Representative Robin Hayes
Robin Hayes
Robert Cannon "Robin" Hayes is the current chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. For five terms from 1999 to 2009, he represented North Carolina's 8th congressional district in the House of Representatives.-Early life:...
.
In the May 4 Primary election, D'Annunzio received a plurality
Plurality
In North American English, the term plurality, used in the context of voting, refers to the largest number of votes to be received by any candidate or referendum. It is contrasted with a majority, which is more than half of the votes...
of the Republican votes cast, 37 percent of the vote compared to 33 percent for Johnson. Since no candidate got over 40 percent, the two frontrunners competed in a runoff election
Two-round system
The two-round system is a voting system used to elect a single winner where the voter casts a single vote for their chosen candidate...
June 22, 2010 to determine who would face Democratic incumbent Larry Kissell
Larry Kissell
Lawrence Webb "Larry" Kissell is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2009. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville.-Early life, education, and early career:...
in November.
North Carolina Republican officials continued to put their weight behind Harold Johnson. The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
published statements made by D'Annunzio's ex-wife during divorce proceedings, which The Observer reported were from court documents being publicized by the Republican Party, along with records of D'Annunzio's past legal troubles.
In response, D'Annunzio held a press conference, naming Tom Fetzer
Tom Fetzer
Thomas Harrison Fetzer served three two-year terms as Mayor of Raleigh, North Carolina from December 1993 to December 1999...
as the origin of the alleged libel. He subsequently called for Fetzer to resign his position, claiming abuse of his office, and citing the State Republican Plan of Organization which prohibited party officials from choosing sides in a primary election.
D'Annunzio lost the runoff election to Harold Johnson by over 20 points. In the subsequent 8th district general election, Harold Johnson lost to Democrat Larry Kissell.
Positions
D'Annunzio calls for the elimination of most departments of the Federal GovernmentFederal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
.
D'Annunzio proposes collected Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
and Medicare
Medicare (United States)
Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over; to those who are under 65 and are permanently physically disabled or who have a congenital physical disability; or to those who meet other...
monies be divided proportionately, and delegated to the states, to be replaced by a new, private
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
savings based system.
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina, 2010
- Opinion polling for the United States House of Representatives elections, 2010Opinion polling for the United States House of Representatives elections, 2010-Alabama:-Alaska:-Arizona:-Arkansas:-California:-Colorado:-Connecticut:-Delaware:-Florida:-Georgia:-Hawaii:-Idaho:-Illinois:...
– North Carolina
External links
- Christ's War – D'Annunzio's weblog
- Tim D'Annunzio for Congress – Candidate's website – a short biography centered around his parachuting career.