Republican political consultant Jack Orr died Saturday morning of a heart attack.
In his salad days, Jack had been a member of the Reagan, Nixon, and Ford campaigns or administrations in Sacramento and Washington D.C.. Often when I meet one of the bigwigs from the 1970’s or 1980’s and they find out I’m from San Diego, they ask about Jack, and relay stories about his bulldog like campaigning for the tops of the ticket in years past.
Later, Jack made his home in San Diego’s North County and built a stable of medium sized city clients while he lobbied county government. He founded a unique North County institution, the Albondigas Club, a social order of local politicians and other interested folks in politics. With any luck, Encinitas Councilman Jerome Stocks will pick up the reigns of this organization.
Jack was a true rough and tumble campaigner. No mercy given or asked. He didn’t always win, and he didn’t always lose, but he always got his knuckles bloody. And at the ripe age of (I believe) 68 or 69 he was still working daily on new innovations, including ‘auto-dial polling’.
Jack Orr spent a lifetime working for the candidates and causes of the Republican Party. I think he would like to be remembered for that. He was a friend and a competitor. Rest in peace, Jack.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Jack was a fighter, fearless in his endeavors. He would go to the mat for those he represented and was never afraid to call to task those that he viewed as wrong, even if they had “titles.” A spirited, one-of-a-kind. He will be missed.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Mr. Orr was someone who was very interested in encouraging and helping younger people who were coming up in politics and that is unfortunately too rare a trait nowadays. He will be missed.
June 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Another item on Mr. Orr’s resume… the only successful recall of
a San Diego city council member in the last 75 years.
I worked with him on that one (1991), and it was a very diffcult job.
But even in the bleakest moments, he was a Rock of strength.
Once the petition qualified for the ballot, voters hit the “EJECT”
button in a 73% landslide, one the incumbent richly deserved.
Mr. Orr was a tough opponent (I speak from experience) and a
solid ally.
May his Soul have reached Heaven an Hour before the divil knew
he was gone!
June 11th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I’ll drink a Stoli toast to Jack tonight. For those who still work in that milieu, or remember it from afar with bittersweet memories, SD politics just became a little less colorful. Jack was a contender – he gave resonance to that old expression, “They don’t make ’em like they used to.”
June 13th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Jack was a good friend, a brazen man who you just had to love and a respect. Never did Jack start a conversation with me without asking first about my daughter who played softball against his daughter back in the day. “How is my girl”, was always the greeting before we began a conversation which quickly turned into a diatribe of wit, humor and intelligence. We lost a great war horse……a good man.