Ken Gottlieb Running For Judge; Campaign Handled By Ex-Jenne Aide

BY BUDDY NEVINS

Former State Rep. Ken Gottlieb has made it official.  He’s running for county court.

Gottlieb had been considering a run for judge for four months, as first reported on Browardbeat.com on May 18.

ken-gottlieb-volunteer

His campaign is being managed by Ilana Bofford Entin, a former aide to Ken Jenne when he was sheriff.

Entin has had a short, but successful track record in the two years or so since she left Jenne.   She helped on Bernie Bober’s judicial race and ran the campaign of  his brother, Mayor Peter Bober of Hollywood. 

She also shephered the campaigns of Mayor Anne Castro of Dania Beach and Mayor Gary Resnick of Wilton Manors.

One big defeat: She was in charge of Gottlieb’s 2008 losing state Senate race.

So what happens to the Non-Group? 

That’s Gottlieb’s unique weekly luncheons in Hollywood.  A group of diverse folks get together in a Cuban restaurant to debate politics and issues of the day.

He insists they will continue.

“Since it is non-partisan and really not political, I don’t believe it is out of order to continue, Gottlieb says.  “The last week was dominated by a discussion of health care.

When I have attended, Gottlieb just moderated the discussions and never took a position on any issue.  He says he would not discuss his judicial race during the Non-Group luncheons.

Still, it might be hard for him to attend the luncheons when the August 2010 election gets closer and he has to step up campaigning.

His news release from Entin’s GrassrootsCommunications quotes Gottlieb as saying:

“I believe our court system defines us as a democracy and as a people. It’s important that when citizens seek justice that they know their courthouse is a place where whether they win or lose — they got a fair shake from a judge that cared about their issues, and did his (or her) best to treat them with respect.

Kinda vanilla.

“I really can’t say too much because this is a judicial race, Gottlieb said.

He also put up a video on YouTube here which he proudly recorded himself on an Apple computer.

As I wrote on May 18:

The Hollywood Democrat has a lot going for him.

He no legal novice.  This is not a guy running for a job. He has a 20-year-old, Hollywood-based civil practice specializing in real estate, estate planning and business development.

Gottlieb is a proven fund raiser and can easily compile a competitive campaign war chest.

Most of all, Gottlieb has an understanding of average folks.

You don’t serve six years as a Hollywood city commissioner and another eight years in the state House without learning something about the needs, hopes, dreams and desires of people. That is exactly what is necessary in a county court judge.

County court is the “peoples court.  Its a place where minor disputes have landed everyday Joes and Janes in court. Many of these defendants appear without a lawyer.

A county court judge must have, above all, empathy and understanding. Those are the qualities that I saw in Gottlieb during his years in politics.  

Another advantage Gottlieb has is his temperment.  I’ve never seen him display the arrogance so common in politics.  He is soft spoken, understanding and accepting of others.

Having run for office numerous times — the last time was 2008 when Eleanor Sobel, D-Hollywood, beat him for a state Senate seat — also gives him an head start over lawyers with no political experience.

Gottlieb will run against Mark Rickard the seat now held by County Judge Pat Ireland.  She is retiring. 

Rickard lost a race last year to Steve Feren, 59 to 41 percent. 

Gottllieb has another asset, actually in his own bed.  He is married to School Board member Jennifer Gottlieb.

Jen Gottlieb is an attractive candidate who will also be on the campaign trail at the same time because she is up for re-election.  That’s can’t hurt.

jen gottlieb

Jen Gottlieb also can’t hurt Ken with union support.  She worked for the Broward Teachers Union before winning election to the School Board.

Another asset: Ken Gottlieb is a graduate of the University of Florida Law School, which has a big network of alumni is South Florida.



9 Responses to “Ken Gottlieb Running For Judge; Campaign Handled By Ex-Jenne Aide”

  1. Democrat says:

    Kenneth Gottlieb should have been a senator. He would have made a great one but was laid low by a dirty campaign run by Eleanor Sobel’s people.
    He will make a terrific judge.

  2. Lina says:

    To Mr Gottlieb: Canon 7 of the Code of Judicial Conduct states
    Judicial Candidates “should avoid expressing a position on any political issue.”

  3. Gottlieb Fan says:

    You are right, Buddy. Jen Gottlieb is hot and a help to his campaign.

  4. reader says:

    I think this author should go back and really take a look if gottlieb can really fundraise. I know he got blownout by Sobel in that department…also, stop crying about sobels campaign…I got her mail pieces during the election and everything from HER CAMPAIGN WAS POSITIVE. Every person knows nobody can control these 3rd party groups

  5. Lina says:

    Politicians make lousy judges. Just one example former Sunrise Mayor Steve Feren is lousy on the bench.

  6. Robert Lewis says:

    Lina,
    Don’t criticize all politicians just because Feren is a jerk. He was a lousy mayor. Ken Gottlieb will make a better judge because he was a better politician and is a real lawyer. Feren’s “law practice” was a joke.

  7. not really says:

    If Ken is counting on union support through his wife, he better think again. Rumor is that the union (at least the BTU, which she used to work for) is pissed at most of the sitting board members and have put targets on all of them for not supporting teacher raises last year and this. The BTU apparently does not realize there is a recession and is currently demanding an 8% increase. The lovely Mrs. Gottlieb along with her colleagues have not been supporting the union in their lunacy.

  8. Check Your Sources says:

    Heay Reader,

    Are you referring to the same Sobel Campaign is witnessed?

    Sobel is a tool of the Medical lobby and hopefully will go down with Alan Mendelsohn in the Mutual benefits investigation.

    She is as dumb as a rock and all the negative pieces, which there were many, were mailed by a 527 shadow pac theough Checkmate Consulting aka Mike Kaplan.

    Now we’re stuck with this lying and mindless idiot for 6 years as a Senator. God help us!

    Ken and Tim got screwed by her without so much as a kiss.

    Hopefully Kenny, a really good guy, will get elected as Judge.

    Oh yeah and Jen IS hot!

  9. Barry Pershan says:

    I am interested in his thoughts on the Arizona law? Are you for or against? My vote this year will be based upon his resonse.