REASON Profile: Kay Harroff

It takes a certain amount of chutzpah for an unknown, minor party candidate to run for the U.S. Senate against a famous astronaut and expect to win but Ohio Libertarian Party member Kay Harroff has never let the prospect of fighting an uphill battle stop her before.

Born in Albion, Illinois in 1930 at the start of the Depression she discovered early what work meant. "I began working when I was thirteen in a small assembly factory. I have worked for drug and department stores, a bank, publisher, church, stock broker, dress manufacturer, plumbing contractor, sales organizations, and several advertising agencies. I've been a waitress, sales clerk, typist, secretary, buyer, fund-raiser, TV writer, actress, model, house organ editor, accountant, fashion coordinator, manufacturers' representative."

A Cleveland resident, Ms. Harroff is presently owner of a wholesale gift business and designs a small line of women's clothes for several boutiques.

Ms. Harroff became active in Republican politics in the early 1950's, read Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged in 1960, and in 1962 founded the Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, OH) Draft Goldwater Committee. After Goldwater's defeat she left the Republican Party. She heard about the Libertarian Party in 1972 and was founding chairman of the Ohio LP.

Ms. Harroff's hobbies include reading, golf, bridge, and chess. She's a member of International Toastmistress and Parents Without Partners.