Dave Kranich Fighting The Fenty Juggernaut

GOP's Man Is an Optimist Unfazed by the Odds

The numbers say Nov. 7 doesn't look bright for the GOP's Dave Kranich, who wants to be mayor of D.C., a hugely Democratic jurisdiction. (By Jahi Chikwendiu -- The Washington Post)

Dave Kranich is a salesman. And he's pretty good at it.

Through the years, Kranich has sold sausages and cheese, Christmas trees and strawberry-orange-banana smoothies. At its peak, his former company, Kranich Consumer Products, boasted nearly $500,000 in annual sales.

But now that Kranich is trying to sell himself, nobody's listening.

Kranich, 34, is the Republican candidate for D.C. mayor against Democrat Adrian M. Fenty, a two-term council member considered a shoo-in in a city where 74 percent of registered voters are Democrats.

The sentiment for Fenty is so overwhelming that people call him "mayor" and "mayor-elect."

"No one's called me mayor-elect yet," Kranich said with a chuckle.

It's the kind of easygoing attitude that makes Kranich the guy you talk to at the party, the one who could have been a bartender. He always has a smile and just the right compliment.

At Pennsylvania State University, where Kranich majored in business, his nickname was "Daiquiri Dave." His photograph has appeared more than once on Washington's society pages because Kranich, who keeps his tuxedo at the ready, attends about eight black-tie events a year. Before he kicked off his campaign for mayor in April, Kranich was known for hosting a traveling happy hour dubbed "Martinis and Kamikazes."

But there is a serious side that counters his sometimes frat-boy/socialite lifestyle.

Kranich, who works as a real estate agent and had never run for public office, says he has a plan for the city: fixing the public schools, reducing taxes, improving neighborhoods and increasing the quality of life.

He would lobby the council to give the mayor the right to appoint all school board members and would create partnerships with developers to build affordable housing. On quality-of-life issues, Kranich wants to establish a program that would respond quickly to complaints about potholes, and he wants to add bike paths across the city.

This campaign is an opportunity for Republicans to let the public know that they can be competitive and can offer another perspective on how to improve the city, he said. "We need to focus on how to grow our party in urban areas," said Kranich, who lives in an apartment house behind the National Capital YMCA downtown.