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Ken R. McGurn is an American politician and businessman specializing in community expansion. McGurn is currently seeking to represent Florida's Third Congressional District, challenging Republican incumbent Ted Yoho in the November 8th, 2016 general election.

Early Life and Military Service
McGurn was born to FATHER, and MOTHER, whom had married early in WWII. MOTHER was a nurse. FATHER served in the U.S. Army Air Corp as a navigator, and achieved the rank of Major. FATHER attended the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill after serving in the U.S. Army. After serving his country, FATHER served his community as a city manager for several Florida Cities. Both parents are deceased.

Ken McGurn and his brother, BROTHER'S NAME, got their first jobs delivering newspapers in their Daytona neighborhood. Ken McGurn was 11. Ken got his second job at age 15, working at local Daytona restaurant called Morrison's diner. By age 17, McGurn was working for an aerospace company, drawing parts for aeronautical vehicles.

At age 18, McGurn followed in his Father's steps and joined the U.S. Army at age 18, serving on active duty from 1963 to 1970. He went into the service as a private, then attended the Officer Candidate School. McGurn was honorably discharged from his service in 1970. His service included Vietnam, Germany and the 82nd Airborne Division. McGurn served as a paratrooper and jungle expert. He served two additional years in the U.S. Army Reserves with the 20th Special Forces Group in Germany.

Academic Career
McGurn began his academic career in 1962 (age 16) at Daytona Beach Junior College. McGurn attended Daytona Beach Junior College for a year before voluntarily joining the U.S. Army when he turned 18 in 1963. McGurn attended night classes in the various places that he was stationed during his military service. While serving in Vietnam, McGurn received college credits from correspondence courses when night school was not available.

Upon returning from his military service, McGurn attended the University of Florida on the G.I. Bill from 1970-1981. McGurn earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (B.S.B.A) of Management in 1972. In addition, McGurn earned his Masters Degree (M.A) in 1973 and his Ph.D. in Real Estate and Urban Analysis in 1981. While attending the University of Florida, Ken met his wife, Linda, whom he had to borrow $200 from in order to pay for his books. CITE

Gainesville Years
McGurn and his wife, Linda, started their first business in 1978, purchasing a small building in Gainesville, Florida. McGurn and his company remodeled the building, striving for energy efficiency and multi-purpose capability. McGurn has won over 60 national and state-wide awards for his businesses and building prowess. Many consider them to be the proud parents of Gainesville's downtown renaissance. Downtown Gainesville took off after the McGurn's award-winning 1986 Southeast Quadrant Redevelopment Project that included the Sun Center, Arlington Square Apartments, the Star Garage Legal Center, the Downtown Parking Garage and 14 blocks of city streetscape. Most recently they completed the 140,000-square-foot mixed-use Union Street Station in downtown Gainesville that combines retail on the first floor and offices on the second floor with 51 residential condominiums on the upper floors. An innovative skyway bridge connects the building with a parking garage developed, managed and owned by McGurn Investment Company.

In 1983, they placed the 1898 Opera House in downtown Gainesville on the National Register of Historic Places and completed its renovation as a local restaurant and offices. They also earned recognition from the local historical society for their work in renovating many of the older structures in downtown Gainesville. Preserving, rebuilding, and revitalizing, are they ways in which the McGurn's were able to make downtown Gainesville into the economic center that it is today.

Involvement with the University of Florida
Dr. McGurn (BSBA ’72, MBA ’73, Ph.D. ’81) is past chair of the Florida Museum of Natural History and the UF Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies. He has a PhD in Real Estate, Finance and Economics, a BSBA in Management and a Masters in Real Estate and Urban Land Planning, all from the University of Florida.

Ken and Linda McGurn were recipients of the University of Florida’s Distinguished Alumnus Award Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipients perform outstanding service for the University and excelled in his or her chosen field, it is the highest award an Alumnus can receive at the University of Florida.

Green Building
When rebuilding downtown, Ken and Linda McGurn's early buildings consistently used 50% less energy than an average building would. They established the first commercial recycling effort in the late 1980's, and added solar power to Gainesville's downtown infrastructure in 2008. In 2010 they were again recognized for creative innovation by converting the top floor of their downtown parking garage into covered parking using solar voltaic panels and making the garage a net zero energy user through the retrofitting of lights and other creative steps.

Philanthropy
Few people have done more for the Gainesville community than Linda and Ken McGurn. The McGurn’s are an unstoppable partnership whose work has revitalized Downtown Gainesville, spurred creative new types of development, led by example in green and sustainable approaches to building, and invested in high tech incubators and young startup companies, among many other endeavors.

The McGurn's have also been active in supporting the entrepreneurship of others. They created a Downtown Technology Center as an incubator and they have invested in numerous startup companies. Linda co-chaired the first Innovation Gainesville initiative of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Linda and Ken are generous in supporting the arts as well. They are major donors to the Museum of Natural History, the Hippodrome Theater, the Harn Museum and the Cade Museum for Creativity and Innovation. They were instrumental in placing the 1898 Opera House (now home to Harry's) on the National Register of Historic Places.

The couple has received numerous awards, including the Lifetime Philanthropy Award for the University of Florida. They have also been nominated for the Spirit of Gainesville award in the entrepreneurship category.

Congressional Race
Democrat Ed Emery had challenged incumbent Ted Yoho for Florida's 3rd congressional district, but health concerns forced him to drop out of the race in early June of 2016. Afterwards, Ken McGurn was asked by the people of Florida's Third Congressional District to be the Democratic candidate for the 2016 race. The third district encompasses all of Alachua county, Bradford County, Clay County, Putnam County, Union County, and the Northern half of Marion County. Ken McGurn is running in the first race after the redistricting of Florida's congressional districts, which occurred in 2015.