For Immediate Release

Springfield, VA - August 30th, 2012 - Hank for Senate wins crucial celebrity endorsement

The Hank for Senate campaign, featuring a 9-year-old Maine Coon cat running for US Senate, has been many things over the past few months: an introspective look at our political process, a welcome break from the typical and wasteful negative campaigns and, most importantly, a great excuse for more cute cat pictures on the internet. However, Hank’s campaign has lacked one important aspect of mainstream political campaigns: a celebrity endorsement.

Today that changes with an exciting new announcement: Homer The Blind Wonder Cat (http://www.facebook.com/Homerblindcatfans), star of the New York Times Bestseller, Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, has endorsed Hank for Senate. Homer’s mom and author of the book, Gwen Cooper, will appear with Hank at a meet-and-greet scheduled for Saturday, September 22 from 11am until 3:30pm at Felix & Oscar in Springfield, Virginia. Gwen is pleased to represent Homer at the event, during which she will sign books and read from her latest novel, Love Saves the Day (available for purchase January, 2013).

"Homer and I are proud to stand by Hank," said Cooper. "Everyone who throws their hat into the political ring seeks to lead, but almost none know how to lead by example the way Hank [and his staff] do. Every single dollar raised at this event will go directly toward improving someone's life. Which of the other candidates can make a similar claim?" At press time, Homer was unavailable for comment due to extreme interest in a tuna sandwich.

Hank and his staff have also secured a deal to offer "Homer’s Odyssey" at a special price during the event, with 100% of the profits donated to Animal Allies and the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. The event will also feature a raffle of various Hank artwork, Hank for Senate bookmarks, pictures with Hank and Gwen, and much more. In just six months, Hank has raised over $12,000 for animal rescue groups. For more information about the event, contact Matthew O’Leary at moleary@hankforsenate.com, or visit hankforsenate.com/september.aspx.

© Robert Caldarone 2009
Gwen Cooper, New York Times Bestselling Author

For Immediate Release

Springfield, VA - August 11th, 2012 - Hank the Cat plays ball in Alexandria

By now you’ve probably heard of Hank, a 9 year old Maine Coon cat running for US Senate in the state of Virginia. What you probably haven’t heard though is that he likes to play ball - softball, that is. Hank is the official mascot for "Hank’s Hitters", a team playing in the Congressional Softball League in Washington DC. The team has jerseys all featuring Hank’s image, and have regularly been cheered on by Hank supporters across the world during their regular season. The Hitters are now entering the playoffs after a great season, and Hank himself is pulling out all the stops for this big day at Beulah Park in Alexandria, Virginia next Saturday, August 18th, from 5pm-8pm.

"The Hitters have many similarities to my campaign," Hank stated in-between campaign stops. "They’re in the game to win, sure, but most importantly they stay positive, even as undercats, and they’ve become a true contender in this championship race!" Hank then cleaned himself to help contain his excitement.

Hank and his campaign staff will be offering free hot dogs and hamburgers during the playoff game at Beulah Park from 5p-8p. They will also raffle off a number of items, including prints signed by the entire Hitters team, who will take the field at 6:30pm, and again at 7:30pm. As with all Hank for Senate events, all of the funds will be donated to an animal rescue group. To date, Hank has raised over $11,000 for animal rescue.

© 2012 Dented Lens Photography
Hank’s Hitters Softball Team
For full resolution image, see link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wqg0x99922al6mq/Hank-hitters01.jpg

For Immediate Release

Springfield, VA – March 8th, 2012 - Hank, the nation’s first cat candidate, overtakes opponent Tim Kaine on Facebook with almost fourteen thousand "likes"!

Hank the Cat of Fairfax County, Virginia, has electrified voters from all over the country - so much so that he has overtaken Tim Kaine on Facebook with over 13,900 "likes", in just under two weeks. Hank is running for the US Senate seat that will be vacated by James Webb, and is up against seasoned veteran politicians George Allen and Tim Kaine. Hank attributes his success to his positive message of jobs creation and getting families back to work, as well as refusing to run a negative campaign by attacking his opponents.

"We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for Hank not just locally, but both nationally and internationally," said Matthew O’Leary, campaign manager. Along with his partner Anthony Roberts, they have launched Hank’s political campaign with commercials on YouTube, a strong web presence (that crashed during the first week), regular tweets, and Facebook posts by Hank.

Hank’s campaign is focused on three primary topics: creating jobs, spay & neuter programs with animal rescue groups, and making politics more civil. Hank has refused donations of any kind since day one, and continues to instead suggest a donation to local animal rescue groups, such as Animal Allies, who rescued him as a kitten from certain death.

George Allen currently has over 41,000 likes on Facebook, but this doesn’t worry Hank, "we are still 30 weeks away from the Election, and I’m just getting started! To the Friends of Hank: Our time is Meow!" To prove his resolve, Hank is making public his most embarrassing photo ever, letting other politicians know there is nothing they can hold over him.

For more information on Hank, visit http://www.HankforSenate.com.

For more information on Animal Allies, visit http://www.Animalallies.com.

©2003 Matthew O’Leary
Hank the Cat with "lion cut", circa 2003
For full resolution image, see link: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65400373/Hank-emb.jpg

Hank the Cat of Fairfax County, Virginia, recently declared his intention to seek the United States Senate seat currently held by James Webb. Webb is not seeking re-election in 2012.

In his announcement, Hank stated: "In this time of austerity, of threats to families’ livelihoods and to our civil liberties, it is essential that we choose the right leader. Our situation is too dire to risk placing this important job in the wrong paws, and that is why I have decided to run for US Senate for the great Commonwealth of Virginia. If I had to sum up my feelings for Virginia’s future, I would have to say: Meow."

Rescued from the streets as a skinny young kitty, Hank picked himself up and never looked back. Although only 9 in human years, Hank has 52 cat years of life experience. Enthusiastic and energetic enough to chase the bouncy ball, he has the wisdom to understand that it is almost impossible to catch.

During his formative years, Hank witnessed firsthand the problems faced by Virginia residents. "Other politicians may talk about how difficult it is when there aren’t enough kibbles to go around," Hank said, "but I’ve been there. I know what you’re going through. When I’m elected to the Senate, I’m going to work hard to make sure that there is milk in every bowl across this great nation."

A proud Independent, Hank brings real world experience, a unique point of view, and limitless energy to the office. He is devoted to ensuring small business growth and furthering his family-centered policies. He is also a tireless advocate for issues such as supporting low cost spaying/neutering in order to decrease the homeless animal population. His many advocates enthusiastically support Hank’s candidacy and look forward to an exciting Senate campaign.

For more information, visit www.HankforSenate.com