Bio:
Scott Farris is the author of "Almost President: The Men Who Lost the Race But Changed the Nation" (Lyons Press, 2011), a study of those men who ran for president and lost, but who still profoundly changed our nation's politics.  Among those featured in the book are Henry Clay, Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan, Al Smith, Thomas Dewey, Adlai Stevenson, Barry Goldwater, George McGovern, and Ross Perot.  There are also discussions about recent "losers" Al Gore, John Kerry, John McCain, and Mitt Romney; a chapter on the overlooked importance of the concession speech; short essays on the other two-dozen unsuccessful candidates; and a rumination on the role losers play in a society where winning is everything. 
Almost President is Farris's first book.  His second, a "comparative biography" of John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan titled "Kennedy and Reagan: WHy Their Legacies Endure," is scheduled to be published on November 5, 2013, by Lyons Press. 
Farris a former political journalist who was a bureau chief for United Press International.  he also served as a senior policy or communications advisor for former U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop, former Wyoming Governor Mike Sullivan, former California Governor Gray Davis, and former Portland Mayor Vera Katz. 
He also was a congressional candidate in Wyoming, winning the Democratic nomination in 1998, but losing the general election.  He was the first American journalist selected to participate in Georgetown University's International Leadership Seminar, and he taught journalism at the University of Wyoming, where he was also a senior administrator.  He currently directs government affairs for a diversified energy infrastructure company and resides in Portland with his wife and two children.


Almost President

As the 2012 presidential campaign begins: Profiles of twelve men who have run for the presidency and lost, but who, even in defeat, have had a greater impact on American history than many of those who have served as president—from Henry Clay to Stephen Douglas, William Jennings Bryan to Al Gore—Plus, mini-profiles on 22 "honorable mentions."