Bauer Gears Up For 2000 Run

Gary Bauer, a likely Republican presidential candidate in 2000, is taking a leave of absence as head of the conservative Family Research Council, the group said Friday.

Bauer, 52, has said he will announce his political plans later this month. He did not return a call Friday seeking comment.

While Bauer is not well-known outside political circles, he has proven an effective fund-raiser and organizer and has built the Family Research Council into a well-financed voice for social conservative causes.

He was far back in the pack in a presidential preference poll released this week in New Hampshire. But he's had a presence in New Hampshire, site of the nation's first primary, and Iowa, where early caucuses help set the tone of the campaign.

At the Family Research Council, Executive Vice President Chuck Donovan will act as the organization's chief executive officer and Janet Parshall will be the leading spokesperson.

Donovan credited Bauer with "transforming a small think tank into a public policy research and educational organization that has had a powerful impact on the debate over ideas."

Bauer came to lead the Family Research Council a decade ago after serving in the Reagan administration, both as a policy adviser and as an official in the Education Department.

The Family Research Council has grown into a rival of the Christian Coalition as a voice for grassroots conservative activists.

Several likely GOP presidential candidates, including Bauer, former Vice President Dan Quayle, and millionaire Steve Forbes would compete for support from the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

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