3/20/2008GOP to tap Martin Ozinga III for 11th CD slot
Sources are reporting that the GOP will select Martin Ozinga III to replace New Lenox mayor Tim Baldermann on the ballot in the 11th congressional district. He'll face off with
State Sen. Debbie Halvorson in November.
Ozinga is president of
Ozinga Brothers, a concrete and construction firm. He meets the first qualifier for the ILGOP and national Republicans: he's self-funding. Baldermann griped about not being able to raise funds, but then again he
confessed in essence that he was too lazy to do the legwork. Ozinga has the money to fund his own race, or at least a good portion of it.
Despite being an open seat, with the current state of the NRCC, Ozinga would have to show some evidence of competitiveness to have any chance of seeing NRCC money. If they're
throwing in the towel on Oberweis/Foster II, and with the
29th GOP congressman announcing retirement soon, they just can't make the cash stretch that far.
A potential speedbump for Ozinga, as
Capitol Fax's Rich Miller notes, is his apparent ties to minority contracting fraud from back in 2005. From the
Chicago Tribune:
As City Hall wrestles with scandals in its programs to lift minority- and women-owned businesses, the Ozingas provide a case study in how a white-owned company can work the system--and win.
The company's actions include creating a spinoff concrete firm in the 1980s to win city business reserved exclusively for minority-owned companies. Martin, Richard and James Ozinga--all white men--enlisted the help of two African-American churches in Chicago's depressed South Side, giving nine church members 51 percent ownership to technically meet the city's rules.
But two of the African-American church members now say the spinoff company was bogus and that minorities had little control of the business. "It was a classic front," church member Henry Washington says.
Ozinga Bros., an 800-employee firm based in Orland Park, denies any wrongdoing, saying it has always followed the rules and been open about its business practices.
Regarding allegations that the company once operated a front, Martin Ozinga, the president of Ozinga Bros., says, "I'm extremely disappointed that people feel that there was something less than a very noble effort being put forth there."
But with all of the ties to the Daley administration and other powerful Chicago Democrats, one has to wonder how willing the DNC will be to use this.
Ozinga also has a history of contributing to Democrats, as well as Republicans. He's given to Jerry Weller and he gave to Tim Baldermann. He's also given to Mayor Daley, Jesse White, and Dick Durbin in the past. His father gave $10k to Rod Blagojevich. Documentation
here and
here and
here.
Expect the appointment to be made official soon.
UPDATE: 1:30pmAnother possible thorn in Ozinga's side, the DCCC has requested emails from a number of Will County Republicans, including Ozinga.
From the Aurora Beacon News:
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has filed a series of requests under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act seeking copies of any correspondence -- including e-mails -- from Republican Will County Board members.
They include Richard Kavanagh, a prominent local lawyer who also represents the Will County Forest Preserve District and is the new head of the county Republicans; Martin Ozinga III, president of Ozinga Bros. Inc., a Mokena-based concrete company; Will County Sheriff Paul Kaupas; and House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego. ...
... The DCCC would not explain what it was seeking through the Freedom of Information Act request.
"We don't comment about our research methods," spokeswoman Ryan Rudominer said. ...
... Ozinga said he hadn't even heard about the request.
"My family has been in business for 80 years -- there's probably all kinds of things we could talk about," he said.
To the contrary, I'm sure Republicans are hoping that there
isn't "all kinds of things" to talk about. They had their fill.
Filed Under:
Race for Congress
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