Latest Post | Last 10 Posts | Archives
Previous Post: Question of the Day
Next Post: Morning Shorts
Posted in:
* In an announcement Monday, GOP officials said they will wait until April 30 to decide who will challenge Sen. Debbie Halvorson to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller.
Martin Ozinga III is the president of Mokena-based Ozinga Bros., one of the largest material supply companies in the Midwest. A story broke in Chicago Business yesterday that Ozinga is likely to get the spot over another wealthy business owner, Harry Bond, president of Monical’s Pizza:
Knowledgeable party sources describe Mr. Ozinga, 58, as “the consensus candidate” and say he is likely to be formally made the party’s nominee when 11th-District committeemen meet on April 30. The party’s previous nominee, New Lennox Mayor Tim Baldermann, withdrew after the February primary, creating a vacancy on the November ballot.
Will County Republican Chairman Richard Kavanagh holds the heaviest weighted vote, and apparently he’s with Ozinga. However Chairmen in Kankakee, LaSalle, Bureau and McLean counties also have a sizeable vote in the replacement, and it seems like there is still some support left for Bond.
* Ozinga has a few issues though:
The Chicago Tribune three years ago described Ozinga Bros. as a classic case of a white-owned company working the system to win minority set-asides in the city of Chicago’s contracting program. According to the story, the Ozingas forged relationships with black church leaders who then took over part of the business.
The church leaders claimed they were not included in day-to-day decisions; Ozinga told the Tribune it was a sincere effort to involve minorities in his enterprise. When it failed, he reached out to other minorities, who were able to turn a profit.
“…word of his selection already is drawing fire from some party activists, who note that he has been a major donor to Gov. Rod Blagojevich, giving the Chicago Democrat $10,000 late in 2005.”
Federal Election Commission records also show that Mr. Ozinga has given $6,000 to Rep. Weller since 2001, as well as a $1,000 donation to U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. The donations to Durbin and Blagojevich will likely not sit well with many loyal republicans.
* Still, both Ozinga and Bond are attractive candidates because of their ability to self-fund, especially after Baldermann’s late implosion. Who do you think should/ will be the nominee, and if Ozinga gets the nod, are these issues enough to severly hurt his chances against a potential showdown with Sen. Halvorson?
posted by Kevin Fanning
Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 10:56 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
Previous Post: Question of the Day
Next Post: Morning Shorts
WordPress Mobile Edition available at alexking.org.
powered by WordPress.
Here we go again, the IL GOP pushes a liberal candidate. When will they ever learn?
Comment by Crimefighter Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 11:03 am
It’s still shocking to me what a wreck the Illinois GOP has become. No statewide offices, minority in both GA chambers, Alan Keyes for Senate, the loss of Phil Crane and Denny Hastert’s seats, the inability to field candidates, incessant right-wing/moderate bickering. Where and how do they turn this thing around?
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 11:26 am
Ozinga was Kavanaugh’s pick from the start. He got some slack from the other GOP Chairs when word was getting around that he wasn’t going to even consider other candidates. They pushed him, and then he put on a dog and pony show to let other potential candidates interview. Ozinga is tied in with the old way of doing things; and it was all about the money. The RNC has written this one off; so it’s an ego thing for Kavanaugh and Ozinga who has so many negatives before he even starts, it’s a joke. Bond, Kinzinger and Cunningham all had a better chance than Ozinga. kavanaugh was too lazy to raise money. And so it goes with the Illinois GOP.
Comment by 11th Congressional Voter Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 11:28 am
Gee, an Ilinois business is forced into pretzel shapes to appease “pay to play” government hacks who mandate that it MacGyver nanny state programs.
I believe voters are cyncial enough to overlook this about Ozinga.
But who is he beyond this? That is what will make or break him.
Comment by VanillaMan Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 12:05 pm
Well, I guess it has been about 10 minutes since the last huge embarrassing disaster for the Illinois GOP. We were due.
McKenna and his crew are clueless, and obviously so is this Ozinga guy. His reputation is going to be eviscerated by all of the disclosures about his political giving and some of these “minority” business practices.
Ozinga isn’t ready for politics, and I’m sure McKenna and his handlers never leveled with him about what’s coming. The State GOP is just desperate for another rich sacrificial lamb who can at least go through the motions. Someone should have told Ozinga that when the attacks start, McKenna’s going to be nowhere to be found. He’s on his own.
This Ozinga guy strikes me as similar to McKenna, and also much like another sacrificial lamb running for Congress this year, Steve Greenberg. All rich boys living in the shadow of very successful fathers, trying to exercise their egos and sense of entitlement. Ozinga obviously fell for the ego stroking hook line and sinker.
Mark another one for the Dems’ win column.
Comment by GOP'er Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 12:42 pm
Sooner or later, the Republican rank and file in this state will have to realize that there is no future for the Republican Party in its current configuration.
A “bottom up” revolt is blocked by party rules that empower SHRINKING the organization, and the number of Dem/Left/Insiders willing to fill Committemen seats is larger than the number of people willing to get 10 signatures and run for committeeman.
A “top down” revolt is blocked by 10 years of killing off anyone who could unite the party around a set of principles or personal character.
As impossible as an independent candidacy or 3rd party may appear, I would argue that “fixing” this party is more farfetched.
Abandon ship folks. Your principles and ideas will survive on another vessel, but will never survive on the current sinking ship.
If Bond is the better candidate, he should bolt the party, run as an independent on a decent center-right platform, and start the process of building new, uncorrupted networks of decent citizens.
The sooner you start, the sooner the state rights itself.
Comment by Bruno Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 1:20 pm
While Ozinga III has given to Democrats like Dick Durbin, Jesse White and Mayor Daley, it doesn’t appear that the particular Ozinga running for Congress gave the $10k contribution to Blagojevich. After searching the ISBE website, the address listed with the Blagojevich contribution is usually attributed in other donations to Martin Ozinga, Jr., Ozinga III’s father.
He’s now in the same boat as state GOP chair Andy McKenna, explaining his father’s contributions to Democrats.
There’s more on Ozinga’s contributions personally and through Ozinga Brothers here:
http://www.electil.com/news/45605-date-sate-to-name-ozinga-11th-cd-gop-nominee
Comment by ElectIL.com Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 1:24 pm
Severely hurt his chances? You are assuming incorrectly that the guy has any chance whatsoever. Between the war in Iraq, the deepenign recession and the general bungling of the Republican Party, Ozinga has no chance anyway!
Comment by fedup dem Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 2:26 pm
How about that “farm team”……wait…there isn’t one
Comment by annon in the stykes Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 4:37 pm
Who cares which rich, old white guy wastes his own money losing to Halvorson?
Do you really think some reactionary right-winger could even come close in a blue state like Illinois? I agree with Bruno. Abandon ship. The times have passed you by. Move to Utah or Idaho.
Comment by Bill Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 4:51 pm
“…cementing around Ozinga.”
Nicely done Kevin.
I expect it won’t be long until you can work in cement shoes somewhere in the story. As in GOP wearing same.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 5:13 pm
Again, no Wallace!
Jason Wallace is the Green Party candidate in the 11th district. Despite his impressive credentials and military service, apparently he’s less worthy of mention than the eventual GOP longshot? Come on!
Comment by Patrick Kelly Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 10:09 pm
Time to recreate the Whig Party-the party of Lincoln.
Comment by Loyal Whig Tuesday, Mar 25, 08 @ 10:19 pm
Give the guy a break. One of the largest material supply companies in the midwest. They do a lot of business. Durbin is “our” Senator he can bring road money to Illinois. Blago, well he’s just a … Got to do business. It is Illinois after all.
Comment by Hearing Voices Wednesday, Mar 26, 08 @ 7:57 am
Leave it to the ILGOP to have two candidates to choose from, and to choose the one with the verifiable trail of corruption.
Should Ozinga win, at least we won’t be surprised when the indictment (eventually) comes down.
Comment by jerry 101 Wednesday, Mar 26, 08 @ 8:46 am
what about Colleen Callhan giving to Republicans like Ray Lahood-that has to raise the ire of loyal dems??
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Mar 26, 08 @ 9:29 am
I have a real problem with a group of old-thinking GOP geezers from Will County choosing who will represent me, and I am from Will County. Halvorson has it.
Comment by Balderdash Wednesday, Mar 26, 08 @ 9:34 am
I think if you gave the IL GOP a gun with two bullets in it, they would shoot themselves in both feet… and I am glad. Here is a more appopriate question to blog: what do we call Debbie? Congresswoman Halvorson? It does not have ring to it…
Comment by anon Wednesday, Mar 26, 08 @ 10:04 pm
Can we please establish a conservative platform and ask all the Republican State and Fedral candidates to sign on? Then at least they would have a conherent message and have a chance of rallying voters. To say the least, IL. Rep. have to do a better job of grooming candidates.
Comment by Goldmedal Saturday, Apr 5, 08 @ 4:04 pm
Ozinga? Come on guys at least think it over before we choose. The guy we choose has to be able to not only beat Halverson but represent the interests of the entire 11th district. Is he able to do that?
Comment by ConfusedGOP Monday, Apr 14, 08 @ 3:20 pm