Chicago Daily Observer

The GOP appears to be settling on concrete mogul Martin Ozinga as its nominee to try to hang on to the congressional seat now held by retiring U.S. Rep. Jerry Weller, R-Morris.

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.

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.