Debbie Halvorson

U.S. House, IL

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Out with the old and in with the blue. Even before Rep. Jerry Weller, dogged by allegations of corruption, decided not to seek re-election, Democratic leaders were working to recruit state Senate Majority Leader Debbie Halvorson to challenge him in Illinois’s 11th congressional district. When Weller announced his retirement, this seat shot to the top of the list of prime Democratic pick-up opportunities. Halvorson cleared the field for the primary and must now focus on raising enough money to compete with the full force of a GOP determined to hold onto this seat.

An American success story. Halvorson was told growing up that college was “for the boys.” She married at 21 and became a stay-at-home mom and community volunteer. In 1993, she ran for Crete township clerk, becoming the first Democrat to hold the post. In 1996, she knocked off an 18-year Republican incumbent in her first run for the state Senate. Halvorson has quickly moved up from chair of the Democratic caucus to assistant majority leader to Senate majority leader -- the first woman in Illinois history! At the same time, she went back to college, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

A solid record of accomplishment. Halvorson commands bipartisan respect as a legislator who gets things done. She’s cosponsored laws requiring health insurers to cover contraception, protecting women from domestic abuse and children from predators, establishing equal pay laws, and expanding health care coverage. She will be an outstanding leader in Congress -- but Republicans will spend heavily to hold this seat. Her GOP opponent, millionaire businessman Martin Ozinga III, does little to inspire confidence in change from Weller’s antics; his company has been accused of engaging in questionable business practices to evade minority contracting laws. Halvorson is strong enough to take this seat over for Democrats -- but she will need to raise $4 million to move this seat into the Democratic column in 2008.

More About Debbie Halvorson

Democrats have a prime opportunity to take over a GOP-held open seat in Illinois’s 11th congressional district, where state Sen. Debbie Halvorson is running to replace retiring Rep. Jerry Weller. Halvorson, the state’s first female Senate majority leader, was the first choice for Democrats eager to increase the majority. Like many Republicans, Weller is leaving Congress under a cloud of corruption (questionable land deals and campaign finance violations), and his district badly needs responsible, honorable representation in Congress. They won’t get that from Halvorson’s opponent, wealthy concrete magnate Martin “Marty” Ozinga III, who has legal troubles of his own -- and a sizable war chest he is using to dominate the airwaves with attack ads.

Halvorson is a popular, hard-working, and remarkably skilled legislator who has earned bipartisan accolades from a wide range of organizations, including labor, business, teachers, health care workers, and senior citizens. She’s moved dozens of bills through the legislature that improve the lives of women and families -- requiring health insurers to cover contraception, protecting children from predators, and establishing equal pay laws. Halvorson has pushed to expand health care coverage for veterans, small businesses, self-employed people, and other uninsured individuals. She sponsored legislation to bring down the cost of prescription drugs for seniors and disabled citizens. To make sure young women are protected against human papillomavirus, which can lead to cervical cancer, Halvorson passed a law requiring insurance companies to pay for the vaccination for young women who choose to get it.

A native of this district, Halvorson was told growing up that college was “for the boys.” She got married at 21 and dedicated herself to raising her children and volunteering in her community. But Halvorson was always interested in politics, and worked to elect other candidates until, in 1993, she was urged to run for Crete Township clerk. She became the first Democrat to hold the post. In 1996, Halvorson defeated an 18-year Republican incumbent state senator. She very quickly became a part of the leadership team, moving from chair of the Democratic caucus to assistant majority leader until, in 2005, she became the first woman majority leader of the Illinois Senate. While serving in the Senate, Halvorson returned to college, earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The Political Situation

Pundits consider this open seat one of the most promising targets for Democratic takeover in 2008. The Rothenberg Political Report predicted that holding it will be “a real problem for the GOP,” and political prognosticator Charlie Cook labels it one of the top seats the GOP is in serious danger of losing. Republicans were left scrambling when their candidate withdrew after the primary. Their choice does little to inspire confidence in change: millionaire businessman Ozinga, a frequent campaign contributor to Weller, has a history of pay-to-play behavior. Ozinga has been accused of creating sham businesses to exploit minority contracting laws and, more recently, for lying in an affidavit regarding his concrete company’s efforts to force an 83-year-old farmer off his land to develop a gravel pit. His exploits have drawn considerable press attention, which he’s sought to deflect by launching negative and false attacks on Halvorson.

Ozinga is stressing his conservative credentials, noting that he and Halvorson are at “opposite ends of the spectrum,” particularly on social issues -- including a woman’s right to choose, which Ozinga firmly opposes. He also opposes universal health care and, in a startling display of ignorance, suggested that there is no health care crisis in America. “There are very few people these days that have no health service at all,” he said. “I don’t care who you are, if you’re sick or you get hurt, you go to the hospital and you get taken care of.”

The Washington Post has ranked this seat in the top 15 on their list of most competitive House races -- and it’s in play for Democrats largely because of Halvorson’s strength. She’s a proven fundraiser with a tremendous grassroots network. But the cost of running a congressional race in a targeted open seat is considerably higher than any of her previous campaigns, as she must purchase ad time in the costly Chicago media market. Ozinga has vast personal wealth and ties to deep-pocketed corporate interests that are funding his campaign. And he is clearly willing to fight dirty, attacking Halvorson even as she visited her stepson, a captain in the Army Special Forces who was injured in Afghanistan, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Halvorson must raise $4 million to win this GOP-held seat and help Democrats build a working House majority in 2008.

The Issues

“Our district has been underserved for too long, and I want to provide real leadership on the issues that matter to Illinois families,” says Halvorson. “I will work with the Democratic majorities and the newly elected Democratic president to develop sound policy alternatives to remedy the mismanagement of the Bush years, especially with regards to the war in Iraq.”

Halvorson calls on Congress to override Bush’s veto of the education funding bill and says, “we must demand key revisions to No Child Left Behind, including additional performance measures, smaller classes, and more highly qualified teachers.” Halvorson will work to fund special education and make paying for college easier on families.

Halvorson knows the challenges families face in balancing work and home responsibilities. She supports strengthening the Family and Medical Leave Act, closing the wage gap, and offering workers flexible alternatives like telecommuting and job sharing. “Work arrangements that accommodate our families help to strengthen our economy,” she says. Making quality child care more affordable is a priority for Halvorson. “Many families pay more for child care than they would for college tuition,” she says. “Often they are left with unstable and poorly supervised care as their only option. Surely we can do better.”

Halvorson supports free trade but says trade agreements must meet certain human rights and environmental standards. “We need a trade policy that enables American producers and workers to compete successfully in the global economy,” she says. “And we need to reinvest in manufacturing and innovation, and keep jobs here in America.”

Noting that the gap between rich and poor has widened dramatically under Bush, Halvorson says federal budget priorities need to be reordered to make health care, child care, and college more affordable for families. “These are not new concepts, but unfortunately, they have been on the back burner during the Bush administration,” she says. Halvorson supports the pay-as-you- go policy implemented by the current Congress to restore fiscal responsibility to government.

Halvorson supports a progressive tax policy that provides relief for middle- and low-income families. “We need to close corporate loopholes and ensure that the wealthy pay their fair share,” she says. While in Congress, she hopes to expand the child care and Earned Income Tax Credits to make more low income workers eligible.

Adequately equipping our armed forces for war should be the nation’s top defense spending priority, Halvorson says. “Iraq is draining our budget and preventing us from responding to other, more real threats like Afghanistan and Pakistan,” she says. “My stepson did one tour of duty in Iraq and was injured in Afghanistan. I have deep respect for his service. But it is time to bring our troops home in a responsible way, refocus our efforts on fighting terrorism, and make America more secure.” Halvorson adds that the U.S. must repair its relationship with nations around the world: “We are stronger with diplomatic alliances and a foreign policy based on bipartisan consensus,” she says.

Noting the progress women and minorities have made in workplace equality, Halvorson says, “there is much work still to be done. We must end wage disparities, sexual harassment, and workplace discrimination, as well as discrimination in the courts and housing. We must also protect a worker’s right to organize for fair wages, safe working conditions, and better benefits.”

Halvorson favors investing in education and after-school programs to help put children on the right track and reduce crime. Drug treatment is a proven way to reduce recidivism, she notes. “Because our jails often breed tougher criminals, we need to pursue alternative sentencing for non-violent offenders to help them escape the cycle of crime,” she says.

“Our health care system is hemorrhaging, and we need to do something now,” Halvorson says, noting that the number of uninsured Americans has increased to 47 million under Bush. Halvorson will work in Congress, as she has in Illinois, to make insurance more affordable and reduce the cost of prescription drugs by allowing direct negotiation with drug companies -- and to reauthorize SCHIP (the State Children’s Health Insurance Program).

The number of American children living in poverty has risen 12 percent to 13 million, another effect of Bush’s failed economic agenda. Halvorson favors revisiting the 1996 welfare reform package, “so that we can make sure families and children have basic necessities, at the very least,” she says.

Halvorson appreciates the increased attention being paid to the environment and global warming, but wants to see more action. “We must invest in cleaner, alternative sources of energy,” she says. “The recent increase in fuel efficiency standards is a great step forward, but we need to find more ways to protect the environment and lessen the bite at the pump. We also need stronger standards on greenhouse gases, and to hold corporate polluters responsible.”

“I will fight in Congress to ensure that all women have the right to choose, and oppose all efforts to restrict that right,” Halvorson says.

September 2008