| David Ratowitz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lancaster, Ohio |
| Residence | Lincoln Square, Chicago |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | University of Iowa, Tulane University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, Attorney, Paratrooper, Army Ranger |
| Political party | Republican |
| Religion | Jewish |
| Website | |
| http://www.ratowitzforcongress.com | |
David Ratowitz is an American political activist, entrepreneur, former paratrooper and Army Ranger, and Republican congressional candidate in the 5th district of Illinois.
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David grew up in south suburban Hazel Crest, Illinois attending Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He went on to study anthropology at the University of Iowa on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduating as the Distinguished Military Graduate with a BA in 1992.[1][2]
After entering active duty and graduated from U.S. Army Airborne and Ranger Schools, David served as an officer in the 82nd Airborne and 2nd Infantry Divisions from 1992 to 1997 while stationed in Korea, Fort Bragg, and deployed to Haiti. He was honorably discharged in 1997 with the rank of Captain, Field Artillery.[1][2]
In 2000, David founded a real estate development and property management firm in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he lived for eight years. He earned concurrent MBA and JD degrees from Tulane University in 2003.
After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, David formed a companion construction company.
David and his family returned to Illinois in 2007, establishing The Ratowitz Law Firm, LLC in Chicago, which specializes in federal employment law and provides investor real estate services. A member of the Turnaround Management Association, David helps to provide professional services to companies that are suffering financial and operational setbacks. He also maintains membership in the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Chicago Association of Realtors and the Young Professionals of Chicago.[1][2]
David has been politically active in the Chicago area for a number of years, promoting the principles of limited government and individual liberty. He is a member and serves on committees of the Chicago GOP, Chicago Young Republicans and the Republican Jewish Coalition. David is also a leader in the Campaign for Liberty, formerly serving as the organization’s Region 5 Coordinator.[1][2]
Davis is challenging Democratic incumbent Mike Quigley. Green Party nominee Matt Reichel is also running.
As part of his campaigning, David has appeared at numerous venues, including an April 15, 2010 Tea Party protest at Daley Plaza in Chicago[3] and on Fox News Network's Freedom Watch program.
David lost his congressional bid on November 2, 2010. Throughout his campaign, David received recognition for his tightly run grass-roots campaign. David gained the attention of state and national GOP leaders when it was reported that he had literally worn out the soles of his black dress shoes walking the district to obtain the requisite number of signatures to get onto the ballot.
David made a point of taking his campaign directly to the large Polish population of Chicago. In the past 20 years, IL-D5's significant Polish population has been on the sidelines and largely ignored by the District's leadership as new ethnic groups have increased within the District. David made sure the Polish community (David Ratowitz's family immigrated here from Poland in the early-mid 1900's) was included making a point of meeting with leaders in that community and appearing on Polish language radio.