I just found out that an old acquaintence of mine was the media consultant for Craig Columbus who ran against JD Hayworth in the 5th District in Arizona last month. Of course, he lost. I will be speaking with this guy tomorrow and I'd like to know some facts before I do. Anyone know anything about this race or what this guy stood for? His website is closed. Thanks so much.
I copied some info on Congressional candidates, and this is what I had for Mr. Columbus:
AZ Dist. #5
Craig Columbus (D) - Internet Executive, Attorney & CNBC Financial
Commentator
Box #401 11445 East Via Linda Suite 2
Scottsdale, AZ 85259
Telephone: (602)369-3045
http://www.columbusforcongress.com/
Craig's father began his career as a steelworker at the United States Steel
Irwin Plant, located in the Monongahela River valley southeast of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The son of an immigrant coal miner, he was the
youngest member of the family - and the only one of his eight brothers and
sisters to graduate from high school.
He always dreamed of having his own business. Armed with nothing more than
his determination, he left a good job as a foreman in the mill to start his
own janitorial service company. As the only employee, he served as both the
CEO and head janitor! After thirty years of hard work, he built his company
into a successful, national business, including opening an office in Phoenix
on Van Buren in the mid-1960's. The company provided total maintenance
service to large accounts all over the country such as airports, sports
arenas, hospitals and universities. Craig's father has always been an
inspiration to him and continues to be even after passing away in February
of 1999.
Neither of Craig's parents had the opportunity to attend college but
constantly stressed the importance of education. His parents recognized the
education empowers people to positively influence the world around them.
Craig graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University of Chicago with a
degree in economics. Loyola's Jesuit influence strongly reinforced Craig's
beliefs in personal and community responsibility. He also graduated from law
school at Indiana University and passed the bar exam. But the world of
business interested Craig more, and he obtained his MBA degree from Penn
State University in 1994 before embarking on a business career.
Craig met his wife, Lori, when visiting Arizona in 1993, and they were
married in Scottsdale a year later. Lori has been an eyewitness to dramatic
changes during her thirty-plus years of living in Arizona. Her grandfather
began coming to Arizona every winter when Camelback Road was still a dirt
road! Lori and her family moved to Phoenix in 1968, and her mother still
lives in the same house at the base of Camelback Mountain some thirty-four
years later. Lori is a graduate of Arizona State University and a former
competitive rider of Arabian horses.
The couple's first child, Peyton, was born in 1998. An avid baseball and
football fan, Craig and Peyton have already shared their first Cactus
League, Arizona Fall League and Diamondbacks baseball games. Like Craig's
father before him, he is happiest listening to baseball on the radio on
summer nights while playing with his son in the backyard. Lori is an active
mom, participating in Peyton's swim lessons, pre-school, and the countless
other activities of an active three-year-old boy.