According to an article in the Holland Sentinel, Jordan Jorritsma, Ottawa County Commissioner candidate for District 2, “Jorritsma decided to run after a series of controversial decisions made by the current board, controlled by far-right fundamentalist group Ottawa Impact.” The article quotes Jorritsma, “I started paying attention to what was going on, and it just didn’t sit right with me.”
This opening leads the average citizen to believe that Jorritsma has not previously been involved in politics, but this is not the case. He currently works for State Senator Curt VanderWall, but has also worked for State Representative Greg VanWoerkom and Congressman Bill Huizenga, and has been a precinct delegate since he turned 18.
Continuing through the Sentinel article, Jorritsma is quoted again, “I think trust has been lost between the county and county residents. I think they’ve tried to contort the definition of community and almost pit groups of people against each other.”
This is very interesting, because at the end of 2022, when a freshly elected group of precinct delegates made sweeping changes to the Ottawa County Republican Party Executive Committee, Jorritsma and two other individuals did not try to understand what changes the newcomers were interested in making. Instead, he coordinated with establishment Republicans and sued the Ottawa County Republican Party. The suit cost the local party approximately $20,000 and the judge ordered a redo of the convention in which the sweeping changes were made. The redo convention resulted in 23 of the original 24 people who were elected at the contested convention being re-elected to the executive committee. Not only did Jorritsma not work with the newly elected individuals, he discounted their experience and admonished them for voting him and others with “experience” out.
During the redo convention, Jorritsma gave a short speech when challenging another individual for a seat on the executive committee. In his speech Jorritsma stated, “I have been a precinct delegate since I was 18 years old. I have been involved even longer than that, and I have spent my whole career and whole life working for Republicans; Republican candidates, Republican elected officials.”
I believe that was a true statement. Jorritsma is part of a group known as Conservative Ottawa. Conservative Ottawa is sponsoring candidates running in the August 2024 primaries and November 2024 elections. On January 31, 2024, they hosted an event in which it is rumored several candidates gave speeches stressing the importance of appealing to Democrat voters to vote for them in the primaries.
From left to right;
Kurt VanKoevering - leader of conservative Ottawa
Jordan Jortisma – candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 2
Jacob Bonnema– current commissioner and candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 4
Jim Barry – half-brother of Bill Huizenga and candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 1
Eric DeBoer – candidate for Ottawa County Sheriff
Chris VanderSys – former candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 1
Sarah Matwiejczyk – candidate for Prosecuting Attorney
Phil Kuyers – former commissioner and candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 9
Josh Brugger – candidate for Ottawa County Commissioner District 10
Conservative Ottawa expects their candidates to raise at least $25,000 and recruit at least 20 volunteers.
Additionally, their expectations include, “sound conservative fiscal policy, a humble attitude with respect for everyone, and an ability to listen to constituents.”
During his speech to hopefully gain a seat on the Ottawa County Republican Party Executive Committee, Jorritsma stated, “I don’t know why this body is so opposed to people who have experience, or people that have been a part of the party before, or feels the need to throw everyone out. The word establishment, what you are talking about is experience, and there has been a number of individuals, not me, a number of other individuals that you have tossed out; all of their experience, all of their knowledge, and I think that’s a shame.”
To me, this sounds like the opposite of the expectations listed above. Not surprisingly, this lecture did not win Jorritsma enough votes to obtain a seat on the Ottawa County Republican Party Executive Committee.
If you live in Ottawa County District 2, you will have to decide if Jorritsma is the candidate you would like to represent you.