Oz Bengur

Who is Oz Bengur?

Osman "Oz" Bengur is an American investment banker and Democratic party politician. Bengur has served as Treasurer for the Maryland Democratic Party and was a candidate for Congress in 2002 and 2006. He was also a 2010 candidate for Delegate in Maryland’s 42nd District. Bengur was the first American of Turkish descent to run for Congress in the United States.

Raised in Montgomery County, Maryland, Bengur received a Bachelor's Degree from Princeton University as well a criminology degree from Cambridge University. At age 30, he worked as an aide to Maine Governor Joseph E. Brennan. Bengur was later named Deputy Director of the Maine Office of Energy Resources. Bengur was an Alternate Delegate from Maine to the 1980 Democratic National Convention.

Bengur was a candidate in the Democratic primary for United States Congress in Maryland's 2nd district in 2002. He spent $50,000 of his own money in the race, losing to Dutch Ruppersberger. In 2006, he sought the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 3rd district.

In 1991, Bengur co-founded Bengur Bryan & Co., an investment banking firm specializing in financing and mergers and acquisitions. He is also Chairman of PJPA, LLC, a large Papa John's franchisee operating stores in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Bengur is President of Eggspectation USA, a restaurant franchiser based in Baltimore.