Danny O'Connor (Ohio politician)
Danny O'Connor | |
|---|---|
| Recorder of Franklin County | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Terry Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Daniel Jay O'Connor Jr. November 3, 1986 Sidney, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Wright State University (BA) Syracuse University (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Daniel Jay O'Connor Jr.[1] (born November 3, 1986)[2] is an American Democratic politician who unsuccessfully sought election to the U.S. House of Representatives to represent Ohio's 12th congressional district in both a August 2018 special election and the November 2018 general election.[3][4]
Early life and education[edit]
O'Connor was born and raised in Sidney, Ohio. His mother was a professor and his father works in healthcare administration.[5][6][7] He attended Lehman Catholic High School.[7]
In 2009, O'Connor received a B.A. in political science from Wright State University where he was initiated into Phi Kappa Tau fraternity. While at Wright State, O'Connor was president of the College Democrats of America.[5] In 2013, he received a JD from Syracuse University College of Law.[4][8]
Career[edit]
From 2011 to 2014, O'Connor was an attorney in the juvenile division at the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office before going into private practice. In 2014, O'Connor worked at the law firm Kemp, Schaeffer & Rowe in Columbus. In the fall of 2014, O'Connor joined Weis Law Group, where he specialized in family law and campaign finance reform.[9]
In 2016, O'Connor was elected to be the Franklin County Recorder in Franklin County, Ohio.[10]
Politics[edit]
In January 2018, O'Connor announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the United States House of Representatives in Ohio's 12th congressional district.[4] In May 2018, O'Connor won the nomination.[11]
The district has been a Republican stronghold for over 40 years. The district includes Columbus, Mansfield, and Zanesville, Ohio.[12]
O'Connor stated that if elected, he would not vote for Nancy Pelosi for U.S. House Speaker,[13][14] saying that the Democratic Party needs "new leadership". This statement became a central talking point before the special election.[15]
The Ohio special election was brought into national prominence when, in July 2018, President Donald Trump tweeted an endorsement[16][17] and in August 2018 held a rally in support of O'Connor's opponent, Troy Balderson.[18] The Governor of Ohio, John Kasich, supported Balderson in his run in what was Kasich's old district.[19] The election was closely watched as a precursor to the November 2018 midterm elections.[12] The race was seen as part of an effort to have a "Blue Wave" move Congress back into Democratic control.[20]
The Columbus Dispatch endorsed O'Connor.[21]
Balderson defeated O'Connor by 1,680 votes in the August special election, just over the threshold for an automatic recount.[22] O'Connor dominated the district's portion of Franklin County, home to the largest share of the district's population. However, he could not overcome a 4,800-vote deficit in normally heavily Republican Delaware County, the largest whole county in the district. Still, this was easily the closest that a Democrat had come to winning the district since 1982.
O'Connor won the Democratic nomination in 2018, facing Republican candidate Troy Balderson in the general election. During the campaign, Balderson falsely claimed that O'Connor intended to turn Columbus, Ohio into a "sanctuary city"; PolitiFact noted that O'Connor would have no power to turn Columbus into a sanctuary city and that O'Connor had never said that Columbus ought to become a sanctuary city.[23]
Political positions[edit]
Health care[edit]
O'Connor supports aspects of the Affordable Care Act, but believes other parts must be changed. For example, he'd like to extend the open enrollment period to align with tax season and give people more time each year to enroll. He would like to make cost-sharing reductions permanent and allow health insurance to be sold over state lines. He would expand Medicaid and allow Medicare to negotiate prices to bring down the cost of prescription drugs.[24]
Electoral history[edit]
Franklin County Recorder of Deeds elections[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Danny O'Connor | 61,411 | 55.92% | |
| Democratic | Terry J. Brown (incumbent) | 48,402 | 44.08% | |
| Total votes | 109,813 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Danny O'Connor | 294,957 | 57.18% | |
| Republican | Daphne Hawk | 220,913 | 42.82% | |
| Total votes | 515,870 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2018 U.S. House primary election results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Danny O'Connor | 18,422 | 40.94% | |
| Democratic | Zach Scott | 7,554 | 16.76% | |
| Democratic | John Russell | 7,515 | 16.70% | |
| Democratic | Jackie Patton | 6,111 | 13.58% | |
| Democratic | Ed Albertson | 3,638 | 8.08% | |
| Democratic | Doug Wilson | 1,771 | 3.94% | |
| Total votes | 45,011 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Danny O'Connor | 18,211 | 40.52% | |
| Democratic | John Russell | 7,310 | 16.27% | |
| Democratic | Zach Scott | 7,236 | 16.10% | |
| Democratic | Jackie Patton | 6,299 | 14.02% | |
| Democratic | Ed Albertson | 3,531 | 7.86% | |
| Democratic | Doug Wilson | 1,683 | 3.74% | |
| Democratic | John Peters | 670 | 1.49% | |
| Total votes | 44,940 | 100.00% | ||
2018 U.S. House general election results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ± | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Troy Balderson | 101,772 | 50.11% | –16.40% | |
| Democratic | Danny O'Connor | 100,208 | 49.34% | +19.45% | |
| Green | Joe Manchik | 1,129 | 0.56% | –3.01% | |
| Total votes | 203,109 | 100.00% | |||
| Majority | 1,564 | 0.77% | –35.87% | ||
Personal life[edit]
O'Connor is engaged to be married to Spenser Stafford, an attorney who is a member of the Republican Party.[29] O'Connor grew up in the Catholic Church and self-identifies as Catholic. His mother is a breast cancer survivor.[10]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Lawyer Daniel O'Connor - Columbus, OH Attorney - Avvo". Avvo.com. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ↑ "House races offer Democrats best shot at claiming a chamber in Congress" (Includes video). ABC News. June 22, 2018.
- ↑ Siegel, Jim (July 12, 2018). "Troy Balderson, Danny O'Connor square off in first debate in 12th District US House race". The Columbus Dispatch.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Pelzer, Jeremy (January 30, 2018). "Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor jumps in race for Pat Tiberi's old congressional seat". The Plain Dealer.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Patton, Kim (2018). "A Servant's Heart". Wright State Alumni Association.
- ↑ Vitartas, Kristen (May 28, 2015). "O'Connor Named OPRS Chief Operating Officer" (Press release). PRWeb.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Speelman, Patricia Ann (April 19, 2018). "O'Connor to speak at Dems dinner". Sidney Daily News.
- ↑ "Alumni Journal: 00s" (PDF). Syracuse University Magazine. Syracuse University. 33 (2): 52. Summer 2016.
Danny O’Connor L’13 (LAW) is a partner at Weis + O’Connor law practice in Columbus, Ohio, and the Democratic nominee for Franklin County recorder.
- ↑ "Danny O'Connor: Attorney Profile: Columbus Divorce Lawyer". Weis Law Group. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Speelman, Patricia Ann (January 19, 2017). "Sidney native elected in Columbus". Sidney Daily News.
- ↑ Garbe, Will; Torry, Jack; Wehrman, Jessica (May 8, 2018). "Wright State University graduate wins U.S. Congressional primary". Dayton Daily News.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ingles, Jo (July 30, 2018). "For Signs Of A Blue Wave, Everyone's Watching Ohio's 12th District" (Includes audio and transcript). WOSU-FM.
- ↑ Wehrman, Jessica (July 1, 2018). "As mid-terms approach, some Democrats say it's time to dump Pelosi". The Columbus Dispatch.
- ↑ Nilsen, Ella (July 12, 2018). "More than 20 Democratic House candidates want Nancy Pelosi to step aside after 2018". Vox.
- ↑ Merica, Dan (July 31, 2018). "Ohio Democrat puts call for 'new leadership' at center of closing argument". CNN.
- ↑ Trump, Donald J. [@realDonaldTrump] (July 27, 2018). ".@Troy_Balderson of Ohio is running for Congress - so important to the Republican Party. Cast you early vote or vote on August 7th. Troy is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, our Vets and our Second Amendment. He has my full and total Endorsement!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ Balmert, Jessie (August 1, 2018). "How Donald Trump turned a safe Republican seat in Ohio into a toss-up". USA Today.
- ↑ Merica, Dan; Wright, David (August 4, 2018). "Trump makes last-minute pitch to prevent defeat in crucial Ohio special election". CNN.
- ↑ Jones, Sarah (August 2, 2018). "Who's Afraid of Danny O'Connor? (Trump Is.)". The New Republic.
- ↑ Kaplan, Thomas (May 9, 2018). "An Ohio Special Election Shapes Up as a Big Test of the 'Blue Wave'". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Endorsement: For 12th District: Danny O'Connor favored for open seat". The Columbus Dispatch. July 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Balderson retains GOP hold on open House seat in Ohio". Politico. Associated Press. August 24, 2018. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
- ↑ "Danny O'Connor never said he wanted Columbus as a sanctuary". @politifact. Retrieved 2018-10-25.
- ↑ "Troy Balderson vs. Danny O'Connor: Ohio congressional races to watch". cleveland.com. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
- ↑ "Franklin County Recorder - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Franklin County Recorder". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Ohio Primary Election Results: 12th House District". The New York Times.
- ↑ "Representative to Congress". Ohio Secretary of State. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
- ↑ Merica, Dan (July 7, 2018). "Democrats look for a Conor Lamb redux in Ohio's special election". CNN.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Daniel J. O'Connor Jr. at Franklin County Recorder
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