Corey O'Connor

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Corey O'Connor

| office = Controller of Allegheny County

| term_start = July 10, 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Chelsa Wagner

| successor =

| office2 = Member of the Pittsburgh City Council
from the 5th district

| term_start2 = January 3, 2012

| term_end2 = July 10, 2022

| predecessor2 = Doug Shields

| successor2 = Barbara Greenwood Warwick

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|8|22|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Katie McLaughlin

| education = Duquesne University (BA)

}}

Corey O'Connor (born August 22, 1984) https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/corey-oconnor-launches-run-for-pittsburgh-mayor-against-ed-gainey is an American politician serving as the Allegheny County controller in Pennsylvania since July 10, 2022. For the 10 years prior to becoming controller, he was a member of the Pittsburgh City Council and represented District 5.{{cite news | last = Ray | first = Sean | title = Corey O'Connor On His Family's Irish Origins And Traditions | newspaper = WESA (FM) | location = Pittsburgh | date = March 17, 2016 | url =https://www.wesa.fm/post/corey-oconnor-his-familys-irish-origins-and-traditions | access-date = October 26, 2020}}

Family and education

O'Connor was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Bob O'Connor and Judy Levine O'Connor. He is the youngest brother of Terrence O'Connor, a priest, and Heidy Garth. Bob represented District 5 as a member of Pittsburgh City Council from 1992 to 2003, including a four year stint as council president; he was then elected Pittsburgh mayor in 2005, but six months after taking office in January 2006, he was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer and died seven weeks later.{{cite news | last = Lord | first = Rich | title = City Mourns the Death of Mayor Bob O'Connor at Age 61 | newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date = September 2, 2006 | url = https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2006/09/02/City-mourns-the-death-of-Mayor-Bob-O-Connor-at-age-61/stories/200609020175 | access-date = October 26, 2020}} In his father's memory, Corey and his family established the Bob O'Connor Memorial Fund. To support the fund, they host the yearly "O'Connor Cookie Cruise" on the Gateway Clipper Fleet, which is attended by thousands.{{cite news | title = The Return of the O'Connor Cookie Cruise | newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date = August 30, 2008 | url = https://www.post-gazette.com/life/seen/2008/08/30/The-return-of-the-O-Connor-cookie-cruise/stories/200808300155 | access-date = October 26, 2020}}{{cite news | title = Pittsburgh's Cookie Cruise sets sail again | newspaper = WTAE-TV | date = August 22, 2012 | url = https://www.wtae.com/article/pittsburgh-s-cookie-cruise-sets-sail-again/7457930 | access-date = October 26, 2020}}

O'Connor graduated from Central Catholic High School and earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Duquesne University.{{cite web | title = Councilman Corey O'Connor | publisher = City of Pittsburgh | url = https://pittsburghpa.gov/council/oconnor | access-date = October 10, 2020 }} He married Katie Stohlberg on June 29, 2013.{{cite news | title = Katie Stohlberg & Corey O’Connor | newspaper = Pittsburgh Magazine | date = February 14, 2014 | url = https://www.pittsburghmagazine.com/katie-stohlberg-corey-oconnor/ | access-date = February 14, 2025}} Nearly 8 years later, he married Katie McLaughlin on April 16, 2021, and they reside in Pittsburgh's Swisshelm Park neighborhood with their daughter and son.

Career

O'Connor has served as the Pittsburgh City Council member for District 5 since January 3, 2012. His district includes the neighborhoods of Glen Hazel, Greenfield, Hays, Hazelwood, Lincoln Place, New Homestead, Regent Square, Squirrel Hill South, and Swisshelm Park.

O'Connor received national media coverage for his response to the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting which happened in his district.{{cite news | last = Santanam | first = Ramesh | title =Pittsburgh moves to restrict guns after attack on synagogue | newspaper = Florida Today | date = March 27, 2019 | url = https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/27/pittsburgh-synagogue-shooting-city-council-approves-initial-gun-control-legislation/3289834002/ | access-date = October 26, 2020 }}{{cite news | last = Rubinkam | first = Michael | title = After synagogue attack, Pittsburgh tries again to curb guns | newspaper = The Times of Israel | date = March 27, 2019 | url = https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-synagogue-attack-pittsburgh-tries-again-to-curb-guns/ | access-date = October 26, 2020}} He subsequently co-sponsored or supported gun reform legislation.{{cite news | last = Gajanan | first = Mahita | title = Pittsburgh Is Moving Forward With Gun Reform After the Tree of Life Shooting. But the Legal Battle Is Just Beginning | newspaper = TIME | date = April 3, 2019 | url = https://time.com/5563367/pittsburgh-gun-reform-tree-life/ | access-date = October 26, 2020}}{{cite news | title = Pittsburgh moves to restrict guns after Tree of Life Synagogue attack | newspaper = NBC News | date = March 27, 2019 | url = https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/pittsburgh-moves-restrict-guns-after-tree-life-synagogue-attack-n988051

| access-date = October 26, 2020}} He has also advocated nationally for stricter gun ordinances.{{cite news | last = Smeltz | first = Adam | title = Pittsburgh 'ready to fight' on gun issues, Councilman O'Connor says | newspaper = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | location = Pittsburgh | date = October 30, 2018 | url = https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2018/10/30/Pittsburgh-Corey-O-Connor-gun-legislation-Squirrel-Hill-mass-shooting-city-council/stories/201810300157 | access-date = October 26, 2020}}{{cite news | last = Borter | first = Gabriella | title = Pittsburgh considers stricter gun laws after synagogue attack | newspaper = Reuters | location = Pittsburgh | date = December 18, 2018 | url = https://fr.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-shooting-idUSKBN1OH1JU | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201030080845/https://fr.reuters.com/article/us-pennsylvania-shooting-idUSKBN1OH1JU | url-status = dead | archive-date = October 30, 2020 | access-date = October 26, 2020}}{{cite news | last = Shoemaker| first = J. Dale | title = Pittsburgh city council passes landmark gun legislation. NRA prematurely said it filed suit. | newspaper = Public Source | date = April 2, 2019 | url = https://www.publicsource.org/pittsburgh-city-council-passes-landmark-gun-legislation-nra-promptly-files-suit/ | access-date = October 26, 2020}}

In 2022, O'Connor was nominated by Governor Tom Wolf and then confirmed by a Pennsylvania State Senate committee to become the next Allegheny County Controller, filling the vacancy left when Chelsa Wagner vacated the office on January 3, 2022, after being elected in 2021 to serve as a judge on the county's Court of Common Pleas.{{cite news |last1=Deto |first1=Ryan |title=Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O’Connor poised to become Allegheny County's controller |url=https://triblive.com/local/pittsburgh-city-councilman-corey-oconnor-poised-to-become-allegheny-countys-controller/ |access-date=July 3, 2022 |publisher=Triblive.com |date=June 29, 2022}} On July 10, 2022, O'Connor resigned as a member of city council and then was immediately sworn in as county controller.{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=Lauren |title=Corey O'Connor sworn in as Allegheny County Controller |url=https://www.wtae.com/article/corey-oconnor-sworn-in-as-allegheny-county-controller/40567716 |website=WTAE |access-date=July 11, 2022 |date=July 10, 2022}} He was elected to a full term in 2023.

O'Connor's vacated city councilmember position was succeeded by Democrat Barbara Greenwood Warwick in a special election on November 8, 2022.{{cite web|url=https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/PA/Allegheny/115752/web.307039/#/detail/0031|title=Election Night Reporting|accessdate=November 12, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112052417/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/PA/Allegheny/115752/web.307039/|archive-date=November 12, 2022}}

On December 10, 2024, O'Connor announced that he would run for Mayor of Pittsburgh in the 2025 election, challenging Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary.{{cite news |last1=Wolfson |first1=Charlie |title=Corey O’Connor launches run for Pittsburgh mayor against Ed Gainey |url=https://penncapital-star.com/campaigns-elections/corey-oconnor-launches-run-for-pittsburgh-mayor-against-ed-gainey/ |access-date=12 February 2025 |publisher=Pennsylvania Capital-Star |date=December 10, 2024}}

References

External links

{{Official website|https://alleghenycontroller.com/the-controller/about-controller-oconnor/}}

Category:21st-century Pennsylvania politicians

Category:County officials in Pennsylvania

Category:Pittsburgh City Council members

Category:Politicians from Pittsburgh

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) alumni