Tony O'Donnell (politician)

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Anthony J. O'Donnell

| image = Tony O'Donnell (2007).jpg

| caption =

|office = Minority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates

|term_start = 2007

|term_end = May 1, 2013

|predecessor = George C. Edwards

|successor = Nic Kipke

| state_delegate1 = Maryland

| district1 = 29C

| term_start1 = January 11, 1995

| term_end1 = July 31, 2016

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 = Gerald W. Clark

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|3|7}}

| birth_place = Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Republican

| spouse =

| profession =

| religion =

| alma_mater = Regents College (BS)

}}

Tony O'Donnell (born March 7, 1961) is an American politician, who represented District 29C in the Maryland House of Delegates. In 2016, Governor Larry Hogan appointed him to the Maryland Public Service Commission.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Anthony_O%27Donnell |title=Anthony O'Donnell |publisher=Ballotpedia |date= |accessdate=2022-08-01}} He retired from the commission in June 2024.{{cite news |title=O'Donnell retires after eight years on Public Service Commission |url=https://marylandmatters.org/briefs/odonnell-retires-after-eight-years-on-public-service-commission/ |access-date=June 4, 2024 |work=Maryland Matters |date=June 4, 2024}}

Early life, education, and early career

O'Donnell attended Middletown Area High School in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Naval Nuclear Propulsion School in 1980. He received his B.S. from Regents College of the University of the State of New York (now Excelsior University) in 1985.

O'Donnell served in United States Navy, achieving a rank of E-6, from 1979-87. After the Navy, he was a supervisor for the Instrument Modifications Unit at Baltimore Gas & Electric's Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. He received the Edward T. Hall Memorial Award for Outstanding Republican Man of the Year – Calvert County, Calvert County Republican Central Committee in 1993. In 2005, he received the Outstanding Employer Partner award from the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.

Maryland House of Delegates

=Elections=

O'Donnell was first elected in 1995 into the Maryland House of Delegates for District 29C, which covers parts of Calvert and St. Mary's Counties. He defeated Thomas Michael Pelagatti by 32 votes.[http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1994/results_1994/gahod.html 1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results] He was re-elected in 1998 (59%),{{cite web | url=http://elections.state.md.us/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html |title = 1998 Gubernatorial Election}} 2002 (52%),{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=19235|title = Our Campaigns - MD State House 29C Race - Nov 05, 2002}} 2006 (60%),{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=85285|title = Our Campaigns - MD State House 29C Race - Nov 07, 2006}} and 2010 (57%).{{cite web|url=http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=406342|title=Our Campaigns - MD State House 29C Race - Nov 02, 2010}}

=Tenure=

Image:1odonnellonfloor.JPG]]

O'Donnell was Minority Whip in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 to 2006, and served as Minority Leader until 2013.{{cite web|url=http://m.capitalgazette.com/news/government/kipke-ousts-o-donnell-as-maryland-house-gop-leader/article_9d6104d9-d65c-5c68-882a-70671c21e1ea.html?mode=jqm|title = Capital Gazette: Annapolis breaking news, sports, weather and traffic}} In 2010, he was named one of the "Most Influential Maryland Legislators" (Top 20).{{cite web|url=http://www.gazette.net/thelist/|title=Where Does Your Legislator Rank? See the list.|last=Poll|date=2 April 2010|publisher=Maryland Gazette of Politics and Business|accessdate=10 April 2010}}

;Voting Record

voted against the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB359)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2007rs/billfile/HB0359.htm]
voted against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB6)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2007RS/votes/house/0690.htm]
voted against the Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB154)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/votes/house/0942.htm]
voted for slots in 2005 (HB1361)[http://mlis.state.md.us/2005rs/votes/house/0152.htm]
voted for electric deregulation in 1999 (HB703)[http://mlis.state.md.us/1999rs/votes/house/0870.htm]
voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)[http://mlis.state.md.us/1998rs/votes/house/1229.htm]

=Committee assignments<ref>{{cite web|url=https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/former/html/msa12284.html|title=Anthony J. O'Donnell, Maryland State Delegate}}</ref>=

Environmental Matters Committee (2007–15)
Agriculture, agriculture preservation & open space subcommittee (2007–08)
Environment subcommittee (2007–10)
Natural resources subcommittee (2007–15)
Local government & bi-county agencies subcommittee (2008–09)
Land use & ethics subcommittee (2011–15)
Rules and Executive Nominations Committee (2007–16)
Legislative Policy Committee (2007-2013)
Management subcommittee (2007-2013)
Judiciary Committee (1995-2004)
Family & juvenile law subcommittee (1995-2003)
Juvenile law subcommittee (2003–04)
Special Committee on Higher Education Affordability and Accessibility (2003–04)
Rules and Executive Nominations Committee (2003–04)
Appropriations Committee (2004–06)
Health & human resources subcommittee (2005–06)
Pensions Oversight Committee (2005–06)
Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer (2007, 2011){{cite web|url=http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12284.html|title = Anthony J. O'Donnell, Maryland State Delegate}}

=Caucus memberships=

Maryland Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus (2001-)
Maryland Rural Caucus (2002-)
Taxpayers Protection Caucus (2003-)
Maryland Veterans Caucus (2011-)

2012 congressional election

{{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in Maryland, 2012#District 5}}

In November 2011, O'Donnell announced his intention to run for the United States Congress representing Maryland's 5th congressional district currently held by Democratic incumbent Steny Hoyer. The 5th district spans from Anne Arundel, Calvert, Prince George's and Saint Mary's Counties.

Personal life

Tony O'Donnell and his wife, Lori, have three children and two grandchildren.{{cite web |url=http://www.odonnellforcongress.com/about/ |title=About Tony O'Donnell, Candidate for U.S. Congress from Maryland |accessdate=2012-04-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423110638/http://www.odonnellforcongress.com/about/ |archivedate=2012-04-23 }}

Electoral history

2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 26C{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2006/results/general/office_House_of_Delegates.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections}} Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007

::Voters to choose one:

class="wikitable"
Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. \|7,739 \| 60.3% \| Won
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|Norma Powers, Dem. \|5,091 \| 39.6% \| Lost
Other Write-Ins \|11 \| 0.1% \| Lost

class="wikitable"

Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep.

|7,739

| 60.3%

| Won

|Norma Powers, Dem.

|5,091

| 39.6%

| Lost

Other Write-Ins

|11

| 0.1%

| Lost

2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 27C{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/2002/results/g_house_of_delegate.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections}} Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007

::Voters to choose one:

class="wikitable"
Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. \|6,027 \| 51.87% \| Won
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|Pat Buehler, Dem. \|5,586 \| 48.08% \| Lost
Other Write-Ins \|6 \| 0.1% \| Lost

class="wikitable"

Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep.

|6,027

| 51.87%

| Won

|Pat Buehler, Dem.

|5,586

| 48.08%

| Lost

Other Write-Ins

| 0.1%

| Lost

1998 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 29C{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1998/results_1998/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections}} Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007

::Voters to choose one:

class="wikitable"
Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. \|8,401 \| 59% \| Won
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|John M. Gott, Dem. \|5,772 \| 41% \| Lost

class="wikitable"

Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep.

|8,401

| 59%

| Won

|John M. Gott, Dem.

|5,772

| 41%

| Lost

1994 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 29C{{cite web| url=http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1994/results_1994/gahod.html| title=House of Delegates Results |publisher=Maryland State Board of Elections}} Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007

::Voters to choose one:

class="wikitable"
Name !Votes !Percent !Outcome
{{Party shading/Republican}} \|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. \|5,839 \| 50% \| Won
{{Party shading/Democratic}} \|Thomas Michael Pelagatti, Dem. \|5,807 \| 50% \| Lost

class="wikitable"

Name

!Votes

!Percent

!Outcome

|Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep.

|5,839

| 50%

| Won

|Thomas Michael Pelagatti, Dem.

|5,807

| 50%