Jerry L. O'Connor (born September 14, 1953) is an American

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician and retired banker from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He is a member of the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

, representing Wisconsin's 52nd Assembly district since January 2023. He was the president and C.E.O. of the National Exchange Bank & Trust of

Waupun, Wisconsin Waupun is a city in Dodge County, Wisconsin, Dodge and Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 11,344 at the 2020 census. Of this, 7,795 were in Dodge County, and 3,549 were in Fond du ...

, from 1998 until his retirement in 2020.

Biography

Jerry O'Connor was born in southwest Wisconsin and moved to

Lomira, Wisconsin Lomira is a village in Dodge County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,430 at the 2010 census. The village is located within the Town of Lomira, at the crossroads of State Highways 49, 67 and 175, and Interstate 41. History The ...

, during high school. After graduating from high school, he attended Minnesota Bible College and went on to earn his master's degree from the Graduate School of Banking at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

. He subsequently moved to

Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Fond du Lac () is a city in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 44,678 at the 2020 census. The city forms the core of the United States Census Bureau's Fond du Lac United States metrop ...

, which has been his primary residence ever since. He had a 40 year career in banking, and was most recently the president and C.E.O. of the National Exchange Bank & Trust of

, retiring in 2020. During his career, he was also chairman of the Community Bankers of Wisconsin and was co-chair of the board of the Wisconsin Bankers Association.

Political career

In December 2021, incumbent Wisconsin state representative

Jeremy Thiesfeldt Jeremy Thiesfeldt (born November 22, 1966) is an American educator and politician from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly for 12 years, representing Wisconsin's 52nd Assembly district from 2011 thr ...

announced he would not seek a sixth term in the Assembly. The following Spring, O'Connor announced that he would run for the Republican nomination to succeed Thiesfeldt in the 52nd Assembly district. The district covers most of central Fond du Lac County and is safely Republican, and ultimately saw three other candidates enter the race for the Republican nomination. O'Connor prevailed by a wide margin in the primary, taking 55% in the four-person contest. He went on to win the

general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...

with 62% of the vote. He will take office in January 2023.

Personal life and family

Jerry O'Connor has six brothers. He has been married twice. He married his high school sweetheart, Amy Lansdowne, on August 26, 1972, in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

. They had two daughters together and were married for nearly 43 years before she died of cancer in 2015. He subsequently married Luanne Bohlman-Romuald, a widow and mother of three adult children. Jerry and Luanne reside in the town of Fond du Lac, just outside the city of Fond du Lac.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2022)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", Republican Primary, August 9, 2022 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 8, 2022

References

External links

Campaign website
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Jerry L. O'Connor
at Wisconsin Vote {{DEFAULTSORT:OConnor, Jerry L. 1953 births Living people Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 21st-century American legislators American bank presidents 21st-century Wisconsin politicians