Tony O'Donnell (born March 7, 1961) is an American politician, who represented District 29C in the

Maryland House of Delegates The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly, legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House ...

. In 2016, Governor

Larry Hogan Lawrence Joseph Hogan Jr. (born May 25, 1956) is an American politician who served as the 62nd governor of Maryland from 2015 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party and son of three-term U.S. representative Lawrence Hogan, he served as co-ch ...

appointed him to the

Maryland Public Service Commission The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) is an independent administrative agency within the state government which regulates public utilities and certain taxi cab and other passenger services in Maryland. Similar to other state public utilitie ...

. He retired from the commission in June 2024.

Early life, education, and early career

O'Donnell attended Middletown Area High School in

Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania Middletown is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, southeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had ...

. 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 The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

(now

Excelsior University Excelsior University is a private online university in Albany, New York. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and comprises three schools: the school of undergraduate studies, the school of graduate studies, and the school of nursing. ...

) in 1985. O'Donnell served in

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

, 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 The Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP) is a nuclear power plant located on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay near Lusby, Calvert County, Maryland, in the Mid-Atlantic United States. It is the only nuclear power plant in the state o ...

. 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

for District 29C, which covers parts of Calvert and St. Mary's Counties. He defeated Thomas Michael Pelagatti by 32 votes. He was re-elected in 1998 (59%), 2002 (52%), 2006 (60%), and 2010 (57%).

Tenure

O'Donnell was Minority Whip in the

from 2003 to 2006, and served as Minority Leader until 2013. In 2010, he was named one of the "Most Influential Maryland Legislators" (Top 20). ;Voting Record *voted against the Clean Indoor Air Act of 2007 (HB35

*voted against in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in 2007 (HB

*voted against the Healthy Air Act in 2006 (SB15

*voted for slots in 2005 (HB136

*voted for Maryland Electric Deregulation, electric deregulation in 1999 (HB70

*voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB75

Committee assignments

*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)

Caucus memberships

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

2012 congressional election

In November 2011, O'Donnell announced his intention to run for the United States Congress representing

Maryland's 5th congressional district Maryland's 5th congressional district comprises all of Charles, St. Mary's, and Calvert counties (a region known as Southern Maryland), as well as portions of Prince George's and Anne Arundel counties. The district is currently represented ...

currently held by Democratic incumbent

Steny Hoyer Steny Hamilton Hoyer ( ; born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and retired attorney who has served as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1981. He also served as House Majority Leader from 2007 to 20 ...

. 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.

Electoral history

*2006 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 26C Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007 ::Voters to choose one: : *2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 27C Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007 ::Voters to choose one: : *1998 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 29C Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007 ::Voters to choose one: : *1994 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – District 29C Retrieved on Sept, 22 2007 ::Voters to choose one: :

References and notes

External links

*http://www.msa.md.gov/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12284.html *http://www.elections.state.md.us/elections/1990/results_1990/gahod.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Odonnell, Tony 1961 births Living people Republican Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates Politicians from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania USNY Regents College alumni United States Navy non-commissioned officers 20th-century members of the Maryland General Assembly 21st-century members of the Maryland General Assembly