Donna Marsh O’Connor
To raise political money, Donna Marsh O’Connor turns to pizza, wings and wine.
For example, there is her homestyle wine-tasting fundraiser and her meetings for pizza and wings at Coolican’s Bar in Clay. That brings together contributors like her family, friends, colleagues and labor unions. She prefers to keep her fundraising cost-efficient, she says. And black-tie galas and fancy dinners can be pricey.
Of the wine-tasting at her own home, she said: “I think people should give what they can afford. This way everyone is included.”
O’Connor, a member of the Liverpool School Board, is the Democratic candidate for the District 2 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature. She’s up against Republican John Dougherty. David Stewart, a candidate of the Independence Party, will also be on the ballot but he has announced he is not campaigning and endorsed Republican Dougherty for the seat.
District 2 is the county’s only contested race without an incumbent. The seat had been held by Bernard Kraft, a Republican who represented the district for 26 years. Kraft died in July. District 2 includes the Bayberry area, the Route 57 corridor and the western portion of Clay.
The election is Nov. 3.
This is O’Connor’s first race for county legislature. She was elected to the Liverpool School Board in 2007. O’Connor, 55, is an adjunct professor in the Syracuse University Writing Program.
As of Oct.26, Dougherty, the Republican had raised $8,694, according to campaign finance reports filed with the New York State Board of Elections. And Stewart, of the Independence Party, had raised $6,439.68.
O’Connor is a close second to Dougherty in the money race. Here’s a look at her campaign finances:
- Since July, O’Connor has raised a total of $8,038.
- So far, she’s spent 5 percent — or $421 — of her contributions.
- That was all paid to Aro-Graph Displays for campaign literature.
Most of her campaign money comes from individuals, including family and friends, and from labor unions and trade organizations. Among those contributions:
- 46 percent — or $3,705— came from named individuals.
- 19 percent of her contributions came from political action committees.
- 29 percent — or $2,350— came from four labor unions, including Iron Workers Local 60 and Local Union 43 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, or the IBEW.
Iron Workers Local 60 and Local Union 43 IBEW each donated $1,000. These two union made the largest contributions to O’Connor’s campaign.
Patricia Mouton gave $120 to O’Connor out of , as she puts it, friendship and respect for O’Connor’s political views. Mouton has known O’Connor for almost 15 years and also serves with her on the Liverpool School Board. She gave to the campaign, Mouton says, because of O’Connor’s passion to right the wrongs in life.
“I think she wants to really make a difference in the world,” says Mouton. “She wants to cut through the layers, the inefficiency, the dishonesty and take on the fight. She’s willing to work to do that.”
(Jessica Shaw is senior finance and broadcast journalism major.)
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