Corey O'Connor
Allegheny County Controller
Assumed office
July 10, 2022
Preceded byChelsa Wagner
Member of the Pittsburgh City Council Representing District 5
In office
January 3, 2012 – July 10, 2022
Preceded byDoug Shields
Succeeded byBarbara Greenwood Warwick
Personal details
Born1984 or 1985
Greenfield, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseKatie McLaughlin
ResidencePittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Websitehttps://alleghenycontroller.com/the-controller/about-controller-oconnor/

Corey O'Connor 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.[1]

Family and education

O'Connor was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Bob and Judy Levine O'Connor. He is the youngest brother of Terrence O'Connor, a priest, and Heidy Garth. Like his son, Bob O'Connor also 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.[2] 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.[3][4]

O'Connor graduated from Central Catholic High School and earned his bachelor's degree in elementary education from Duquesne University.[5] He married Katie McLaughlin on April 16, 2021, and they reside in Pittsburgh's Swisshelm Park neighborhood with their daughter and son.[5]

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.[6][7] He subsequently co-sponsored or supported gun reform legislation.[8][9] He has also advocated nationally for stricter gun ordinances.[10][11][12]

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 Jan 3, 2022, after being elected in 2021 to serve as a judge on the county's Court of Common Pleas.[13] On July 10, 2022, O'Connor resigned as a member of city council and then was immediately sworn in as county controller.[14] 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.[15]

References

  1. ↑ Ray, Sean (17 March 2016). "Corey O'Connor On His Family's Irish Origins And Traditions". WESA (FM). Pittsburgh. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  2. ↑ Lord, Rich (2 September 2006). "City Mourns the Death of Mayor Bob O'Connor at Age 61". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  3. ↑ "The Return of the O'Connor Cookie Cruise". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 30 August 2008. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  4. ↑ "Pittsburgh's Cookie Cruise sets sail again". WTAE-TV. 22 August 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Councilman Corey O'Connor". City of Pittsburgh. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  6. ↑ Santanam, Ramesh (27 March 2019). "Pittsburgh moves to restrict guns after attack on synagogue". Florida Today. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  7. ↑ Rubinkam, Michael (27 March 2019). "After synagogue attack, Pittsburgh tries again to curb guns". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Gajanan, Mahita (3 April 2019). "Pittsburgh Is Moving Forward With Gun Reform After the Tree of Life Shooting. But the Legal Battle Is Just Beginning". TIME. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  9. ↑ "Pittsburgh moves to restrict guns after Tree of Life Synagogue attack". NBC News. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Smeltz, Adam (30 October 2018). "Pittsburgh 'ready to fight' on gun issues, Councilman O'Connor says". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  11. ↑ Borter, Gabriella (18 December 2018). "Pittsburgh considers stricter gun laws after synagogue attack". Reuters. Pittsburgh. Archived from the original on October 30, 2020. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  12. ↑ Shoemaker, J. Dale (2 April 2019). "Pittsburgh city council passes landmark gun legislation. NRA prematurely said it filed suit". Public Source. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Deto, Ryan (June 29, 2022). "Pittsburgh City Councilman Corey O'Connor poised to become Allegheny County's controller". Triblive.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  14. ↑ Lee, Lauren (July 10, 2022). "Corey O'Connor sworn in as Allegheny County Controller". WTAE. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Election Night Reporting". Archived from the original on November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 12, 2022.


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