Jerry L. O'Connor

Jerry L. O'Connor (born September 14, 1953) is an American Republican politician and retired banker from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, 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, from 1998 until his retirement in 2020.

Jerry L. O'Connor
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the 52nd district
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byJeremy Thiesfeldt
Personal details
Born (1953-09-14) September 14, 1953
Wisconsin, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
  • Amy L. Lansdowne
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1972; died 2015)​
  • Luanne Bohlman-Romuald
Children2 (with Amy)
3 stepchildren
Residence(s)Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S.
Alma materMinnesota Bible College
University of Wisconsin–Madison
OccupationBanker (retired), politician

Biography

Jerry O'Connor was born in southwest Wisconsin and moved to Lomira, Wisconsin, 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.[1]

He subsequently moved to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, 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 Waupun, Wisconsin, 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.[2][3]

Political career

In December 2021, incumbent Wisconsin state representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt announced he would not seek a sixth term in the Assembly.[4] 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.[5] He went on to win the general election with 62% of the vote.[6]

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. 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.[1]

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (2022)
Wisconsin Assembly, 43rd District Election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Primary, August 9, 2022[5]
Republican Jerry L. O'Connor 4,342 55.92%
Republican Donald R. Hannemann 1,292 16.64%
Republican Lawrence Foster 1,192 15.35%
Republican Robert P. Thresher 929 11.97%
Scattering 9 0.12%
Total votes 7,764 100.0%
General Election, November 8, 2022[6]
Republican Jerry L. O'Connor 15,055 62.26% +0.29%
Democratic Joe Lavrenz 9,108 37.67% -0.35%
Scattering 16 0.07%
Plurality 5,947 24.60% +0.64%
Total votes 24,179 100.0% -21.25%
Republican hold

References
  1. "Meet Jerry". Elect Jerry O'Connor. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  2. "Jerry O'Connor Retired". National Exchange Bank & Trust. 30 June 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  3. Lemke, Daphne (July 28, 2022). "52nd Assembly District Republican candidates talk economy, state government ahead of Aug. 9 primary". Fond du Lac Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  4. Lemke, Daphne (December 9, 2021). "Republican State Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, who has served in Assembly since 2010, will not seek reelection in 2022". Fond du Lac Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  5. Canvass Results for 2022 Partisan Primary - 8/9/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. August 26, 2022. p. 45. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  6. Canvass Results for 2022 General Election - 11/8/2022 (Report). Wisconsin Elections Commission. November 21, 2022. pp. 20–21. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
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