| Anthony J. O'Donnell | |
| Office: | Minority Leader of the Maryland House of Delegates |
| Term Start: | 2007 |
| Term End: | May 1, 2013 |
| Predecessor: | George C. Edwards |
| Successor: | Nic Kipke |
| State Delegate1: | Maryland |
| District1: | 29C |
| Term Start1: | January 11, 1995 |
| Term End1: | July 31, 2016 |
| Successor1: | Gerald W. Clark |
| Birth Date: | 7 March 1961 |
| Birth Place: | Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Party: | Republican |
| Alma Mater: | Regents College (BS) |
Tony O'Donnell (born March 7, 1961) is an American politician, who represented District 29C in the Maryland House of Delegates. In 2016, Governor Larry Hogan appointed him to the Maryland Public Service Commission.[1] He retired from the commission in June 2024.[2]
O'Donnell attended Middletown Area High School in Middletown, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. 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 (now Excelsior University) in 1985.
O'Donnell served in United States Navy, 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. 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.
O'Donnell was first elected in 1995 into the Maryland House of Delegates for District 29C, which covers parts of Calvert and St. Mary's Counties. He defeated Thomas Michael Pelagatti by 32 votes.[3] He was re-elected in 1998 (59%),[4] 2002 (52%),[5] 2006 (60%),[6] and 2010 (57%).[7]
O'Donnell was Minority Whip in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2003 to 2006, and served as Minority Leader until 2013.[8] In 2010, he was named one of the "Most Influential Maryland Legislators" (Top 20).[9]
In November 2011, O'Donnell announced his intention to run for the United States Congress representing Maryland's 5th congressional district currently held by Democratic incumbent Steny Hoyer. The 5th district spans from Anne Arundel, Calvert, Prince George's and Saint Mary's Counties.
Tony O'Donnell and his wife, Lori, have three children and two grandchildren.[12]
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. | 7,739 | 60.3% | Won | |
| Norma Powers, Dem. | 5,091 | 39.6% | Lost | |
| Other Write-Ins | 11 | 0.1% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. | 6,027 | 51.87% | Won | |
| Pat Buehler, Dem. | 5,586 | 48.08% | Lost | |
| Other Write-Ins | 6 | 0.1% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. | 8,401 | 59% | Won | |
| John M. Gott, Dem. | 5,772 | 41% | Lost |
Voters to choose one:
| Name | Votes | Percent | Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthony J. O'Donnell, Rep. | 5,839 | 50% | Won | |
| Thomas Michael Pelagatti, Dem. | 5,807 | 50% | Lost |