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president of the state district attorneys' association. The other two
Democratic candidates Eugene J. Mulcahy and Michael T. Kogut, were described by Cullen as "credible candidates" who were "unable to raise a fraction of the money that O'Connor and Bennett have". The race ended up being close with Bennett winning by 513 votes. O'Connor finished in fourth place with 22% of the vote to Bennett's 27%, Kogut's 26%, and Mulcahy's 25%. O'Connor believed his defeat was due to Ryan's support of his campaign, explaining that "The people who supported Matty would ordinarily support me, but they didn't like my liberal positions and the liberals were suspicious of me because of my friendship with Matty."
302:. Furcolo defeated O'Connor by a 3 to 1 margin at the Democratic State Convention, but O'Connor decided to remain in the race. In the primary, O'Connor upset Furcolo 48% to 39% with Edmund C. Buckley received the remaining 13%. O'Connor was able to sweep the western part of the state and top Furcolo by 10,000 in Boston.
259:, O'Connor swept all 68 of the city's precincts to defeated 12-year incumbent Daniel B. Brunton for the Democratic nomination for mayor of Springfield. He then beat Republican C. Clement Easton 31,561 votes to 20,826 in the general election. At 32 years old he was the youngest mayor ever elected in city history.
230:
on a scholarship. In 1951 O'Connor became associated in a law firm with his brother
Bernard, cousin S. Thomas Martinelli, and former Hampden Counrt District Attorney Thomas F. Moriarty. Moriarty was O'Connor's political mentor and Martinelli worked as O'Connor's campaign manager when he ran for U.S.
329:
where members of the Board of
Assessors attempted to explain the tax increase. Each member was booed off the stage before they could speak and O'Connor, who had no role in the property reassessment, failed to quiet the crowd and police were called in. O'Connor planned to cut 578 jobs from the 1961
362:
In 1990, Hampden County
District Attorney Matthew J. Ryan, Jr. retired and O'Connor, his longtime friend, was seen as his favored successor. During the campaign, O'Connor tried to distance himself from the scandal-plagued Ryan by contrasting his liberal positions on the death penalty, affirmative
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O'Connor was born on July 27, 1925, in
Springfield. He was one of seven children of milkman Thomas J. O'Connor Sr. and grew up in Springfield's Hungry Hill neighborhood. O'Connor was part of a large family, he had more than 50 cousins that lived in the Springfield area, many of whom worked on his
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of
Massachusetts politics" and attacked the senator for "fail to act for the working man". Saltonstall in turn criticized O'Connor's campaign for lacking substance. After refusing to debate O'Connor, Saltonstall stated "If my opponent would express his opinions of some of the vital national and
378:
O'Connor was seen as a co-front runner with
William M. Bennett. Bennett, the more conservative candidate, was able to attract the majority of financial contributors and campaign volunteers, as well as endorsement from former federal prosecutors, Ryan's former assistants, and Judd Carhart, the
263:
he easily defeated
Brunton in a primary rematch 21,975 votes to 6,630 and Republican Paul E. Affleck and Brunton, who ran as an independent, 39,409 votes to Affleck's 11,424 and Brunton's 1,910. During the campaign he received the endorsement of
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During his tenure as Mayor, O'Connor oversaw a downtown road system and urban renewal project that received $ 3 million in federal funds. Due to these funds he was also able to lower the city's tax rate. In 1959 the
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upset O'Connor 28,999 (52%) votes to 26,271 (48%). Two weeks after O'Connor's loss, the city's percentage assessment system, which had been a major issue during the campaign, was declared unconstitutional by the
324:
A 1960 reassessment of all of real estate in the city led to a furor when 1/3 of the
Springfield's homeowners saw increases over their 1959 tax. On October 11, 1960, 4,500 residents attended a meeting at
375:, given O'Connor age, smoking habit, and recovery from a near-fatal illness several years before "even his friends say they would be surprised if O'Connor would or could serve more than one".
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In 1961, O'Connor faced eight challengers in the city's first non-partisian election. He finished first in the preliminary election with 34% of the vote. In the general election, attorney
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campaigns. His relatives included the O'Connor, Moriarty, Fitzgerald, and
Martinelli families of Springfield. Never married, O'Connor lived in Springfield with a brother and two sisters.
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international issues, I would then consider whether I would debate on these subjects or not". Saltonstall defeated O'Connor 1,358,556 votes to 1,050,725 to hold on to his Senate seat.
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action, and the war on drugs to those of the conservative Ryan. O'Connor spent $ 200,000 of his own and turned over have of his campaign fund to noted political consultant
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On September 11, 1996, O'Connor died following a long illness. At the time of his death, O'Connor was running for reelection to the Hampden County Commission.
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seat in the 5th Hampden District. He finished first in the fourteen candidate Democratic primary, which was tantamount to election.
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O'Connor attended Springfield Classical High School, where he won class president. He received a four-year scholarship to
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During the general election, O'Connor contrasted his youth to Saltonstall's age, calling him "yesterday's senator" and "
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budget in order to reduce the city's taxes, however he reversed this decision due to a lack of public support.
817:
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Cullen, Kevin (September 15, 1990). "In Hampden DA's Race, Ryan's Legacy May Play Central Role".
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Cullen, Kevin (September 23, 1990). "Candidate's Loss Linked To Ryan Ties Was Key In DA Race".
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Wysocki, Ronald (September 18, 1960). "O'Connor Family Whirlwind Taking State Campaign Trail".
276:' bureau of government research named Springfield "the outstanding city in the Commonwealth".
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206:(July 27, 1925 – September 11, 1996) was an American politician who served as mayor of
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Zitner, Aaron (September 19, 1990). "Tight Race Unfolds To Replace Hampden DA Ryan".
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Leary, Robert (October 27, 1960). "Saltonstall, O'Connor Exchange Sharp Blows".
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In 1980, O'Connor defeated incumbent Richard S. Thomas to win a seat on the
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Cushman, Elaine (September 17, 1980). "3 Incumbent Commissioners Ousted".
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Micciche, S.J. (November 22, 1961). "Legislature May Tackle Tax Crisis".
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Democratic Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
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Ainley, Leslie (October 26, 1960). "O'Connor Places Accent on Youth".
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O'Connor began his political career in 1952 as a candidate for the
367:. O'Connor pledged to only serve two terms, although according to
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On June 15, 1960, O'Connor announced he would challenge Governor
226:, where he also served as class president. He went on to attend
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Harris, John (September 14, 1960). "O'Connor Upsets Furcolo".
542:
Micciche, S.J. (June 19, 1960). "Furcolo, Ward in Sweep".
663:"Ryan Runs 2d to Challenge O'Connor in Race for Mayor".
587:"Saltonstall Cites Record On Vital State, U.S. Issues".
497:"O'Connor Trounces Brunton As Democratic Mayor Choice".
482:"Political Novices Elected Waltham, Pittsfield Mavors".
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Commission. He was reelected in 1984, 1988, and 1992.
648:"Springfield Mayor Relents, Seeks New Jobs for 578".
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1960 United States Senate election in Massachusetts
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633:"Ask Legislature to Solve Springfield Tax Issue".
432:"Massachusetts 'Timber': Thomas Joseph O'Connor".
802:"Thomas O'Connor, 71, Hampden County official".
733:. Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
320:1961 Springfield, Massachusetts mayoral election
818:"Obituary for Thomas J. O'CONNOR-ln (Aged 71)"
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618:"Home Owners Hopping Over Springfield Tax".
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930:Georgetown University Law Center alumni
731:PD43+ Massachusetts Election Statistics
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960:20th-century Massachusetts politicians
246:Massachusetts House of Representatives
129:Massachusetts House of Representatives
925:County commissioners in Massachusetts
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940:Mayors of Springfield, Massachusetts
340:Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
678:"Mayoral Upsets in Massachusetts".
512:"O'Connor Victor; Plan A Adopted".
402:1955–1956 Massachusetts legislature
397:1953–1954 Massachusetts legislature
294:for the Democratic nomination for
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950:20th-century American legislators
826:. September 13, 1996. p. 42
228:Georgetown University Law School
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955:20th-century American lawyers
131:from the 5th Hampden District
87:Hampden County, Massachusetts
274:University of Massachusetts
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268:, a Republican newspaper.
208:Springfield, Massachusetts
204:Thomas Joseph O'Connor Jr.
175:Springfield, Massachusetts
161:Springfield, Massachusetts
47:Springfield, Massachusetts
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358:Run for district attorney
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849:Party political offices
727:"Thomas J. O'Connor (D)"
604:Election Statistics 1960
920:Amherst College alumni
804:Telegram & Gazette
527:"Furcolo Challenged".
514:The Boston Daily Globe
499:The Boston Daily Globe
484:The Boston Daily Globe
327:Springfield Auditorium
935:Massachusetts lawyers
806:. September 13, 1996.
591:. September 22, 1960.
436:. September 15, 1960.
314:Defeat for reelection
307:The Late George Apley
266:The Springfield Union
652:. February 25, 1961.
300:Leverett Saltonstall
296:United States Senate
280:U.S. Senate campaign
252:Mayor of Springfield
240:State representative
682:. November 8, 1961.
667:. October 11, 1961.
637:. October 12, 1960.
516:. November 4, 1959.
486:. November 6, 1957.
346:County Commissioner
16:American politician
680:The New York Times
622:. October 6, 1960.
529:The New York Times
501:. October 7, 1959.
434:The New York Times
169:September 11, 1996
23:Thomas J. O'Connor
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889:Succeeded by
369:The Boston Globe'
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121:Abraham Kasparian
110:Richard S. Thomas
69:Daniel B. Brunton
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531:. June 16, 1960.
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235:Political career
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869:U.S. Senator
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834:– via
830:December 13,
828:. Retrieved
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171:(1996-09-11)
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116:Succeeded by
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89:Commissioner
80:Charles Ryan
75:Succeeded by
54:
915:1996 deaths
910:1925 births
106:Preceded by
65:Preceded by
904:Categories
864:Democratic
408:References
214:Early life
190:Occupation
184:Democratic
142:1953–1958
138:In office
100:1981–1996
96:In office
59:1958–1961
55:In office
45:Mayor of
737:June 20,
391:See also
231:Senate.
879:Class 2
261:In 1959
257:In 1957
193:Lawyer
383:Death
885:1960
872:from
832:2021
739:2019
166:Died
156:Born
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
