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== Political positions ==
== Political positions ==

=== Abortion and stem cell research ===
⚫
O'Donnell is pro-life.<ref>{{cite web|author=Catholic Online |url=http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=38269&wf=rsscol |title=Pro-Life Christine O'Donnell Defeats Anti-Life Mike Castle in Delaware Republican Primary&nbsp;— Politics & Policy&nbsp;— Catholic Online |publisher=Catholic.org |date= |accessdate=2010-09-20}}</ref> She opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.<ref name="dnj-char">{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20109110350|title=Delaware politics: Senate primary hinges on character The News Journal|publisher=The News Journal|date=2010-09-11|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She would allow abortion with the family's consent, if the woman would otherwise die.<ref name="no tax">{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/17/christine-odonnell-no-tax-hikes-no-abortion-no-masturbation/|title=Christine O'Donnell: No Tax Hikes, No Abortion, No Masturbation Ban|author=Jill Lawrence|date= 2010-09-17|publisher=Politics Daily|accessdate=2010-09-17}}</ref> O'Donnell opposes human [[embryonic stem cell research]],<ref name="open mind">{{Cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2010-09-17|title=O'Donnell to Delaware Voters: Keep an open mind|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/17/AR2010091702012.html?hpid=topnews|author=Sandhya Somashekhar|accessdate=2010-09-17}}</ref> [[human cloning]],<ref name="dnj-char" /> and research into cloning monkey embryos.<ref name="cloning monkeys" />


=== Economic policy ===
=== Economic policy ===
O'Donnell says that she will never vote to increase taxes.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-npEhuweIyA&feature=channel|title=Town Hall Meeting w/ Christine O'Donnell in Delaware|date=November 2009|publisher=Youtube.com|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She is in favor of a balanced budget amendment.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Christine_O%60Donnell.htm</ref> She has emphasized the importance of fiscal integrity, saying, "Voting to spend money we don't have has become the appealing option for too many politicians. The men and women of America know this is not sustainable."<ref name="wboc031110" /><ref>{{cite web|authorlink=Matt Welch|first=Matt|last=Welch|url=http://reason.com/blog/2010/09/15/so-what-did-christine-odonnell|title=So What Did Christine O'Donnell Run On?&nbsp;– Hit & Run|work=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] |publisher=Reason.com|date=2010-09-15|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> O'Donnell opposes Congressional [[earmark (politics)|earmarks]].<ref name="dnj-char" /> She supports a simplification of the [[Internal Revenue Code|tax code]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://christine2010.com |title=Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate official campaign site |publisher=Christine2010.com |date=2010-09-15 |accessdate=2010-09-20}}</ref>
O'Donnell says that she will never vote to increase taxes.<ref>{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-npEhuweIyA&feature=channel|title=Town Hall Meeting w/ Christine O'Donnell in Delaware|date=November 2009|publisher=Youtube.com|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She is in favor of a balanced budget amendment.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Christine_O%60Donnell.htm</ref> She has emphasized the importance of fiscal integrity, saying, "Voting to spend money we don't have has become the appealing option for too many politicians. The men and women of America know this is not sustainable."<ref name="wboc031110" /><ref>{{cite web|authorlink=Matt Welch|first=Matt|last=Welch|url=http://reason.com/blog/2010/09/15/so-what-did-christine-odonnell|title=So What Did Christine O'Donnell Run On?&nbsp;– Hit & Run|work=[[Reason (magazine)|Reason]] |publisher=Reason.com|date=2010-09-15|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> O'Donnell opposes Congressional [[earmark (politics)|earmarks]].<ref name="dnj-char" /> She supports a simplification of the [[Internal Revenue Code|tax code]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://christine2010.com |title=Christine O'Donnell for U.S. Senate official campaign site |publisher=Christine2010.com |date=2010-09-15 |accessdate=2010-09-20}}</ref>

⚫
=== Health care ===
⚫
O'Donnell says the first thing she would like to do if elected is to vote to repeal [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|health care legislation]] enacted by Congress in 2010.<ref name="longing" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://defundit.org/?page_id=6|title=Pledge to DeFund Obamacare!|publisher=DefundIt.org|date=|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She signed the Contract With America, which pledges to replace the act with a system that makes healthcare affordable by " enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system"<ref>http://www.thecontract.org/the-contract-from-america/</ref>

=== Immigration ===
⚫
O'Donnell favors increasing penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Christine_O%60Donnell_Immigration.htm</ref>


=== Energy ===
=== Energy ===
Line 115: Line 112:
The [[National Rifle Association]] endorses O'Donnell,<ref name="nra-en">{{cite web|date=September 10, 2010|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nra-demint-endorse-christine-odonnell|title=NRA & DeMint Endorse Christine O'Donnell|author=John McCormack|publisher=The Weekly Standard|date=2010-09-10|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> saying she "will be a strong voice in fighting ongoing efforts by anti-gun politicians to dismantle the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]]."<ref name="NRA backs">{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/118119-nra-backs-odonnell-in-delaware|title=NRA backs Tea Party candidate in Delaware|author=Shane D'Aprile|date=2010-09-10}}</ref>
The [[National Rifle Association]] endorses O'Donnell,<ref name="nra-en">{{cite web|date=September 10, 2010|url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/nra-demint-endorse-christine-odonnell|title=NRA & DeMint Endorse Christine O'Donnell|author=John McCormack|publisher=The Weekly Standard|date=2010-09-10|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> saying she "will be a strong voice in fighting ongoing efforts by anti-gun politicians to dismantle the [[Second Amendment to the United States Constitution|Second Amendment]]."<ref name="NRA backs">{{cite web|url=http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/118119-nra-backs-odonnell-in-delaware|title=NRA backs Tea Party candidate in Delaware|author=Shane D'Aprile|date=2010-09-10}}</ref>


=== Abortion and stem cell research ===
=== Health care ===
⚫
O'Donnell says the first thing she would like to do if elected is to vote to repeal [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act|health care legislation]] enacted by Congress in 2010.<ref name="longing" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://defundit.org/?page_id=6|title=Pledge to DeFund Obamacare!|publisher=DefundIt.org|date=|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She signed the Contract With America, which pledges to replace the act with a system that makes healthcare affordable by " enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system"<ref>http://www.thecontract.org/the-contract-from-america/</ref>
⚫
O'Donnell is pro-life.<ref>{{cite web|author=Catholic Online |url=http://www.catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=38269&wf=rsscol |title=Pro-Life Christine O'Donnell Defeats Anti-Life Mike Castle in Delaware Republican Primary&nbsp;— Politics & Policy&nbsp;— Catholic Online |publisher=Catholic.org |date= |accessdate=2010-09-20}}</ref> She opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.<ref name="dnj-char">{{cite web|url=http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20109110350|title=Delaware politics: Senate primary hinges on character The News Journal|publisher=The News Journal|date=2010-09-11|accessdate=2010-09-16}}</ref> She would allow abortion with the family's consent, if the woman would otherwise die.<ref name="no tax">{{cite web|url=http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/09/17/christine-odonnell-no-tax-hikes-no-abortion-no-masturbation/|title=Christine O'Donnell: No Tax Hikes, No Abortion, No Masturbation Ban|author=Jill Lawrence|date= 2010-09-17|publisher=Politics Daily|accessdate=2010-09-17}}</ref> O'Donnell opposes human [[embryonic stem cell research]],<ref name="open mind">{{Cite news|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2010-09-17|title=O'Donnell to Delaware Voters: Keep an open mind|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/17/AR2010091702012.html?hpid=topnews|author=Sandhya Somashekhar|accessdate=2010-09-17}}</ref> [[human cloning]],<ref name="dnj-char" /> and research into cloning monkey embryos.<ref name="cloning monkeys" />

⚫
=== Immigration ===
⚫
O'Donnell favors increasing penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.<ref>http://www.ontheissues.org/International/Christine_O%60Donnell_Immigration.htm</ref>


=== Values ===
=== Values ===

Revision as of 21:57, 23 September 2010

Christine O'Donnell
O'Donnell in 2006
Republican candidate for
United States Senator
from Delaware
Election date
November 2, 2010
OpponentChris Coons (D)
IncumbentTed Kaufman (D)
Personal details
Born (1969-08-27) August 27, 1969 (age 54)
Moorestown, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Residence(s)Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Alma materFairleigh Dickinson University, B.A.
OccupationPolitical commentator, marketing consultant[1]
WebsiteChristine O'Donnell campaign site

Christine O'Donnell (born August 27, 1969) is an American politician who is the Republican Party nominee in Delaware's 2010 U.S. Senate special election, which will be held on November 2, 2010. Previously, O'Donnell has been a marketing executive,[3] and worked in public relations,[1][4] as well as being a political commentator for Fox News.

In 2006, she ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Delaware, finishing third.[5] In 2008, she was the Party's nominee for the U.S. Senate general election, losing to the incumbent, Joe Biden.

In the 2010 Republican primary, after garnering endorsements and support from the Tea Party movement,[6] O'Donnell defeated nine-term U.S. Representative and former Delaware governor, Mike Castle. Her victory was a surprising upset and was seen as a sign of Tea Party strength.[7][8]

Early life and education

O'Donnell, who is of Irish and Italian descent, grew up in Moorestown, New Jersey as the second youngest of six children.[nb 1][9][10][11] She was raised as a Catholic.[9] After graduating in 1987 from Moorestown High School, O'Donnell attended Fairleigh Dickinson University where she initially aspired to a career in the theater[9] and did course work toward a college degree.[12][13] She came to a turning point during college when she found herself drinking excessively and having sexual relationships with men with whom she lacked a strong emotional connection.[9] She would later say of this period, "I know what it's like to live a life without principle."[14] She became increasingly interested in both politics and religion.[11] She became an evangelical Christian, began preaching sexual abstinence and joined the College Republicans.[9]

She attended her university's commencement ceremony in 1993 but did not receive a degree. O'Donnell later said the degree was withheld due to unpaid tuition.[nb 2][13] In 1994, Fairleigh Dickinson University sued her for $4,823, winning a judgment for the entire amount according to court documents. The debt was paid in 2003.[4][12][13] After O'Donnell completed a required course in the summer of 2010,[12] Fairleigh Dickinson awarded her a bachelor's degree in English literature,[9][12][13] with a concentration in communication.[9]

Career and personal life

After leaving college in 1993, O'Donnell went to work for Enough is Enough, a Washington, D.C.-based anti-pornography group.[14] She then spent two years working in conservative issue advocacy and for the Republican National Committee (RNC).[15][16] She served as a spokesperson for Concerned Women for America,[16] a conservative Christian political action group that opposes abortion[17] and seeks to apply biblical principles to other issues of public policy.[14][18]

O'Donnell attended the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego, California.[14] She founded The Savior's Alliance for Lifting the Truth (The SALT) in 1996 and served as its president.[14] The organization lobbied the U.S. Congress on moral issues[4] and promoted Christian values including sexual abstinence before marriage to the college-age generation.[19] O'Donnell made a number of high profile television appearances as a representative of SALT. In 1996 she appeared on MTV's Sex In The 90's, and advocated for sexual "purity".[20] She was a regular guest panelist on Bill Maher's show Politically Incorrect, appearing in a total of 22 episodes.[21]

She was awarded a Lincoln Fellowship by the Claremont Institute, a conservative think tank based in Claremont, California, in 2002.[22]

In 2003, O'Donnell moved to Delaware to work for Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), a non profit conservative educational organization, and bought a house in Wilmington.[23][24] She registered a gender discrimination complaint against ISI with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), after which she was fired in 2004.[4] She then sued ISI in federal court for $6.9 million for wrongful termination claiming gender discrimination and that she had been fired in retaliation for filing the EEOC discrimination complaint. She said ISI's actions caused her mental anguish[4][25] and were a consequence of "ISI's conservative beliefs".[26] She also claimed and that she had lost future financial earning power because ISI's actions had delayed her education.[nb 3] ISI defended its action by alleging that she had conducted a for-profit public-relations business while on their time.[4][16] O'Donnell dropped the suit in 2008, stating she could no longer afford an attorney.[4][24][27]

In 2008 O'Donnell defaulted on the mortgage for her Wilmington house and the mortgage company obtained a judgment against her for $90,000. The house was due to be sold at a sheriff's auction in August 2008 when she sold it the month prior to her campaign's lawyer and then boyfriend.[4][28]

The Internal Revenue Service filed a lien in 2010 that said that O'Donnell owed $11,000 in back taxes and penalties from 2005, according to public records.[4] O’Donnell said that it was a mistake and a computer error,[29] and noted that the IRS agent handling the matter claimed he was perplexed by the agency's actions.[4] In campaign finance reports, she listed herself as self-employed and said she was doing odd jobs to make ends meet.[4]

Because of financial difficulties, she moved to a Delaware townhouse, where she paid half the rent with campaign funds because she also used separate quarters in the residence as her campaign headquarters for her 2010 Senate run.[4] Between 2007 and 2009 the Federal Election Commission cited her eight times for failing to supply contributions reports on time.[4]

O'Donnell has worked as a marketing consultant.[1] She has supported the Right to Life movement and has criticized pornography and premarital sex.[24][27] She has provided political commentary on numerous Fox News television programs, such as The O'Reilly Factor,[30] The Live Desk,[31] and Glenn Beck.[citation needed] O'Donnell is unmarried, and has no children.[8]

Political campaigns

O'Donnell (far left) taking part in the 2006 Return Day parade in Georgetown, Delaware

2006

See also: United States Senate election in Delaware, 2006

O'Donnell ran in the Republican primary for the 2006 U.S. Senate election in Delaware, finishing in third place,[32] with 17 percent of the vote, behind winner Jan C. Ting and second-place finisher Michael D. Protack.[33] She then ran as a write-in candidate in the general election against Ting and incumbent Democrat Thomas R. Carper, finishing with 4 percent of the vote as Carper won re-election.[15]

2008

See also: United States Senate election in Delaware, 2008

She was uncontested in the Republican primary for the 2008 Senate race[34] after beating businessman Tim Smith at the state party convention with more than 60 percent of the GOP delegate vote.[27] Her general election opponent was Senator Joe Biden, who was also running for vice president on the Obama-Biden ticket.[15] O'Donnell questioned Biden's dual campaigns, claiming that serving his constituents was not important to him and criticizing his unwillingness to participate in debates and candidate forums.[15][35][36] Opinion polling during the race showed that O'Donnell was behind by a two-to-one margin. In the general election on November 4, 2008, Biden defeated O'Donnell by 65 percent to 35 percent.[37]

Her 2008 campaign ended with $23,000 in debt.[4] As of March 2010, O'Donnell owed payments to staffers, consultants, and volunteers from the 2008 campaign, according to a former employee.[4][38]

2010

See also: United States Senate special election in Delaware, 2010

Following the 2008 election, Biden resigned his Senate seat to become Vice President, and the Governor of Delaware appointed Biden's chief of staff, Ted Kaufman, to serve out the first two years of Biden's six year Senate term. A special election would be held co-incident with the 2010 general elections to choose who would fill the Senate seat for the remaining four years. O'Donnell quickly announced that she would be running in that election,[39] and began fund-raising appeals in February 2009.[40] She said that her biggest mistake in her earlier campaigns was not having enough funds.[40] In October 2009, she reiterated that she was running despite the entrance into the race of Republican Congressman and former Governor Mike Castle.[41] In January 2010, Beau Biden, Joe Biden's son, indicated he would not run, and Castle became the favorite to take the seat.[42]

Primary election

On March 10, 2010, O'Donnell officially announced her candidacy before a small group of supporters at University of Delaware – Wilmington.[43][44] In her remarks, O'Donnell criticized "reckless" government spending, said that Castle was the most liberal Republican in the House, and predicted that the Tea Party movement and grassroots anti-incumbent trends would be in her favor.[43][44]

When a report from The News Journal in March 2010 detailed her personal fiscal difficulties, O'Donnell attributed the problems to misunderstandings and errors.[4] She later admitted that she had "fallen on hard times",[45] and also said, "I think the fact that I have struggled financially is what makes me so sympathetic."[4][46][47] Nevertheless, her financial problems became a focal point of establishment Republican attacks.[48] The chair of the state Republican Party, Tom Ross, said, "She’s a candidate who runs for office that unfortunately lives off the proceeds."[49] Several commentators said the attacks showed elements of sexism,[50][51] while one commentator cautioned against crying sexism where it does not exist.[51]

As of early July 2010, she had raised more than $55,000 for her Senate bid. In the final weeks prior to the primary, O'Donnell became firmly allied with the Tea Party movement which provided last minute funding to her campaign amounting to more than $150,000, according to CNN,[6] and more than $250,000 according to Fox News.[7]

By July 2010, she had received endorsements from the Tea Party Express, which called her a “strong voice for conservative constitutionalist principles,” the Susan B. Anthony List,[49] the National Rifle Association,[52] and the Family Research Council.[53] With days to go before the primary, O'Donnell was further bolstered by an endorsement from Sarah Palin.[54] She was then endorsed by Senator Jim DeMint, while establishment Republicans continued to worry that she would be less electable than Castle.[55]

A July 2010 Rasmussen Reports poll showed O'Donnell running ahead of Democratic Senate candidate Chris Coons by a margin of 41 to 39 percent (with a +/- 3 percent margin of error) in a hypothetical matchup,[56] while a similar poll in August had her trailing Coons by ten points (46 to 36 percent).[57]

O'Donnell supporters were heartened by the late August primary victory in Alaska of little-known, Tea Party-backed candidate Joe Miller over incumbent Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski.[48] The Tea Party Express then said it might spend as much as $600,000 backing O'Donnell.[48]

The O'Donnell campaign generated criticism in early September when a political consulting firm hired by O'Donnell released a Web video insinuating that her opponent, Mike Castle, was having a gay affair.[58] O'Donnell attempted to "distance" herself from the claims, pointing out that the firm in question was no longer working for her campaign, though the manner in which she denied involvement in the rumor led some to suspect that she was engaging in a whisper campaign by deliberately repeating the rumor without endorsing its accuracy.[59] O'Donnell then appeared on Mark Levin's radio show, and blasted Castle's "unmanly tactics" during the campaign, saying, "this is not a bake-off, put your man-pants on."[60]

She won the September 14, 2010, primary election by six percentage points over Castle,[61] garnering more than 30,000 votes altogether,[8] and becoming the eighth Tea Party-backed candidate to oust a GOP establishment candidate in a 2010 primary contest.[1] According to the New York Times, her support largely came from the southern part of the state where Republican voters are socially conservative and against all gun control.[11]

The national attention[18][48] brought additional scrutiny of her record, including a contentious interview on WGMD radio.[62][63] O'Donnell faced repeated questions about the accuracy of her statements from political leaders and news media including Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff to President George W Bush,[64] the Delaware GOP[65] and the state’s largest newspaper, The News Journal[66] O'Donnell's responses consisted of correcting the information, brushing it aside, or downplaying the discrepancies.[62][63][67][68] Her financial practices were criticized by former campaign staffers Kristin Murray and David Keegan, with Murray charging that during her 2008 campaign, O'Donnell used campaign funds "for rent and personal expenses, while leaving her workers unpaid and piling up thousands in debt."[69][70] CNN reported that O'Donnell's 2010 campaign did pay $3500 to the candidate's mother for bookkeeping and financial consulting, and noted that it is not illegal for a candidate to employ a family member to work on their campaign.[70]

General election

Following her primary victory, O'Donnell urged voters to keep an open mind about the unflattering picture that was being painted of her, and suggested that media reports are not always accurate.[71]

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington alleged that O'Donnell made false statements on Federal Elections Commission filings and illegally used more than $20,000 of her campaign funds as "her very own personal piggy bank" by claiming expenses during a time when she had no official campaign.[6] The group filed a complaint on September 20, 2010 with the Federal Elections Commission, and asked the U.S. Attorney in Delaware to investigate.[28] O'Donnell responded to the accusations, telling reporters, there is "no truth to it. I personally have not misused the campaign funds."[72][73] However,she refused to answer specific questions about her finances asked by CNN.[74][75]

On September 16, 2010, O'Donnell said she does not believe in regulating private sexual behavior, and if elected "it'll be the Constitution on which I base all of my decisions, not my personal beliefs."[76] O'Donnell gave a speech to the Values Voters Summit on September 16 saying that anti-American elites were trying to marginalize mainstream, core conservatives: "'The small elite don't get us. They call us wacky. They call us wingnuts. We call us, 'We the people.'"[77]

On September 18, 2010, comedian Bill Maher aired a clip of O'Donnell from a 1999 appearance on his former television show, Politically Incorrect.[78] On October 29, 1999, O'Donnell said, "I dabbled into witchcraft — I never joined a coven ... I hung around people who were doing these things. I'm not making this stuff up. I know what they told me they do". She added, "One of my first dates with a witch was on a satanic altar, and I didn't know it."[78][79][80] O'Donnell subsequently stated she was referring to high school experiences.[81][82] The clip received widespread media coverage.[78][83] Calling the situation "like a hostage crisis", Maher said he would continue to show more clips until O'Donnell agreed to appear on his current show.[78]

A September 21, 2010 Fox News poll found O'Donnell trailing Coons by 15 points (54 to 39 percent) with 5 percent of voters undecided.[84]

Political positions

Abortion and stem cell research

O'Donnell is pro-life.[85] She opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest.[14] She would allow abortion with the family's consent, if the woman would otherwise die.[76] O'Donnell opposes human embryonic stem cell research,[71] human cloning,[14] and research into cloning monkey embryos.[30]

Economic policy

O'Donnell says that she will never vote to increase taxes.[86] She is in favor of a balanced budget amendment.[87] She has emphasized the importance of fiscal integrity, saying, "Voting to spend money we don't have has become the appealing option for too many politicians. The men and women of America know this is not sustainable."[43][88] O'Donnell opposes Congressional earmarks.[14] She supports a simplification of the tax code.[89]

Energy

O'Donnell favors increasing authorizing exploration and use of domestic energy sources, to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. She believes the United States failure to build new oil refineries in the last 30 years is a major factor in increased gasoline prices. She has made the statement "Democrats have blocked America from achieving energy independence, including vast oil supplies in the Gulf of Mexico. China is preparing to drill for oil 45 miles from Key West FL, as a team with Cuba. Environmentally, this drilling will happen either way. But US firms will surely use higher technical quality & greater care for our own environment than China will. How careful will China’s oil drilling be about America’s shorelines?"[90]

Environment

Blocking cap and trade legislation would be one of her first priorities.[11][91]

Gun rights

The National Rifle Association endorses O'Donnell,[52] saying she "will be a strong voice in fighting ongoing efforts by anti-gun politicians to dismantle the Second Amendment."[92]

Health care

O'Donnell says the first thing she would like to do if elected is to vote to repeal health care legislation enacted by Congress in 2010.[91][93] She signed the Contract With America, which pledges to replace the act with a system that makes healthcare affordable by " enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system"[94]

Immigration

O'Donnell favors increasing penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants.[95]

Values

O'Donnel identifies herself as a member of the "Values Movement."[96]

Religious and personal views

O'Donnell has been described as a former Catholic turned evangelical Christian.[2] She has said that she now attends both Protestant and Catholic services.[97] She has stated that she prays on every decision she makes and that during the 2006 primary she, "heard the audible voice of God".[98]

In a 1996 discussion on CNN, O'Donnell advocated the teaching of creationism in public schools. O'Donnell was also critical of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, asserting that it is merely a theory.[99]

While in her early 20s, O'Donnell took a stance against masturbation, calling it "sinful".[100] Some commentators have noted her comments are consistent with official Roman Catholic doctrine, which condemns masturbation and other forms of non-procreative sex.[101] In a September 2010 interview, O'Donnell said, "I was a pundit. I was very passionate in my 20s and wanted to share my beliefs."[102] She has also stated that sexual behavior is a personal matter, and that her political actions will be based on the Constitution, rather than her personal views.[102]

In 2006, she told a newspaper that homosexuals have an "identity disorder" that is "adopted through societal factors."[96][103]

Writings

  • O'Donnell, Christine (2003-12-18). "The Women of Middle Earth". CatholicExchange.com. Catholic Exchange. Retrieved 2010-09-20.
  • The Case for Chastity, Christine O'Donnell, The Cultural Dissident, November 9, 1998

Electoral history

Year Office Election Subject Party Votes Pct Opponent Party Votes Pct
2006 U.S. Senator Primary Jan C. Ting Republican 6,110 43% Michael D. Protack
Christine O'Donnell 		Republican 5,771
2,505 		40%
17%
2006 U.S. Senator General Thomas R. Carper Democratic 170,567 70% Jan C. Ting
Christine O'Donnell 		Republican
Write-in 		69,734
? 		29%
4%[15][nb 4]
2008 U.S. Senator Primary Christine O'Donnell Republican n/a n/a Uncontested
2008 U.S. Senator General Joe Biden Democratic 257,484[37] 64.7% Christine O'Donnell Republican 140,584[37] 35.3%
2010 U.S. Senator Primary Christine O'Donnell Republican 30,561 53.1% Michael N. Castle Republican 27,021 46.9%

Notes

  1. ^ O'Donnell's father is of Irish descent, her mother is of Italian descent. See "Tea Party's newest darling turned her life around in Morris County, NJ". Daily Record. 2010-09-16.
  2. ^ Her 2002 bio on the Claremont Institute website, see "2002 Lincoln Fellowship". Claremont Institute. and her 2006 Senate campaign website identified her as a college graduate. However, she did not receive her bachelor's degree until September 2010, see "Meet Christine O'Donnell ..." Politico. 2010-09-15.
  3. ^ In the ISI lawsuit, O'Donnell claimed she had been accepted into a master's degree program at Princeton University; in actuality, she had not yet received a bachelor's degree from Fairleigh Dickinson and had only attended one non-graduate course at Princeton, see "Citing 'Mental Anguish', Christine O'Donnell Sought $6.95 Million in Gender Discrimination Lawsuit Against Conservative Group". The Weekly Standard. 2010-09-12.
  4. ^ Write-in votes were not counted as part of the official tally of election results for candidates on the ballot, which is why the vote totals add up to 103%. See, "The Power of One Vote: State of Delaware 2006 Election Results" (PDF). Delaware Commissioner of Elections. pp. 2, 28ff. Retrieved 2010-02-26.

References

  1. ^ a b c d ABC News staff (2010-09-14). "Christine O'Donnell, Tea Party Shock GOP Establishment in Delaware — The Note". ABC News. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  2. ^ a b Record, Daily. "Tea Party's newest darling turned her life around in Morris County, NJ". Daily Record (Morristown). Retrieved 2010-09-19. She became an evangelical Christian, a departure from her relatively lax Catholic upbringing.
  3. ^ "Tea Party-Backed Christine O'Donnell Raises Nearly $1M Since Win". Abcnews.go.com. 2010-09-16. Retrieved 2010-09-23.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Ginger Gibson (2010-03-20). "Delaware politics: O'Donnell faces campaign debt, back-tax issues". The News Journal. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  5. ^ Daniel Libit (2008-10-04). "Joe Biden's other female foe". Politico. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
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External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
Raymond J. Clatworthy
 Republican nominee for United States Senator from Delaware
(Class 2)
2008, 2010 		Succeeded by
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