Edward T. O'Connor, Jr. (born October 6, 1942) is an American Democratic Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate from 1982 to 2002, where he represented the 31st legislative district.
Biography
O'Connor was elected in 1981 to fill the seat vacated by fellow Democrat Walter N. Sheil, defeating Republican Jean C. Lane by a 75.4%-24.7% margin. He was re-elected five times, with his closest scare coming in 1991, when he defeated Republican Bret Schundler by 55.1% to 44.9%.
He served in the Senate on the Judiciary Committee and the Economic Growth, Agriculture and Tourism Committee. He served as Minority Whip starting in 1992. In December 2001, the Senate passed legislation introduced by O'Connor that would establish standards for DNA testing of prison inmates.
O'Connor graduated with an A.B. from St. Peter's College with a major in Modern Languages, was awarded a J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and earned an L.L.M. degree from New York University School of Law with a specialization in Labor Law. He served in the United States Army from 1968 to 1970, attaining the rank of Captain.