Christine Therese O'Donnell (born August 27, 1969) is a former Republican Party candidate, and conservative activist in the Tea Party movement best known for her 2010 campaign for the United States Senate seat from Delaware vacated by Vice President Joe Biden.
O'Donnell was born in Philadelphia and began her career as a public relations and marketing consultant in the early 1990s. Since attending Fairleigh Dickinson University, O'Donnell was active in Republican organizations and campaigns. She also worked for such organizations as Enough is Enough and Concerned Women for America. Later, O'Donnell established her own consulting firm.
With strong financial support from the Tea Party movement, she defeated nine-term U.S. Representative and former governor Michael Castle in Delaware's September 2010 Republican primary for the U.S. Senate. In doing so, O'Donnell caused an uproar among the political establishment. She lost in the general election to Democrat Chris Coons by a margin of 57% to 40%.
The O'Donnell dynasty (Irish: Ó Dónaill or Ó Domhnaill; derived from the Irish name Domhnall, which means "ruler of the world", Dónall in modern Irish) were an ancient and powerful Irish family, kings, princes and lords of Tyrconnell (Tír Chonaill in Irish, now County Donegal) in early times, and the chief allies and sometimes rivals of the O'Neills in Ulster.
Origins
Like the family of O'Neill, that of O'Donnell of Tyrconnell was of the Uí Néill, i.e. descended from Niall of the Nine Hostages, High King of Ireland at the beginning of the 5th century; the O'Neill, or Cenél nEógain, tracing their pedigree to Eógan mac Néill, and the O'Donnells, or Cenél Conaill, to Conall Gulban, both sons of Niall. Conall was baptised by St. Patrick.
Arms and motto
O'Donnell is a West Texas city that lies primarily in Lynn County, with a small portion extending south into Dawson County, Texas. The population was 831 at the 2010 census, down from 1,011 at the 2000 census.
History
O'Donnell was first settled in 1910 and named for Tom J. O'Donnell, a railroad promoter. O'Donnell was a railroad-created town, founded in anticipation that the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway would lay tracks through the area. A branch of the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway was constructed from Slaton to Lamesa in 1910. The rails were abandoned and completely removed in 1999.
Geography
O'Donnell is located on the high plains of the Llano Estacado at 32°57′49″N 101°49′58″W / 32.96361°N 101.83278°W / 32.96361; -101.83278 (32.9637085 -101.8326542).U.S. Highway 87 passes just northwest of the city limits, leading southwest 17 miles (27 km) to Lamesa and north 45 miles (72 km) to Lubbock.
According to the United States Census Bureau, O'Donnell has a total area of 0.85 square miles (2.2 km2), all of it land.
O'Donnell is a station on Line 6 of the Madrid Metro. It is located in Zone A.