Maryanne Connelly

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Maryanne Connelly is a Democratic politician in New Jersey and the former Mayor of Fanwood, New Jersey. She has also twice unsuccessfully sought a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Connelly served as a councilwoman in Fanwood before her 1995 election as mayor. In 1998 she challenged Congressman Bob Franks in his bid for a fourth term. She received 44% of the vote in her challenge to Franks. In 1999 she did not seek a second term as mayor, saying that she was focusing on a 2000 bid for Congress.

Democratic Party leaders originally backed Connelly in her 2000 Congressionial bid, until in September 1999, Franks announced his candidacy for New Jersey's vacant U.S. Senate seat. Franks became a Senate candidate after Gov. Christine Todd Whitman announced she would not seek the Senate seat.

Democratic leaders decided that Connelly was not the best candidate for a vacant seat and decided to support Union County Manager Michael Lapolla for Congress instead. Following this decision, Connelly did not bow out of the Congressional race as party leaders suggested. She continued her campaign and defeated Lapolla in the primary.

In the 2000 general election, Connelly faced Republican Mike Ferguson, who had defeated Tom Kean Jr., Assemblyman Joel Weingarten, and J. Patrick Morrissey in the primary. Following a competitive race, Ferguson defeated Connelly.

Preceded by: Linda Stender

Mayor of Fanwood, New Jersey 1996 – 2000

Succeeded by: Louis Jung