Maryanne Connelly

Maryanne Connelly (born October 6, 1945, Brooklyn, New York) 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 was first elected as Police Commissioner of Fanwood in 1986. 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.

2000 Congressional bid

Democratic Party leaders originally backed Connelly in her 2000 Congressional bid, until in September 1999, when 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 Party leaders, no longer considering Franks' seat to be unwinnable, decided to support Union County Manager Michael Lapolla for Congress instead of Connelly. 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 Patrick Morrissey in the Republican Party primary. Following a competitive race, Ferguson defeated Connelly. She received 48% of the vote. Connelly was recognized by the National Organization for Women with a NOW Woman of Courage Award for the race.