Donnelly, Joe (1955-…), served as a United States senator from 2013 to 2019. Donnelly, a Democrat, represented Indiana. Prior to his election as senator, Donnelly had served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007.
Joseph Simon Donnelly was born on Sept. 29, 1955. He grew up in Massapequa, New York. In 1977, he earned a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Notre Dame, near South Bend, Indiana. He earned a law degree from the university in 1981. Donnelly met his wife, Jill, while attending Notre Dame. The couple married in 1979 and settled in Granger, Indiana. Donnelly worked as a lawyer in private practice from the early 1980’s until 1996, when he opened a printing business.
Donnelly became involved in politics in the late 1980’s, when he served on the Indiana State Election Board. In 1988, he lost a bid for the Democratic nomination for state attorney general. He lost an election for state senator in 1990. He served on the school board for Mishawaka Marian High School from 1997 to 2001.
In 2004, Donnelly was the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in Indiana’s 2nd District, but he lost to Republican Representative Chris Chocola. In 2006, Donnelly ran again and defeated Chocola. Donnelly was reelected in 2008 and 2010. In the House, Donnelly belonged to a group of moderate and conservative Democrats called the Blue Dog Coalition. Donnelly voted with his party on such issues as health care and workers’ rights, but he favored conservative positions on abortion and same-sex marriage.
In 2012, Donnelly defeated his Republican opponent, Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, to win election to the U.S. Senate. As a senator, Donnelly supported the health insurance reform law known as “Obamacare” and favored bipartisan immigration reform efforts. In 2018, Donnelly lost a reelection bid to Republican Mike Braun, a businessman and former state legislator.
