James O'Connell (New Hampshire)
James O'Connell is an at-large member of the Manchester Board of School Committee in New Hampshire. He assumed office on January 7, 2020. His current term ends in 2026.
O'Connell is running for re-election for an at-large seat of the Manchester Board of School Committee in New Hampshire. The primary for this office on September 16, 2025, was canceled.
Biography
James O'Connell was born in Ireland and lives in Manchester, New Hampshire. O'Connell earned a degree in marketing and business management from the University of Essex in 1987. His career experience includes working as CEO of ParkMagic Mobile Technology and as president of Consul Holdings Inc.[1][2]
Elections
2025
See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2025)
General election
General election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent James O'Connell, Kathleen Kelley Arnold, Elizabeth Moreau, and Cindy Rodenhauser Stewart are running in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | |
 | Kathleen Kelley Arnold (Nonpartisan) | |
| Elizabeth Moreau (Nonpartisan) | ||
 | Cindy Rodenhauser Stewart (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent James O'Connell, Kathleen Kelley Arnold, Elizabeth Moreau, and Cindy Rodenhauser Stewart advanced from the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large.
Endorsements
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2024
See also: New Hampshire Executive Council election, 2024
General election
General election for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4
John Stephen defeated James O'Connell in the general election for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4 on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | John Stephen (R) | 53.8 | 77,903 |
| James O'Connell (D) | 46.1 | 66,842 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 111 | ||
| Total votes: 144,856 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4
James O'Connell advanced from the Democratic primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James O'Connell | 99.3 | 19,431 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 133 | ||
| Total votes: 19,564 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for New Hampshire Executive Council District 4 on September 10, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | John Stephen | 36.8 | 9,312 |
 | Bob Burns | 22.7 | 5,748 | |
 | Terese Bastarache | 16.5 | 4,167 | |
 | John Reagan | 14.9 | 3,758 | |
 | Ross Terrio | 5.1 | 1,295 | |
 | Ryan Terrell | 3.6 | 908 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 84 | ||
| Total votes: 25,272 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for O'Connell in this election.
2023
See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2023)
General election
General election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent James O'Connell and incumbent Peter Argeropoulos defeated Elizabeth Moreau and Brittany LeClear-Ping in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on November 7, 2023.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | 31.5 | 8,536 |
| ✔ | Peter Argeropoulos (Nonpartisan) | 27.2 | 7,376 | |
| Elizabeth Moreau (Nonpartisan) | 25.3 | 6,849 | ||
 | Brittany LeClear-Ping (Nonpartisan) | 15.6 | 4,219 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 89 | ||
| Total votes: 27,069 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Peter Argeropoulos, incumbent James O'Connell, Brittany LeClear-Ping, and Elizabeth Moreau advanced from the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large.
Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for O'Connell in this election.
2021
See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2021)
General election
General election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent James O'Connell and Peter Argeropoulos defeated William Infantine and incumbent Joseph Lachance in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | 29.2 | 8,927 |
| ✔ | Peter Argeropoulos (Nonpartisan) | 24.8 | 7,581 | |
 | William Infantine (Nonpartisan) | 23.1 | 7,071 | |
 | Joseph Lachance (Nonpartisan) | 22.8 | 6,967 | |
| Total votes: 30,546 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent James O'Connell, Peter Argeropoulos, William Infantine, and incumbent Joseph Lachance defeated Steve Focht in the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on September 21, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | 29.5 | 4,401 |
| ✔ | Peter Argeropoulos (Nonpartisan) | 24.0 | 3,578 | |
| ✔ | | William Infantine (Nonpartisan) | 20.4 | 3,032 |
| ✔ | | Joseph Lachance (Nonpartisan) | 19.6 | 2,923 |
| Steve Focht (Nonpartisan) | 5.9 | 883 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 77 | ||
| Total votes: 14,894 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2019
See also: Manchester School District, New Hampshire, elections (2019)
General election
General election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
James O'Connell and Joseph Lachance defeated Lara Quiroga and Gene Martin in the general election for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | 28.9 | 7,659 |
| ✔ | | Joseph Lachance (Nonpartisan) | 27.7 | 7,342 |
| Lara Quiroga (Nonpartisan) | 23.1 | 6,124 | ||
 | Gene Martin (Nonpartisan) | 19.9 | 5,269 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 110 | ||
| Total votes: 26,504 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the primary for Manchester Board of School Committee At-large on September 17, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Gene Martin (Nonpartisan) | 20.7 | 2,669 |
| ✔ | | James O'Connell (Nonpartisan) | 20.7 | 2,668 |
| ✔ | | Joseph Lachance (Nonpartisan) | 19.0 | 2,449 |
| ✔ | Lara Quiroga (Nonpartisan) | 16.8 | 2,163 | |
 | Carlos Gonzalez (Nonpartisan) | 16.5 | 2,128 | |
| Jason Hodgdon (Nonpartisan) | 5.2 | 671 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0 | 132 | ||
| Total votes: 12,880 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Campaign themes
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
James O'Connell has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey. Send a message to James O'Connell asking him to fill out the survey. If you are James O'Connell, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2025 Candidate Connection survey.
Who fills out Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey?
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You can ask James O'Connell to fill out this survey by using the button below or emailing jim@oconnellfornh.com.
2024
James O'Connell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by O'Connell's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Hampshire is not a new fight for Jim O’Connell. As a young man growing up in Ireland, Jim O’Connell fought for expanded contraception access and organized in support of critical health services during a time of massive social change. A lifelong champion of the middle class, Jim also proudly served as union bus driver in London. Years later, Jim moved to New Hampshire as he built a successful career as a tech business leader, raising four children with his wife Kathy and devoting himself to public service. As Vice Chair of the Manchester School Board, Jim has brought people together to get important work done. Jim spearheads Manchester’s $306 million project to upgrade educational facilities, delivered a historic contract for city educators, and helped lead the effort to implement a $15 minimum wage for hundreds of city workers. On the Executive Council, Jim O’Connell will always fight for us. Jim will safeguard access to abortion, as well as contraception and IVF, and defend public education against extremists. Jim will also champion infrastructure investments and make it easier for Granite Staters to live, work, and raise a family.
A proud father of four, husband, immigrant, and American citizen, Jim O’Connell is a 27-year resident of Manchester.- Protect Reproductive Rights Jim will always secure access to abortion and reproductive health care, and ensure private medical decisions stay between patients and doctors.
- Defend Public Education Jim will safeguard public education against extremists, and bring people together to make it easier for Granite Staters to live, work, and raise a family.
- Champion Infrastructure Investments Jim will advance our fight to bring commuter rail to New Hampshire and take on a statewide leadership role on transportation, which is key to growing our economy.
Ensure that judicial and administrative appointments and granted to competent people who are qualified to do the job on behalf of the people without being influence by their religious or political ideology.
NH Professional Firefighters
Teamsters
NEA
MEA
AFT
IBEW
Manchester Firefighters
Ironworkers
Pipefitters
Planned Parenthood
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
O'Connell’s campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
New American citizen, father, husband, business leader, passionate advocate for education and working families and results-oriented community leader. Jim O’Connell was raised in Ireland in Cobh, County Cork, where he first sparked what would become a lifelong passion for politics and public service. Jim worked on various issue campaigns including the movement to legalize divorce in Ireland as well as allowing access to contraceptives, despite strong institutional forces standing in opposition. Jim was also active in both Ireland and England in the anti-Apartheid movement, leading and participating in protests in both Dublin and London. Jim eventually left Ireland in his mid-20s and traveled widely in Europe and beyond. Eventually Jim spent three years in the greater London area where he drove the iconic double decker buses and later National Express long distance coaches. He was an active member and shop steward of the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU). From there Jim spent five years in New Zealand and Australia. In 1992, while working in Sydney, Jim met Bedford, New Hampshire native Kathy Sullivan, to whom he would eventually be married. They moved to the U.S. later that year and lived in Boston for several years. After the birth of their first daughter, Molly, they decided to move home to New Hampshire, settling in Manchester in 1997. Over the following years Liam, Lily, and Aidan were added to the family. All four children attended St. Catherine’s Elementary School, Hillside Middle School, and Manchester Central High School. Jim began his work in the U.S. across various positions in business and tech, eventually working in the cybersecurity space. In the early 2000’s Jim co-founded Caradas, a cybersecurity consultancy and test lab for secure identity products for numerous Fortune 100 companies. Along with his private sector work, he has also implemented many programs in conjunction with all levels of government. From the creation of secure credentials for US military facilities across the globe to mobile payment for toll collection and parking meters, Jim was able to use his professional experience to revisit his lifelong passion for public service. In recent years, as Vice Chair and citywide elected member of Manchester’s School Board, Jim has led the city’s $306 million capital project to upgrade facilities, determined to deliver world class school buildings for students. On the board, he’s earned a reputation as a results-driven leader who delivered contracts to school employees, the largest increase for educators in the city of Manchester in decades. Beyond his work supporting public school educators, Jim led the effort to implement a $15 minimum wage for hundreds of workers in Manchester. Now, Jim is running for Executive Council to continue to deliver for our state, bringing his same brand of hard work and practical leadership to Concord to protect reproductive freedom, safeguard public education against extremists and bring people together to make it easier for Granite Staters to live, work and raise a family right here in New Hampshire. As a business person with expertise in public-private partnerships and large-scale projects, Jim knows how to deliver for the public good. He will advance our fight to bring commuter rail to New Hampshire and take on a statewide leadership role on transportation, which is key to growing the Granite State economy. Among his many community roles, Jim has served as a director for the NH Soccer Association, is a past Board Member of the North Manchester Little League and previously was PTO President at Hillside Middle School. [3] |
” |
| —James O'Connell’s campaign website (2024)[1] | ||
2023
James O'Connell did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.
2021
James O'Connell did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2019
James O'Connell did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Jim O'Connell for Executive Council, "Home," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ "LinkedIn", "James O'Connell," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
