Joseph Simon Donnelly Sr. (born September 29, 1955) is an American attorney, politician, and diplomat who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013 and as a U.S. senator from 2013 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party from Indiana, he would later serve as the United States ambassador to the Holy See from 2022 to 2024 under President Joe Biden.
Born in Massapequa, New York, Donnelly graduated from the University of Notre Dame. He began his political career on the Indiana State Election Board while working as an attorney in practice. From 1997 to 2001 he was on the Mishawaka Marian School Board, serving as its president from 2000 to 2001. In 2004, he won the Democratic nomination for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, losing to Republican incumbent Chris Chocola in the general election. In 2006, he challenged Chocola again, and won election with 54% of the vote. He represented Indiana's 2nd congressional district from 2007 to 2013, winning reelection in 2008 and 2010.
In May 2011, Donnelly announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate, winning the Democratic nomination one year later in an uncontested primary. He then faced Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock who had defeated 36-year incumbent Richard Lugar in the Republican primary. On November 6, 2012, Donnelly defeated Mourdock in the general election with 50% of the vote to Mourdock's 44%; Mourdock's loss was attributed by some to his controversial comments about sexual assault. In 2018, Donnelly ran for reelection to a second term, but he was defeated by former Republican state representative Mike Braun.
On October 8, 2021, President Joe Biden announced he would nominate Donnelly to serve as the United States ambassador to the Holy See. He presented his letters of credence to Pope Francis on April 11, 2022.
Early life and education Donnelly was born and raised in Massapequa, New York. His mother died when he was 10, and he was raised by his father. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor of Arts in government in 1977, and earned his Juris Doctor from Notre Dame Law School in 1981.
Early career He practiced at the law firm Nemeth, Feeney and Masters until 1996, when he opened Marking Solutions, a printing and rubber-stamp company.
Donnelly served on the Indiana Election Commission from 1988 to 1989. He was a member of the Mishawaka Marian School Board from 1997 to 2001 and its president from 2000 to 2001.
He ran for Indiana attorney general in 1988, but lost at the Democratic state convention. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for the Indiana Senate in 1990.
In 2004, Donnelly ran for the U.S. Congress from Indiana's 2nd congressional district. He won the Democratic nomination unopposed, but lost the election to incumbent Republican Chris Chocola, 54%–45%.
U.S. House of Representatives (2007–2013)
Elections
2006
On May 2, 2006, Donnelly defeated Steve Francis for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Congress from Indiana's 2nd district, setting up a rematch against incumbent Chris Chocola. Because of President George W. Bush's waning popularity, the race was expected to be competitive. The website MoveOn.org targeted Chocola and ran advertising against him. Chocola maintained a decisive lead in fundraising, raising $3.2 million to Donnelly's $1.5 million. The campaign was heated, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee sponsoring ads attacking Chocola as beholden to moneyed interests in the insurance, pharmaceutical, and energy industries. Chocola returned fire by attacking Donnelly over a late tax filing and attempting to link him to Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi.
On November 7, 2006, Donnelly defeated Chocola 54% to 46%, a difference of 15,145 votes. The key difference between the 2006 and 2004 elections lay in the results in St. Joseph County, the location of South Bend and by far the district's largest county. Donnelly won that county with 58% of the vote.
2008
Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he won reelection to a second term with 67% of the vote.
2010
Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination. In the general election, he was challenged by Republican nominee State Representative Jackie Walorski. Despite the Republican wave in the 2010 midterm elections, Donnelly won reelection to a third term, defeating Walorski by 2,538 votes.
Committee assignments Donnelly was named to the House Financial Services Committee for the 110th Congress.
Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee on International Monetary Policy and Trade Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations (Ranking Member)
U.S. Senate (2013–2019)
Elections
2012
On May 8, 2011, Donnelly ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate after acknowledging the difficulty of winning reelection in his new home district drawn per the 2010 census. He faced a Tea Party favorite, Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock, who had defeated six-term incumbent Richard Lugar in the Republican primary, and Libertarian nominee Andy Horning.
An issue in the campaign was the auto bailout of 2009, which Donnelly supported and Mourdock said was unconstitutional. Donnelly fashioned himself "a common-sense Hoosier" in the tradition of Richard Lugar and Evan Bayh.
Donnelly was endorsed by The Journal Gazette and the South Bend Tribune.
During the campaign, Mourdock became embroiled in a controversy after stating that pregnancy from rape is "something that God intended". His remarks were made in a debate on October 23, 2012, during which he explained his opposition to abortion even in the case of rape.
On November 6, 2012, Donnelly defeated Mourdock, 50% to 44%.
2018
Donnelly ran for reelection against Republican Mike Braun and Libertarian Lucy Brenton. Braun won the election. After the election, Donnelly stated that the debacle his fellow Democrats created during the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court was a contributing factor to his defeat.
Tenure
On January 3, 2013, Donnelly was sworn into the United States Senate in the 113th Congress by Vice President Joe Biden. Donnelly was the first Democrat to hold his seat since Vance Hartke's defeat by Richard Lugar in 1977. The Lugar Center, a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit Lugar founded in 2013, ranked Donnelly the fourth most bipartisan Senator in the first session of the 115th United States Congress as well as the most bipartisan Democrat in the Senate.
Committee assignments Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Subcommittee on Commodities, Markets, Trade and Risk Management (Ranking Member) Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, Marketing and Agriculture Security Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee on Strategic Forces (Ranking Member) Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment Special Committee on Aging
Political positions Donnelly was considered a moderate Democrat who "sometimes bucks his party on issues such as abortion, defense spending and the environment". According to Politico, "Donnelly is constantly dogged by Republicans aiming to unseat him" while also facing "disgruntled Democrats who think he's far too conservative". In 2013, the National Journal gave Donnelly a composite score of 52% conservative and 48% liberal. According to FiveThirtyEight, which tracks Congressional votes, Donnelly voted with President Trump's position 54.5% of the time. Congressional Quarterly published a study finding that Donnelly voted with Trump's positions 62% of the time. According to GovTrack, Donnelly was the second most conservative Democrat, after Joe Manchin, and to the right of moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins. He supported progressive taxation and organized labor, but opposed same-sex marriage and abortion, even in the case of rape, during his 2012 campaign (though he supported an exception in the case of rape in the 2018 campaign). On April 5, 2013, Donnelly endorsed same-sex marriage on his Facebook page.
Economic policy Taxes In February 2009, Donnelly voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Donnelly voted against the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011 (a two-month extension of an expiring provision from the American Recovery Act, forestalling an increase in the payroll tax from 4.2% to 6.2%); he voted for the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (a one-year extension of the same provision). In 2012 Donnelly also voted for H.R. 9, the Small Business Tax Cut Act, which would allow businesses with fewer than 500 employees to receive a tax deduction equal to 20% of their domestic business income.
Donnelly was one of 276 Congress members who voted for the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010, extending the Bush tax cuts and a 13-month extension of unemployment benefits. In an interview, Donnelly said that he favored making the tax cuts permanent for middle-class Americans and temporarily extending the cuts for families making at least $250,000. In a speech at the 2012 Indiana Democratic Convention, Donnelly said that he would support a temporary one-year extension of all Bush-era tax cuts. "Given our continued economic challenges," he said, "now is the time to keep tax rates low.... We need to create jobs, we need to help the middle class and support small businesses, and we need to avoid partisan bickering and delay."
On September 27, 2013, Donnelly voted for the Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (H.J.Res 59).
In 2016, Donnelly received a rating of 10% from FreedomWorks and 15% from Club for Growth; in 2015–16, the National Tax Limitation Committee gave him a 36% rating.
Donnelly opposed the Republican tax reform legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, saying in October 2017 that he was open to supporting the plan but wanted to see more detail and be assured it would focus on substantial middle-class tax relief.
Financial regulation During his second term, Donnelly voted for the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
A March 2012 letter signed by Donnelly and other Democratic members of the House and Senate, urged Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler to curb oil speculation in the commodity market through new provisions in the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
In July 2012, Donnelly voted in favor of H.R. 459, the Federal Reserve Transparency Act, sponsored by Texas Congressman Ron Paul. The bill requires a full audit of the Federal Reserve, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, and Federal reserve banks by the Comptroller General. He also joined Republicans in writing a bill to deregulate certain banks. He was one of four Democrats who helped write the bill. In 2018, Donnelly broke with the majority of his party and voted with Republicans to loosen banking regulations.
Labor issues In 2007, Donnelly co-sponsored the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007. The act allowed Congress to gradually raise the federal minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. Donnelly voted in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Donnelly has pushed for the passage of the "Forty Hours is Full Time Act" along with Republican senator Susan Collins, which would define a full-time employment as 40 hours a week rather than 30.
Health care