Shawn O'Hara

O'Hara was born in 1958 in Canton, Mississippi. He graduated with a bachelor's degree from William Carey University in 1981, and received a masters degree from the university in 1996.[3]

O'Hara was well known for frequently running for mayor of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He sought the office in every city election since 1989.[4][5]

O'Hara first ran for Governor of Mississippi in 1991 as the Reform Party candidate. He received 11,253 votes, or 1.58%. He ran as the Reform Party candidate for the United States Senate in Mississippi in 2000.[6] He received 7,315 votes, or 0.74% of the vote. In 2002 he ran for the U.S. Senate again and was the lone challenger to Thad Cochran. He received 97,226 votes, or 15.42%.

While a member of the Reform Party, O'Hara supported the candidacy of George W. Bush. After his party nominated Ralph Nader as presidential candidate in 2004, O'Hara said he hoped Nader could spoil the election: "I’m doing everything I can to make sure John Kerry never gets around the White House."[7] This sentiment, and the fact that O'Hara was a supporter of the Ku Klux Klan's Samuel Bowers,[8] and his statements that he had once favored the execution of abortion doctors, put O'Hara at odds with other Reform Party members.[9]

In 2003 he was the Reform Party candidate for Governor of Mississippi and received 4,070 votes for 0.46% of the vote. In 2007 O'Hara ran as a Democrat for state treasurer and received 284,789 votes (39.47%).[10] O'Hara sought the Democratic Party nomination for the United States Senate in 2008, however, he was defeated in the primary by Erik R. Fleming 65.8% - 34.2%.[11] O'Hara ran for the seat in Mississippi's 3rd congressional district as a Democrat.[12]

Much to the chagrin of Reform Party members, O'Hara returned to their party in 2011. He announced he would run for governor on their ticket, and also filed to run for state treasurer as both a Democrat and a Reform Party candidate.[13][14] He received 26,290 votes, or 3.01%, in the race for state treasurer.

In Mississippi's 2012 election for U.S. Senate, O'Hara ran as the Reform Party candidate and received 13,194 votes, or 1.06%. He ran for Governor of Mississippi in the 2015 election, finishing last with less than 2% of the vote.

He ran for public office 52 times over his career, including 19 runs for the United States Senate.

O'Hara and his wife, Amanda, had one child, Devon. He was a Southern Baptist.[3]

O'Hara died on November 23, 2018, at his home in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Forrest County Coroner Butch Benedict ruled that O'Hara died of natural causes.[15][16]