Howard County Jewish Advocacy Group Endorses Ryan O’Connor for County Council
HoCoJAG, a nonpartisan, single-issue group focused on combating antisemitism, is backing the District 5 campaign.
West Friendship, MD. Ryan O’Connor, Republican candidate for Howard County Council District 5, today announced the endorsement of the Howard County Jewish Advocacy Group (HoCoJAG). HoCoJAG is a nonpartisan, single-issue advocacy group. In its own words, its endorsements “reflect our assessment of candidates’ commitment to combating antisemitism in all its forms” and “not agreement with their positions on unrelated issues.”
“Antisemitism is not an abstraction in Howard County. Jewish families in our schools and our neighborhoods have lived it, and too often the county’s answer has been another meeting and more process,” said O’Connor. “I said plainly that it can’t be normalized, ignored or tolerated, and I said what I’d do about it. I’m grateful HoCoJAG heard that, and I intend to keep my word on the Council.”
In its published notes on the District 5 race, HoCoJAG said it endorsed O’Connor because he “directly and repeatedly identified local incidents as antisemitic,” “stated that antisemitism must not be normalized, ignored, or tolerated,” supported adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, and supported creating a county commission specifically focused on antisemitism. The group also noted that O’Connor was preferred by 73 percent of participating HoCoJAG members living in District 5.
Following the antisemitic incident at Phelps Luck Elementary School, O’Connor issued a statement calling for outside expertise, clearer standards for identifying antisemitism, mandatory HCPSS staff training, adoption of the IHRA Working Definition, and creation of a county commission to combat antisemitism.
“Parents shouldn’t have to wonder whether their kids are safe at school, and no family in Howard County should wonder whether their neighbors have their back,” O’Connor said. “That’s the basics. That’s the job.”
O’Connor was born and raised in Ellicott City and graduated from Glenelg High School. A finance professional and the father of three children in Howard County Public Schools, he is running to succeed retiring Councilman David Yungmann in District 5. His campaign is built on strong schools, lower taxes and safe communities. He has also been endorsed by Councilman Yungmann, the Howard County Association of REALTORS®, the Howard County Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 21, the Howard County Police Supervisors’ Alliance, FOP Lodge 143, and the Howard County Professional Firefighters, IAFF Local 2000.
Early voting runs October 22 through 29. The general election is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
Contact: Friends of Ryan O’Connor · Ryan@RyanForHoCo.com · RyanForHoCo.com