Christine O'Donnell

Christine O'Donnell (born August 27, 1969) was the 2010 U.S. Republican Party nominee for the U.S. Senate seat from Delaware, but was defeated by Democrat Chris Coons. She was supported by the Tea Party movement and has previously been a spokesperson for Concerned Women for America.

O'Donnell was raised a Roman Catholic in New Jersey. Her early interest in theater gave way to politics and evangelical Christianity. She joined the Republican Party and spoke up for its most conservative supporters, represented the anti-abortion organization Concerned Women for America and later appeared as a commentator in various media outlets, including Fox News. She ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for one of Delaware's Senate seats in 2006, but won the official candidacy in 2008. In 2010 she once again took the nomination (with the support of the Tea Party movement), defeating the Republican favorite Mike Castle, for what would be an unsuccessful bid for the Senate.

The Pew Research Center Project for Excellence in Journalism determined that she was second only to Barack Obama in news coverage, coming from virtually no name recognition. Many of her statements were controversial and drew media attention.