O'Connor was elected as a Durham regional councillor in 1997, later becoming chair of the region's Health and Social Services committee and president of the Association of Public Health Agencies (alPHa) in the Durham region.
O'Connor was elected as a Durham regional councillor in 1997, and later became chair of the region's Health and Social Services committee. He remains a councillor as of 2005, and is the president of the Association of Public Health Agencies (alPHa) in the Durham region.