John M. O'Hara is The Heartland Institute’s external relations manager. Previously, O’Hara served as a political appointee under U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao in the administration of George W. Bush. Prior to that, O’Hara was a Collegiate Network journalism fellow at The American Spectator. He has been active in political campaigns at the state and federal level, including one presidential campaign.

O’Hara has appeared on a number of local and national radio and television programs including The Dennis Miller Show, Fox News Channel’s Your World with Neil Cavuto and America’s Newsroom, Fox Business Network’s Happy Hour and Cavuto, as well as MSNBC’s Hardball with Chris Matthews.

O’Hara graduated from Kenyon College in 2006 with a B.A. in Philosophy and a concentration in the Integrated Program in Humane Studies. He studied ancient philosophy and ethics at King’s College, University of London and he was managing editor of The Kenyon Observer.