She ran again for County Executive in 2010, where she defeated incumbent Dennis McNerney, only to lose re-election in 2014 to Democratic challenger Jim Tedesco.
Donovan, a graduate of Queen of Peace High School, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Rutgers University-Newark and was awarded a Juris Doctor from the Cleveland State University College of Law.
[6] She served as chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee from June 1989 to February 1990, before being replaced by her predecessor, Union County Assemblyman Bob Franks.
[9] Donovan stepped down as Port Authority Chairwoman in December 1995 in order to unsuccessfully run for Congress in the 1996 election, but she retained her seat on the agency's Board of Commissioners.
[11] On November 4, 2014, Donovan lost her reelection bid to Democratic Freeholder James J. Tedesco III, in an election in which the major issues were the county budget, consolidation of the county police and sheriff, and issues regarding lawsuits filed between the different branches of government.