O'Quinn graduated from Emory & Henry College with a degree in political science and history. Prior to attending college, he went to Patrick Henry High School in Glade Spring, VA.

O'Quinn's professional experience includes working for a supermarket chain and working in the office of Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. He has served as the executive director of the Republican Party of Virginia's Victory campaign, commissioner on the Virginia Tobacco Commission, and a board member of the Virginia Public Safety Foundation.