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CONCORD, NH — Today, Co-Chairs of the Task Force on Building a Blue New Hampshire announced the full list of members responsible for crafting an assessment of the 2022 midterm election. This task force is composed of activists, elected officials, and community leaders who played invaluable roles in the 2022 elections and can offer powerful insights from their experience. The task force is charged with exploring the coordination and strategy of previous campaigns and will make recommendations for how to build for a successful 2024 election year and beyond. NHDP Chair Ray Buckley issued the following statement in response to the membership announcement. "I’m thrilled to welcome so many incredible individuals to our task force this year. This team brings diverse perspectives and expertise to the table and will be invaluable resources to Granite State Democrats for years to come. When the task force was first established, the NHDP made a promise to build a system to understand Democratic election outcomes in New Hampshire — regardless of the outcomes. We had an incredible election year in 2022, but with this group, we're delivering on that promise and building a coalition for an even more successful election year. We are confident this group will be able to create valuable insights that will guide our success in 2024, and we can’t wait to get started.” Hon. Jacalyn Cilley, Co-Chair of the Task Force released the following statement following her appointment. “This year’s Blue Hampshire Task Force represents our best team ever. I know the insights we will uncover as a result of our work will pay considerable dividends to Democratic candidates running from the North Country to the Seacoast for generations to come.” Hon. Manny Espitia, Co-Chair of the Task Force released the following statement following his appointment. “I could not be more excited with the team we have assembled this year for the Blue New Hampshire Task Force. Every single member of our team played a role in our success and has a unique perspective on how it came to be. By bringing this team together, we will have an unprecedented understanding of why we were successful in 2022 and have the means to replicate and expand upon that success going forward.” The list of members of the Blue Hampshire Task Force is as follows:
2023 Blue Hampshire Task Force Members
CO-CHAIRS Hon. Jackie Cilley, Barrington, will serve as Co-Chair of the Blue Hampshire Task Force. Cilley is a long-time former state legislator, having served in the New Hampshire House and Senate. She ran for Governor in 2012. Hon. Manny Espitia, Nashua, will serve as Co-Chair of the Blue Hampshire Task Force. Espitia served two terms in the New Hampshire House, rising to Democratic Floor Leader in 2021. He also serves as the President of the New Hampshire Young Democrats. MEMBERS Shanika Amirakoon, Portsmouth, is the Chair of the Portsmouth Democratic Committee. She was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2020. Jordan Applewhite, Sugar Hill, is a Democratic and LGBTQ+ activist who ran for the State House in 2022. They served as the Sugar Hill Town Chairand is an at-large member of the NH Stonewall Democrats. David Bates, Warner, is the Chair of the Warner Town Democrats. Bobbi Boudman, Wolfeboro, is an activist and former candidate for the New Hampshire House. Rep. Amanda Bouldin, Manchester, has served as a State Representative since 2014 and previously served as Executive Director of the Manchester City Democrats. Rep. Angela Brennan, Bow, was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. Miles Brown, Hanover, is a student at Dartmouth College. He ran for the New Hampshire House in 2022. Hon. Ed Butler, Harts Location, is the Chair of the Carroll County Democratic Committee. He is a former State Representative and Chair of the Hart’s Location Democrats. Served as Chair of the NH Freedom to Marry Coalition. Carlos Cardona, Laconia, is a longtime political, latino and LGBTQ+ activist and former Chair of the Laconia Democratic Committee. Sen. Shannon Chandley, Amherst, was elected to her second term in the New Hampshire Senate District 11 in 2022 after having served from 2018-2020. Shannon also served three terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Rep. Patty Cornell, Manchester, has served in the New Hampshire House since 2014 and is the Vice Chair of the Manchester City Democrats. She is a retired educator. Charlie Cotton, Lancaster, is the Chair of the Lancaster Democrats. He is also an at-large member of the Coös County Democrats. Katy Cutshall, Bedford, is an activist and the Co-Chair of the Bedford Democrats. She also serves on the Hillsborough County Executive Committee as an at-large member. Johnna Davis, Gilford, is the Vice Chair of the Belknap County Democratic Committee and is the Chair of Gilford Democrats. Kate Delfino, Atkinson, is the Chair of the Atkinson Democrats and Co-Chair and founder of the RockHills Coalition. She was a candidate for State Representative in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Lisa DeMio, Hampstead, is the Chair of the Hampstead Democrats and Co-chairs the Local Leadership Network and the RockHills Coalition. She ran for the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2020 and 2022. Bonnie Doherty, Manchester, is a retired educator who previously served on the NEA Executive Committee. Sean Doyle, Manchester, is a Democratic consultant and Secretary of the Manchester Democrats. He previously served as the NHDP Executive Director and President of the NH College Democrats. Larry Drake, Portsmouth, has served as the Chair of the Rockingham County Democratic Committee since 2012. Previously he was the long time Chair of the Portsmouth Democrats. Before retiring, Larry was leader in his union for many years. Kathleen Eames, Sunapee, is a Democratic activist and Vice Chair of the Charlestown Democratic Committee. Sen. Donovan Fenton, Keene, was elected to the New Hampshire Senate in 2022. He previously served three terms in the New Hampshire House. Rep. Shaun Filliaut, Keene, was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. He is currently the Chair of the Keene Democrats, and previously served as treasurer of the Cheshire County Democrats. He is a member of the LGBTQ+ caucus. Rep. Daniel Fitzpatrick, Rochester, is a State Representative from Rochester. Dan is the former Rochester City Manager. Cathleen Fountain, Dalton is the Chair of the Dalton Democrats. She was a previous candidate for 2018 & 2022 State Rep, and also currently three-term Secretary to the Coös County Democratic Committee. Rep. Dru Fox, Keene, has served in the New Hampshire House since 2020. She is a retired Keene School District employee. Ann Garland, Lebanon, served as Co-Chair of Upper Valley Dems until 2021 and is currently Chair of the Grafton County Democrats. Rep. Alicia Gregg, Nashua, was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. Rep. Jessica Grill, Manchester, was first elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. Rep. Jaci Grote, Rye, is serving in her third term in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She served as the Chair of the fundraising efforts of the DVCC in 2022. Wayne Haubner, Salem, is Chief Technology Officer for a Boston based software company and ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2022. Nancy Hendricks, of Londonderry, is a former Executive Director of the Manchester Democrats. She is a former 9 year member of the Londonderry School Board, Chair for 3 years and Vice Chair for 3 years. Nancy also served for 3 years on the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire School Boards Association. She also ran for New Hampshire State Senate in 2020. Nancy also held a seat on the Jaffrey-Rindge School Board, Chair for one year, Vice for one year. Mayor Dana Hilliard, Somersworth, is serving in his fifth term as mayor of Somersworth. He was a candidate for the Executive Council in 2022 and served five terms in the NH House. Ald. Robbie Hinkle, Dover, is a member of the Dover City Council and is an at-large member of the NH Stonewall Democrats. Sen. Jay Kahn, Walpole, served in the New Hampshire Senate for six years before retiring from the body in 2022. He served as interim president of Keene State College and in its management for over two decades. Rep. Eamon Kelley, Berlin, was reelected to his second term in the New Hampshire House in 2022. He is Vice Chair of the Coös County Democrats. Ald. Shoshanna Kelly, Nashua, is an at-large member of the Nashua Board of Aldermen. She ran for Executive Council in 2022. Walter King, Dover, is the Chair of the Strafford County Democrats. Hon. Jerry Knirk, Freedom, is a former long-time State Representative from Carroll County. Ruth Larson, Alton Bay, was the Democratic Nominee for the New Hampshire Senate District 6 and former town Chair of Alton. Roger Lessard, Greenfield, is the long-time Chair of the Hillsborough County Democratic Committee. Sen. Melanie Levesque, Brookline, served in the New Hampshire Senate from 2018-2020 after having served three terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. She is the Co-Chair of the New Hampshire African American Democratic Caucus and ran for the Senate and Secretary of State in 2022 and Co-Chairs the Brookline NH Democrats. Hon Charlene Lovett, Claremont, is a former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and mayor of Claremont and military veteran. She was the Democratic Nominee for Senate District 8 in 2022. Sumathi Madhure, Nashua, is an advocate for the AAPI Community in Manchester and serves as the Chair of the New Hampshire AAPI Democrats Caucus. Doug Marino, Brentwood, was an active member of the UNH Democrats and is a political operative who served as Regional Political Director for Senator Maggie Hassan’s campaign in 2022. Hon. Bill Marsh, Brookfield, is a former three-term State Representative who ran for the state senate in 2022. Rep. Rebecca McWilliams, Concord, has served in the New Hampshire House since 2018 and is the treasurer of the Concord City Democrats. Rep. Ben Ming, Hollis, was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2022. He's a former officer of the NH AAPI Democrats and serves on the Hollis Planning Board. Maxine Mosley, Manchester, was a candidate for State Representative in 2022. She is a retired educator, and leader in the NEA union. Kris Mueller, Warner, is the Chair of the Merrimack County Democratic Committee. Rep. Henry Noel, Berlin, was re-elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022, having served previously from 2018-2020. He serves on the Berlin Planning Board and is the Chair of the Coös County Democrats. Mike Parsons, Manchester, is the former NHDP Political Director. He currently serves as a national committee member of Young Democrats of America and previously was President of the New Hampshire College Democrats. Rep. Michael Pederson, Nashua, is the Chair of the Nashua City Democrats. He has served in the New Hampshire House since 2018. Hunter Porter, Nashua, is the president of the New Hampshire High School Democrats and is a senior at Nashua High School South. Shana Potvin, Bedford, is Co-Chair of the Bedford Democratic Committee. She also serves on the Hillsborough County Executive Committee as an at-large member, as a board member of the Local Leadership Network and the Bedford Democratic Alliance. She ran for the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2020 and 2022. Cora Quisumbing-King, Dover, is an advocate for the AAPI Community and is Co-Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic AAPI Caucus. Alan Raff, Manchester, has served as the Chair of the Manchester City Democrats since 2021. He is the political Director of the New Hampshire AFL-CIO and served as campaign manager of Sen. Kevin Cavanaugh’s race for Executive Council in 2022. Ellis Robinson, Grantham, is the Vice Chair of the Sullivan County Democrats and Chair of the Grantham Democratic Committee. Hon. Michael Rollo, Hopkinton, is a member of the Merrimack County Democratic Committee. He served in the NH House for six terms, and previously served as Rollinsford Chair, secretary of the NHDP and Chair of the NHDP Rules Committee. Sen. Cindy Rosenwald, Nashua, is the Deputy Leader in the New Hampshire Senate where she has served since 2018. She previously served six terms in the New Hampshire House. Mohammad Saleh, Keene, is the Chair of the Cheshire County Democratic Committee. Greg Sargent, Newbury, was a candidate for State Representative and has volunteered in campaigns since 2004. Active in the LGBTQ+ community. Rep. Alexis Simpson, Exeter, serves in the House of Representatives and is the Deputy House Democratic Leader, and is an at-large member within the Rockingham County Democrats. Mat Stover, Chester, serves on the Executive Committee of the Rockingham County Democratic Committee and is a past member of the Chester School Board and Chester Budget Committee. Rep. Brian Sullivan, Grantham, is a 4th term member of the New Hampshire House and a longtime labor advocate. Rep. George Sykes, Lebanon, has served in the New Hampshire House since 2012 and the Lebanon City Council since 2019. He has been involved with the Grafton County, Upper Valley and Lebanon Democrats for many years. Rep. Laura Telerski, Nashua, has served in the New Hampshire House since 2018. She led the house candidate recruitment efforts of the DVCC in 2022. Lynn Thomas, Meredith, is the current Chair of the Belknap County Democratic Committee and is the town Chair from Meredith. Ald. June Trisciani, Manchester, was elected as an at-large member to the Manchester Board of Aldermen in 2021 and ran for the New Hampshire Senate in 2022 from District 16. Hon. Edith Tucker, Randolph, served three terms in the New Hampshire House. She was the Democratic Nominee for Senate District 1 in 2022. Mark Vallone, Epping, was elected to the New Hampshire House in 2022. He is also the Chair of the Epping Democratic Committee. Sen. David Watters, Dover, is serving in his sixth term as a member of the New Hampshire Senate, served in the NH House and as Chair of the Strafford County Democrat Joyce Weston, Plymouth, served two terms in the NH House where she served as a Co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Caucus. She has been active in the Plymouth Area Democrats for years, including two terms as Chair. EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Hon. Ray Buckley, Manchester, has served as the Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party since 2007. He previously served 20 years in the New Hampshire House, longtime LGBTQ+ leader and has been on the DNC for 24 years. Sen. Martha Fuller Clark, Portsmouth, is the First Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She served in the New Hampshire Senate for 18 years before retiring in 2020, and previously served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from 1990-2002. Maitri Chittidi, Nashua, is the Secretary of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She has worked on various campaigns throughout her career. Bill Christie, Concord, is the Legal Counsel for the New Hampshire Democratic Party and is a member of the NHDP Rules Committee. Joanne Dowdell, Portsmouth/Washington D.C., is a member-at-large of the DNC, where she is a member of the Rules Committee. She ran for the US House District 1 in 2012. Sen. Bette Lasky, Nashua, is the Second Vice Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She previously served four terms in the New Hampshire Senate and five terms in the New Hampshire House. Hon. Caitlin Rollo, Hopkinton, is the Treasurer of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. She is the previous Chair of the Strafford County Democrats and served in the New Hampshire House. Samay Sahu, Nashua, is the President of the National High School Democrats and is a senior at Nashua High School Hon. Bill Shaheen, Madbury, is a DNC Committeeman from New Hampshire. He is a long-time political activist. Sen. Donna Soucy, Manchester, is the Democratic Leader of the New Hampshire Senate and DNC Committeewoman from New Hampshire. She was first elected in 2012 and served as Senate President from 2018-2020. She previously served in the New Hampshire House. Maura Sullivan, New Castle, is the Finance Chair for the NHDP and is the Co-Chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Veterans and Military Family Members Caucus. She previously ran for Congress in 2018.