Brandon Phinney | |
|---|---|
 Phinney at a press conference announcing his change in party affiliation | |
| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the 9th Strafford district | |
| Assumed office December 7, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Clifford "Cliff" Newton |
| Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the 24th Strafford district | |
| In office December 7, 2016 – December 5, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Laura Jones |
| Succeeded by | Mona Perrault |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 27, 1988 Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Libertarian (2017–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Republican (2016–2017) |
| Residence(s) | Rochester, New Hampshire, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Great Bay Community College Southern New Hampshire University |
| Occupation | Soldier |
| Committees | State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs |
Brandon Phinney (born April 27, 1988) is an American politician and former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Strafford County's 24th district.
Career
Phinney earned his associate degree from Great Bay Community College and his bachelor's degree from Southern New Hampshire University.[1] In 2016, he was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a Republican, beating his Democratic opponent by just 116 votes. There, he became notable in atheist circles as the only openly atheist Republican legislator in the United States.[2] On June 27, 2017, he announced in a press conference that he had changed his party affiliation to Libertarian.[3]
Phinney was defeated for re-election in a three-way race, finishing in third place with 10% of the total vote. He was succeeded by Republican Mona Perreault. Following his defeat, he announced he would run for Rochester City Council in 2019.[4]
He was elected to the State House again in 2022.[5]
Electoral history
2016
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Phinney | 2,323 | 51.3 | |
| Democratic | Karen Stokes | 2,207 | 48.7 | |
| Total votes | 4,530 | 100 | ||
2018
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Mona Perreault | 1,720 | 47.2 | |
| Democratic | Jeremiah Minihan | 1,548 | 42.5 | |
| Libertarian | Brandon Phinney (incumbent) | 377 | 10.3 | |
| Total votes | 3,645 | 100 | ||
See also
References
- ↑ "Brandon Phinney's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved July 21, 2017.
- ↑ Mehta, Hermant (June 27, 2017). "The Country's Only Openly Atheist Republican Legislator Just Left the Party". Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ↑ Doherty, Brian (June 29, 2017). "New Hampshire Now Has Third Sitting Libertarian Party Legislator". Reason. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ↑ "Brandon Phinney for Rochester City Council". Facebook. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- ↑ "Our Campaigns - NH State House - Strafford 09 Race - Nov 08, 2022".
- ↑ "New Hampshire 24th District State House Results: Brandon Phinney Wins". The New York Times. December 13, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ↑ "NH Election Results". Retrieved November 16, 2018.