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.
Brandon Phinney | |
|---|---|
 Phinney at a press conference announcing his change in party affiliation | |
| 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 |
Career
editPhinney 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
edit2016
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Brandon Phinney | 2,323 | 51.3 | |
| Democratic | Karen Stokes | 2,207 | 48.7 | |
| Total votes | 4,530 | 100 | ||
2018
edit| 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
editReferences
edit- ^ "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.