Raymond Buckley, chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party and vice chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is a top contender to become chairman of the national party organization.
Buckley is also the first out gay person to serve as the DNC’s vice chair and would be the first to serve in the top spot. He made his bid official in late November 2016. Party leaders meet in Atlanta in late February to elect their new leader.
Buckley served eight terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives. In 2009, was elected president of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, where he was the first openly gay politician to serve in that role too. Born in Keene, NH, Buckley is a longtime resident of Manchester, where also serves as city alderman.
“Make no mistake, if I am elected chair there will be radical reform of how the DNC operates. You and every member of the DNC will be called on to fully participate in the governance of our party,” Buckley wrote in a letter he sent to DNC members pledging to take on the DNC’s top job.
