Dan Feltes

Feltes grew up in Dubuque, Iowa. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a J.D. degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University.[2] Dan grew up in a working-class family, with his father working in a furniture factory for his entire adult life and his mother working part-time jobs while raising four children.[2]

Feltes worked as a legal aid attorney for almost a decade.[3] For four years, Feltes managed the staff, casework and grants under the Housing Justice Project. In 2013, Feltes received the Robert E. Kirby Award of the New Hampshire Bar Association, awarded annually to a New Hampshire attorney 35 years old or younger who demonstrates the traits of civility, courtesy, perspective, and excellent advocacy [4]

In 2014, Feltes ran for the state senate seat being vacated by Sylvia Larsen, and won.[5] Larsen backed Feltes's opponent in the Democratic primary, while other local Democratic leaders backed Feltes.[3] Feltes won the Democratic primary, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District.[6] Feltes won 70% of the vote in the Democratic primary and over 65% of the vote in the general election.[7]

In 2016, Feltes was elected to a second term in the state senate, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District and outperforming every Democrat up ticket, including getting more votes in the 15th District than Hillary Clinton.[8]

After declining to run for governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election,[9] Feltes announced his intent to run for governor on September 3, 2019, facing Executive Councilor Andru Volinsky in the Democratic primary.[10] Despite sharing much of the same ideology, Volinsky was largely viewed as the more liberal choice especially given his endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders. Feltes earned the support of progressive campaign finance reform and voting rights organizations, End Citizens United and Let America Vote,[11] as well as the support of fourteen labor unions.[12][13] One union contrasted Feltes' background as a legal aid attorney with Volinsky's background as a corporate attorney.[14] Feltes defeated Volinsky by a 52.5 to 47.5 margin with a strong showing in Concord, Manchester, and Nashua. Feltes, a strong retail campaigner, was effectively sidelined during the pandemic while the incumbent governor Chris Sununu appeared on statewide TV, sometimes three times a week.[15] Feltes lost to incumbent governor Chris Sununu in the General Election in November 2020.[16]

Feltes has received numerous Legislator of the Year awards for bipartisan leadership on many critical issues, including from the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy for his work advancing paid family and medical leave insurance, from Early Learning NH for his work on full-day kindergarten, from Ski NH for his work promoting tourism and the ski industry, from New Hampshire Council on Development Disabilities and from Community Bridges for his work helping persons with disabilities, from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association and from Housing Action NH for his work expanding affordable and workforce housing, from the NH ACLU for his work on criminal justice reform, and from New Futures and from the National Association of Social Workers for his work on both mental health parity and combatting the opioid public health epidemic.[17] [18]

Feltes and his wife, Erin, have two daughters.[19]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dan Feltes.

• Government website
• Campaign website

• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN