1. Dan Feltes was born on March 23,1979 and is an American lawyer, a member of the Democratic Party, and represented the 15th district of the New Hampshire Senate from 2014 until 2020.
37 Facts About Dan Feltes
1. 2.
At the age of 39, Feltes became the youngest Majority Leader in the history of the New Hampshire Senate.
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Dan Feltes was characterized by Steve Shurtleff, the former Speaker of the New Hampshire House, as the most effective consensus builder at the State House in two decades.
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Dan Feltes was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2020, he now teaches at Iowa Law school, and is a practicing attorney at Iowa Legal Aid.
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Dan Feltes earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a JD degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and a Master of Public Policy degree from Georgetown University.
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Dan Feltes 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.
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Dan Feltes then worked as a legal aid attorney for almost a decade in New Hampshire.
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Dan Feltes twice co-authored the statewide analysis of impediments to fair housing choice.
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Dan Feltes has taught law at the UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law.
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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.
11.
In 2014, Dan Feltes ran for the state senate seat being vacated by Sylvia Larsen, and won.
12.
Dan Feltes won the Democratic primary, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District.
13.
In 2016, Dan 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.
14.
In 2018, Dan Feltes developed and executed the plan that helped lead to the Democrats winning the majority in the State Senate.
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Dan Feltes then became the youngest Senate Majority Leader in New Hampshire history.
16.
Dan Feltes was characterized by Steve Shurtleff, the former Speaker of the New Hampshire House, as the most effective consensus builder at the State House in two decades.
17.
On jobs and the economy, Dan Feltes passed legislation making New Hampshire the second state to protect workers from retaliation after requesting workplace or schedule flexibility, advanced job training for working class in the trades, established full-day kindergarten, was the lead champion of paid family leave, and accomplished business tax reform lowering taxes for in-state small businesses while closing loopholes for out-of-state corporations.
18.
On housing, Dan Feltes sponsored the initial effort to capitalize the affordable housing fund with $25 million, led the effort on a first-ever appropriation for recovery and sober housing, advanced affordable housing and long-term care by passing the law to give property owners the right to both use and build accessory dwelling units and in-law apartments, and received multiple legislator of the year awards for his bipartisan work on housing.
19.
On health care, Dan Feltes was the lead Democratic negotiator reauthorizing Medicaid expansion, and he led the effort to do a 1332 waiver to reduce health care costs.
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Dan Feltes received awards for his bipartisan work combatting the opioid crisis, including from New Futures.
21.
Dan Feltes was the author of landmark legislation protecting Granite Staters with preexisting conditions.
22.
On prescription drug relief, Dan Feltes authored the historic legislation to import safe, low-cost prescription drugs from Canada for New Hampshire seniors.
23.
Dan Feltes passed prescription drug relief for senior citizens who fell in the Medicare Part D "donut hole".
24.
Dan Feltes passed legislation capping out-of-pocket costs for insulin at $30 per month.
25.
Dan Feltes fought for additional support and enhanced oversight and transparency of nursing homes, including the New Hampshire Veterans Home, advocated for a COVID-19 Workers Bill of Rights to get people back to work safely, and Dan Feltes was among the first in the nation to propose direct relief for frontline workers.
26.
Dan Feltes consistently fought the administration for better child protection staffing, and sponsored the successful and historic effort to combat childhood lead poisoning from both paint and water.
27.
On energy and the environment, Dan Feltes was instrumental in getting some of the toughest drinking water standards for PFAS in the country.
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Dan Feltes was the lead Democratic sponsor and author of the New Hampshire Clean Energy Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2019.
29.
Dan Feltes was the lead Democratic negotiator involving the completion of the restructuring of the utility market in New Hampshire.
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Dan Feltes was a bipartisan leader advancing energy efficiency and weatherization.
31.
On campaign finance reform and ethics, Dan Feltes passed bipartisan reforms of inaugural committee transactions and disclosures, led executive branch ethics reform, and led the effort to bolster oversight and enforcement of election and lobbying compliance.
32.
Dan Feltes fought to close the LLC contribution loophole and get dark money out of politics, although both efforts were vetoed.
33.
On diversity, equity and inclusion, Dan Feltes authored historic legislation, the Criminal Justice Reform and Economic Fairness Act of 2018, which, among other things, accomplished bipartisan bail reform.
34.
Dan Feltes passed bipartisan legislation getting rid of so-called debtors prisons, and as Majority Leader of the Senate, Dan Feltes held the votes necessary to override a veto in order to repeal the death penalty.
35.
Dan Feltes earned the support of progressive campaign finance reform and voting rights organizations, End Citizens United and Let America Vote, as well as the support of fourteen labor unions.
36.
Dan Feltes defeated Volinsky with a strong showing in Hanover, Portsmouth, Concord, Manchester, and Nashua.
37.
Dan Feltes lost to incumbent governor Chris Sununu in the general election in November 2020, having set fundraising records for a non-incumbent in a race for governor in New Hampshire.