Douglas A. Ley (July 3, 1958 – June 10, 2021) was an American educator and politician who served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Cheshire District 9 from 2013 to 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party. During his tenure in the state house he served as Majority Leader from 2018 to 2020.

Doug Ley
Majority Leader of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
In office
December 5, 2018 – December 2, 2020
Preceded byDick Hinch
Succeeded byJason Osborne
Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
from the Cheshire 9th district
In office
December 2012 – June 10, 2021
Serving with Richard Ames (2013–2021)
Preceded byMulti-member district
Succeeded byAndrew Maneval
Personal details
Born(1958-07-03)July 3, 1958
Long Island, New York, U.S.
Died (aged 62)
Jaffrey, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseMary
Children2
EducationGettysburg College (BA)
University of Wisconsin, Madison (MA, PhD)

Early life and education

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Douglas Ley was born in Long Island, New York and grew up in Valley Stream, New York, and Newtown, Connecticut. Ley graduated from Newtown High School. He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1980, with a bachelor's degree in history. He graduated from with a master's degree in history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1983, and with a Ph.D. in history in 1990. He became a history professor at Franklin Pierce University in 1991. He served as president of his local American Federation of Teachers union from 2013 to 2021, and as president of the state American Federation of Teachers. He married Mary, with whom he had two children.[1][2][3][4][5]

New Hampshire House of Representatives

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Elections

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In 2012, Ley ran for a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Cheshire District 9 with the Democratic nomination and won in the general election alongside Richard Ames out of four candidates.[6][7] Ley and Ames won reelection in the 2014 election out of four candidates in the general election.[8][9] They won reelection in the 2016 election out of four candidates in the general election.[10][11] They won reelection in the 2018 election out of three candidates.[12][13] Ley and Ames won reelection in the 2020 election out of four candidates in the general election.[14][15]

Tenure

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During Ley's tenure he served on the Labor committee from 2013 to 2018.[5] He defeated Representative Dick Hinch in the vote to become Majority Leader of the state house by a vote of 237 to 152 in 2018.[16] He served as Majority Leader from 2018 to 2020.[2][5]

Death

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Ley was hospitalized in May 2021, after cancer spread to his liver. Ley died on June 10, 2021, at the age of 62 at his home in Jaffrey, and was the third member of the state house to have died in the 2021-2022 session of the state house after Speaker Hinch and Representative David Danielson.[2][4]

Electoral history

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Douglas Ley electoral history
2012 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames 685 54.06%
Democratic Douglas Ley 582 45.94%
Total votes 1,267 100.00%
2012 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames 2,507 30.65%
Democratic Douglas Ley 2,364 28.90%
Republican Charlie Moore 1,758 21.49%
Republican Raymond J. Desmarais 1,542 18.85%
Independent Write-ins 8 0.10%
Total votes 8,179 100.00%
2014 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 340 53.88% −0.18%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 287 45.48% −0.46%
Democratic Roger Creekmore 3 0.48% +0.48%
Democratic Write-ins 1 0.16% +0.16%
Total votes 631 100.00%
2014 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 1,806 29.73% −0.92%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 1,713 28.20% −0.70%
Republican Robert Bussiere 1,293 21.29%
Republican Roger Creekmore 1,262 20.78%
Total votes 6,074 100.00%
2016 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 610 54.46% +0.58%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 507 45.27% −0.21%
Democratic Write-ins 3 0.27% +0.11%
Total votes 1,120 100.00%
2016 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 2,424 30.22% +0.49%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 2,199 27.41% −0.79%
Republican Roger Creekmore 1,699 21.18% +0.40%
Republican Christopher Mazerall 1,699 21.18%
Independent Write-ins 1 0.01% +0.01%
Total votes 8,022 100.00%
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 948 54.89% +0.43%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 771 44.64% −0.63%
Democratic Write-ins 6 0.35% +0.08%
Democratic Christopher Mazerall 2 0.12% +0.12%
Total votes 1,727 100.00%
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 2,255 38.53% +8.31%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 2,096 35.81% +8.40%
Republican Christopher Mazerall 1,498 25.59% +4.41
Independent Write-ins 4 0.07% +0.06%
Total votes 5,853 100.00%
2020 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 1,122 50.13% −4.76%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 1,111 49.64% +5.00%
Democratic Rita Mattson 2 0.09% +0.09%
Democratic Write-ins 2 0.09% −0.26%
Democratic Leo Plante 1 0.04% +0.04%
Total votes 2,238 100.00%
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Richard Ames (incumbent) 2,651 29.50% −9.03%
Democratic Douglas Ley (incumbent) 2,475 27.55% −8.26%
Republican Rita Mattson 1,964 25.59%
Republican Leo Plante 1,894 25.59%
Independent Write-ins 1 0.01% −0.06%
Total votes 8,985 100.00%

References

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  1. ^ Douglas Ley-obituary
  2. ^ a b c "Former NH House Majority Leader, five-term state Rep. Douglas Ley dies at 62". WMUR-TV. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021.
  3. ^ "Questionnaire: Douglas A. Ley, NH House, Cheshire District 9". Sentinel Source. December 7, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Jaffrey Rep. Douglas Ley, former N.H. House majority leader, dies". Sentinel Source. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c "Jaffrey Rep. Douglas Ley, former N.H. House majority leader, dies". New Hampshire House of Representatives. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "2012 primary results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  7. ^ a b "2012 election results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "2014 primary results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "2014 election results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "2016 primary results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "2016 election results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "2018 primary results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c "2018 election results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "2020 primary results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  15. ^ "2020 election results". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021.
  16. ^ "Jaffrey Democrat picked as Majority Leader in the state House of Representatives". Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. December 11, 2018. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021.
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New Hampshire House of Representatives
Preceded by Majority Leader of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
2018–2020
Succeeded by