Next N.H. Dem Chair likely to be Buckley

Next N.H. Dem Chair likely to be Buckley

Raymond Buckley, currently the vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, says he has enough support to become chairman of the party when Kathy Sullivan retires from that position this spring.

Buckley says he is supported by 117 of the 195 members on the state committee, including Governor John Lynch, both Democratic US Representatives, and the entire Democratic caucus of the state Senate.

So far, Buckley has been unopposed.

The election of the next chairman is seen as an important one given that the person will have to oversee the next New Hampshire Primary and manage tensions the state has with the Democratic National Committee after that group has threatened to eliminate the state’s first-in-the-nation status.

Buckley has been involved in New Hampshire politics for decades. In addition to his involvement with the state party, he is the chair for the Manchester Democrats.