Dan Feltes

Dan Feltes is an American politician from the state of New Hampshire. A member of the Democratic Party, he is a member of the New Hampshire Senate from the 15th district.

Contents

• Around town political concerns with guest senator dan feltes
• Extended interview dan feltes
• References

Feltes is from Concord, New Hampshire. In 2014, he ran successfully for the State Senate seat being vacated by Sylvia Larsen. Larson backed Feltes's opponent in the Democratic primary, while other local Democratic leaders backed Feltes. Feltes won the Democratic primary, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District. Feltes won 70% of the vote in the Democratic primary and over 65% of the vote in the general election.

Feltes declined to run for Governor in 2016. He 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.

During his first term in the State Senate, Feltes worked with the majority Republican legislature and received numerous legislative awards. In 2015, Feltes was named Legislator of the Year by the Home Builders and Remodelers Association for his work expanding access to affordable housing for working families and seniors. In 2015, Feltes was part of the negotiating team resulting in the sale of PSNH generation assets, millions in new renewable energy spending, and hundreds of millions in estimated customer savings. In 2015 and 2016, Feltes was named an Early Learning Champion by Early Learning NH for his work advocating for early childhood education, including full-day kindergarten.

In 2016, Feltes worked with conservationists and the business community to broker a compromise to pass river conservation legislation, earning both praise from conservationists and also Ski New Hampshire’s 2016 Legislator of the Year Award. In 2016, Feltes also received Housing Action NH’s Legislator of the Year award for helping secure the first capital appropriation for workforce housing in over a decade, with a priority for veterans housing.

In 2016, Feltes also received the New Futures Legislator of the Year Award for his bipartisan work combatting the heroin and opioid public health crisis, including taking on the insurance lobby to expand access to critical drug treatment. Feltes also spearheaded the legislative effort in 2016 making New Hampshire the 2nd state where workplace flexibility requests are a right.

Additionally, Feltes received the Robert F. Kennedy Award in 2015 from the New Hampshire Young Democrats as well as the first-ever Clinton-Kennedy Award in 2016 from the New Hampshire Democratic Party.

In his second term in the State Senate, Feltes has been assigned to the Finance committee, the Ways and Means committee, the Energy and Natural Resources committee, the NH Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Rules, and the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules. In 2017, he again received both the Early Learning Champion award from Early Learning NH and Housing Action NH’s Legislator of the Year award. He was also named 2017 Legislator of the Year by the NH Chapter of the National Social Worker Association for his work on behalf of at-risk children as well as 2017 Community Bridges Legislator of the Year/Circle of Champions for his work on behalf of persons with disabilities.

Before running for office, Feltes was a legal aid attorney for almost a decade. 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 Feltes received his law degree from the University of Iowa and a master's degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University. Dan grew up in a working class family, with his dad working in a furniture factory for his entire adult and his mom working part-time jobs while raising four kids.