Raymond Buckley

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Raymond "Ray" Buckley (born 1959) is an American politician from New Hampshire who has served as chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party since March 25, 2007. He has been reelected to that role many times, most recently in 2021.

Buckley spent 18 years in the New Hampshire House of Representatives (1986–2004), representing southern Manchester and serving as the party whip. He sponsored more than 150 bills, including the 1999 repeal of New Hampshire’s ban on adoption by same-sex couples, the repeal of state taxes on hospitals, and anti-bullying laws.

In 2004, he left the House to run for the New Hampshire Executive Council. He lost to incumbent Ray Wieczorek and soon became the Executive Director of the Senate Democratic Caucus. Under his leadership, Democrats gained control of the New Hampshire Senate.

Buckley has held major national roles in the Democratic Party. He has served as President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs and as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, leading the DNC’s eastern region from 2001 to 2009. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004, and 2008, and he announced a bid to chair the DNC in 2016 but withdrew in 2017.

He has been involved in national campaigns, including backing Michael Dukakis in 1988 and working on Joe Lieberman’s 2003–2004 campaign. His campaign work for Lieberman featured a Chrysler PT Cruiser dubbed the "JoeMobile."

Buckley is openly gay and helped found the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Rights. He is credited with raising the profile of the Democratic Party in New Hampshire, a state that has often leaned Republican.

Controversies: In early 2007, Buckley faced allegations of improper conduct. An investigation found no crime, and the attorney general chose not to press charges, though a video later surfaced showing him using blunt language. Despite this, he defeated Betty Hall for the party chairmanship, 109 votes to 17.

Buckley was born in Keene, New Hampshire, and is the eldest of nine siblings. He grew up in Canterbury, where he started working in politics as a teenager, mentored by state party leaders. He has described politics as his lifelong career.