Al Baldasaro

Last updated

Al Baldasaro
Al Baldasaro.jpg
Member of the New HampshireHouseofRepresentatives
from the Rockingham 5th district
In office
December 2006 –December 7, 2022
Personal details
Born (1956-11-20) November 20, 1956 (age 67)
Political party Republican
SpouseJudy [1]
Residence Londonderry, New Hampshire [1]

Alfred P. Baldasaro (born November 20, 1956) is a Republican politician from the state of New Hampshire. He is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. Baldasaro lives in Londonderry and represents District 5 in Rockingham County. [2] He is known for his strongly conservative views and provocative remarks, including one in 2016 where he called for Hillary Clinton to be "put in the firing line and shot" for which he was widely rebuked and investigated by the Secret Service.

Contents

Career before politics

Baldasaro's grandfather Alfred Vellucci served as mayor of Cambridge, Massachusetts for four terms, beginning in 1971. [1] Baldasaro served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years. [1]

New Hampshire House of Representatives tenure

According to the Guardian, Baldasaro is "known as one of the most conservative—and controversial" members of the New Hampshire's 400-member House of Representatives. [1] Baldasaro led the fight against same-sex marriage in New Hampshire. [1]

In the 2012 Republican presidential primaries, Baldasaro supported Texas Governor Rick Perry. At a Republican primary presidential debate in 2011, the audience booed and jeered a gay Marine who had submitted a debate question about the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. When asked about the incident, Baldasaro said that he was "disgusted" by the Marine and said: "I thought the audience, when they booed the marine, I thought it was great." [3] [4] [5] Baldasaro, who was criticized for the remarks by the Nashua Telegraph , [4] defended his comments in the media, stating that it is against Department of Defense regulations to wear a PT uniform at a partisan event. [5]

Baldasaro considered running for the United States Senate in the 2014 election but did not enter the race. [6]

In late December 2015, in response to a Facebook post made by Democratic State Representative Amanda Bouldin's supporting breastfeeding in public and opposing a New Hampshire bill that would criminalize the exposure of women's nipples or breasts in public, Baldasaro wrote on his Facebook page, "Amanda, no disrespect, but your nipple would be the last one I would want to see. You want to turn our family beaches into a pervert show." [lower-alpha 1] Baldasaro refused to apologize or retract his remarks. [7] [8] The incident prompted Republican House speaker Shawn Jasper to ask state Representatives "to act with dignity, to act with respect" in his remarks the following month at the opening of the 2016 legislative session. [9]

Baldasaro was an advisor to Donald Trump when Trump was the Republican nominee for president in the 2016 election, and regularly appeared with him at campaign events. [1] Baldasaro was the co-chairman of the Trump campaign's national veterans coalition. [10]

Baldasaro was a delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention. [11] At the convention, Baldasaro called for the execution of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, accusing her of treason and saying she should be "put in the firing line and shot". [10] [12] [13] Baldasaro declined to apologize for his remark and then repeated it. New Hampshire Republican Senator Kelly Ayotte responded that “This kind of rhetoric is totally irresponsible, it has no place in our society, and violence should never be encouraged against anyone.” [11] The Secret Service investigated Baldasaro over the remarks. [10] However, in 2019, following the remarks, Trump praised Baldasaro at a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire. [14] Baldasaro also was named a New Hampshire co-chair of Trump's 2020 reelection campaign. [15]

On December 5, 2018, Baldasaro was elected to a seventh term in the House. Republican caucus leader Dick Hinch has appointed Baldasaro as the Minority Floor Leader for the 2019-2020 legislative term. [16] On November 3, 2020, he began serving in his eighth term and was appointed to be the Chair of the State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs Committee. [17]

In 2022, Baldasaro introduced a measure to prevent the New Hampshire House from considering a bill that would allow homeowners to add up to four housing units on lots that were previously exclusively zoned for single-family housing. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Another state Representative, Josh Moore, a Republican, made a similar "crude" comment, which Moore deleted. [7] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire presidential primary</span> One of the first and most significant contests in the U.S. presidential nomination process

The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest, the first being the Iowa caucuses, held in the United States every four years as part of the process of choosing the delegates to the Democratic and Republican national conventions which choose the party nominees for the presidential elections to be held in November. Although only a few delegates are chosen in the New Hampshire primary, its real importance comes from the massive media coverage it receives, along with the first caucus in Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Ayotte</span> American attorney & politician (born 1968)

Kelly Ann Ayotte is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Ayotte served as New Hampshire Attorney General from 2004 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maggie Hassan</span> American politician (born 1958)

Margaret Coldwell Hassan is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Hassan was the 81st governor of New Hampshire from 2013 to 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Moore (politician)</span> American politician

Josh Moore is an American former Republican politician from Merrimack, New Hampshire, serving in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from January 2015 to December 2018. He was born in Gainesville, Florida. As a state representative he represented the Hillsborough County 21st district.

William Lawrence O'Brien is a lawyer and Republican legislator from Mont Vernon, New Hampshire who served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives since 2004, representing district Hillsborough-4. O'Brien was elected the Speaker of the House on December 1, 2010, when Republicans took control of the House. When Democrats regained control of the House in the 2012 election, O'Brien did not run for a leadership position.

John Steven Vaillancourt was an American politician, who served as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He represented Hillsborough County District 15, the city of Manchester Ward 8. He served from 1996 to 2014 and from 2016 until his death. He served as a member of the Democratic Party, the Libertarian Party, and later the Republican Party. Vaillancourt also served as Manchester alderman for Ward 8 from 1999 to 2001 while serving in the State House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Horn</span> American politician (born 1964)

Jennifer Mary Horn is an American politician. She was a two-time challenger for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district. She won the Republican nomination in 2008 and became the first woman nominated by the Republican Party in the state. She lost to Paul Hodes in the general election. In 2010, she ran again and lost to Charles Bass in the Republican primary. She then served as chair of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee and co-founded The Lincoln Project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span>

The 2014 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of New Hampshire, concurrently with the election of the governor of New Hampshire, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span> Election

The 2016 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. The primary election to select the candidates who appeared on the general election ballot took place on September 13, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Sununu</span> Governor of New Hampshire since 2017

Christopher Thomas Sununu is an American politician and engineer who has served since 2017 as the 82nd governor of New Hampshire. A member of the Republican Party, Sununu was on the New Hampshire Executive Council from 2011 to 2017.

The 2016 presidential campaign of Chris Christie, the 55th Governor of New Jersey, began on June 30, 2015, at an event in his hometown of Livingston, New Jersey. Following a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary, the campaign was suspended on February 10, 2016. He endorsed Donald Trump on February 26, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary</span>

The 2016 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary was held on Tuesday February 9. As per tradition, it was the first primary and second nominating contest overall to take place in the cycle. Bernie Sanders defeated Hillary Clinton in the primary by a margin of more than 22% in the popular vote. Sanders claimed 15 delegates to Clinton's 9.

Amanda Bouldin is an American politician from Manchester, New Hampshire who has served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives since January 2015. Bouldin, a Democrat, represents Hillsborough County's 12th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth Edwards (politician)</span> American politician

Elizabeth Edwards is an American politician and former Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, who represented the Hillsborough 11th District from 2014 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire</span>

The 2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire was held on November 3, 2020, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of New Hampshire, concurrently with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen won reelection to a third term after comfortably defeating Republican nominee Bryant Messner by 15.6 points and sweeping every single county in the state. This marked the first Senate election since 1972 in which the Democrat carried Belknap County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 New Hampshire gubernatorial election</span> Election

The 2018 New Hampshire gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the governor of New Hampshire. Incumbent Republican Governor Chris Sununu won re-election to a second term, defeating former state senator Molly Kelly. Sununu was the first incumbent Republican to win reelection as governor since Steve Merrill was reelected in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire</span>

The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire were held on November 6, 2018, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of New Hampshire, one from each of the state's two congressional districts. The elections coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.

Sherman Adams Packard is an American politician in the state of New Hampshire. He is the speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, sitting as a Republican from the Rockingham 5 district, having been first elected in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 New Hampshire Senate election</span>

The 2016 New Hampshire Senate election was held on November 8, 2016, concurrently with the elections for the New Hampshire House of Representatives, to elect members to the 165th New Hampshire General Court. All 24 seats in the New Hampshire Senate were up for election. It resulted in Republicains maintaining control of both chambers of the New Hampshire General Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Hampshire were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the two U.S. representatives from the state of New Hampshire, one from each of the state's two congressional districts.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gershon, Livia (February 16, 2016). "Trump's biggest fan: a veteran and vote-wrangler – despite his own controversies". The Guardian .
  2. ↑ Official profile Archived November 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , New Hampshire House of Representatives.
  3. ↑ Rick Perry and gay soldiers (with audio), Dallas Voice (October 5, 2011).
  4. 1 2 Editorial, Here's something to really boo about, Nashua Telegraph (October 6, 2011).
  5. 1 2 Buckland, Tim (October 4, 2011). "State rep defends comments about gay soldier". New Hampshire Union Leader .
  6. ↑ Houghton, Kimberly (December 19, 2013). "Al Baldasaro may run for U.S. Senate". New Hampshire Union Leader . Retrieved December 20, 2013.
  7. 1 2 Salinger, Tobias (December 30, 2015). "Male N.H. state lawmakers make crude Facebook comments after female legislator expresses opposition to public nudity bill". New York Daily News . New York City: Tribune Publishing.
  8. 1 2 Laura Newberry, Male New Hampshire lawmakers make disturbing comments in response to female legislator's defense of public breastfeeding, MassLive.com (December 31, 2015).
  9. ↑ Lawmakers spar over New Hampshire bill forbidding women to show nipples, Associated Press (January 6, 2016).
  10. 1 2 3 DiStaso, John. "Updated: Secret Service investigates Baldasaro for saying Clinton should face firing squad". WMUR. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Leo Shane III, Trump veterans adviser won't apologize for saying Clinton should be shot, Military Times (July 21, 2016).
  12. ↑ "Trump adviser endorses violence against Hillary Clinton". MSNBC . July 20, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  13. ↑ Mak, Tim (July 20, 2016). "Donald Trump's Thugs: Execute Hillary Clinton for 'Treason'". Daily Beast. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  14. ↑ Matthew Choi, N.H. lawmaker who called for shooting Hillary Clinton, Politico (August 15, 2019).
  15. ↑ Madeline Hughes and Rachel DeBerardinis, Trump attracts fans, foes at NH rally, Salem News (August 16, 2019).
  16. ↑ "House Republican Leader Announces First Leadership Appointments".
  17. ↑ "Alfred Baldasaro".
  18. ↑ "'Missing middle' housing bill tabled by House". NH Business Review. March 22, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.