Tony Labranche

Last updated

Bloc Quebecois
Tony Labranche
Member of the New HampshireHouseofRepresentatives
from the Hillsborough 22nd district
In office
December 3, 2020 –August 8, 2022
Residence(s) Amherst, New Hampshire, U.S.
Education Souhegan High School
Website Campaign website

Tony Labranche (born November 11, 2001) is a New Hampshire politician. He was the youngest member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives during the 2021-2022 biennium [1] and holds the record for being the youngest openly LGBTQ+ legislator in United States history. [2]

Contents

Early life

Tony Labranche was born in Nashua, New Hampshire on November 11, 2001, to parents Patrick Labranche and Sandra Martin. Both of whom are originally from Thetford Mines, Québec where the majority of his family still lives today. [3] Labranche was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer at age ten. [4] In 2014, Labranche moved to Amherst, New Hampshire. [5]

Education

Labranche graduated from Souhegan High School in early 2020. [6] [7] Labranche currently attends Nashua Community College and is majoring in political science. [8] [3]

Political career

In April 2020 Labranche was selected to serve as an alternate delegate for Bernie Sanders at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. [9] [10] This position gave him a seat on the New Hampshire Democratic Party State Committee. [11]

While finishing his senior year of high school Labranche ran unsuccessfully for the Souhegan Cooperative School Board. [5] [4] Labranche then pursued a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives as a member of the Democratic Party. Labranche won that bid, [12] [13] and took office on December 3, 2020. [6] Labranche served on the State-Federal Relations & Veterans Affairs Committee. [14] [1] [15]

In 2021 Labranche ran for Rules Committee of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. [16] In the same year Labranche ran again for a seat on the Souhegan Cooperative School Board unsuccessfully. [17]

In 2022 Labranche announced that he would leave the Democratic Party and caucus as an Independent. He cited issues with New Hampshire Democratic Party Chair Raymond Buckley, Joe Biden's COVID-19 response, and the two-party system as reasons for his departure. [18] [19] [20] He caucused with fellow independent Ellen Read throughout the remainder of the term. [11]

On August 8, 2022, Labranche resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives. [21]

Labranche unsuccessfully ran for Speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives in 2022. [22]

On May 20, 2023, Labranche was elected to the Commission de la citoyenneté du Bloc Québécois at the Bloc Québécois party congress. [23]

On January 6, 2024, Labranche was selected as a New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district primary delegate for the Marianne Williamson 2024 presidential campaign. [24] Williamson did not meet the threshold to receive any delegates in New Hampshire.

In 2022, Labranche ran for Hillsborough County Register of Probate as a member of the Democratic Party and lost. [25]

Political Positions

Labranche was considered a progressive representative. [11]

Constitutional Reform

In 2022, Labranche proposed eight constitutional amendments to the New Hampshire Constitution. One such constitutional amendment was to make the New Hampshire Constitution gender-neutral. Additionally, Labranched proposed a constitutional amendment to lower the age requirement to serve in the New Hampshire Senate from 30 to 25. [26] Additionally, Labranche introduced a constitutional amendment to imposed a fifteen term term limit on serving in either chamber of the New Hampshire General Court. [27]

Criminal Justice Reform

In 2021, Labranche co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to prohibit the use of no-knock warrants by law enforcement. [28]

In 2022, Labranche introduced a bipartisan bill to legalize the recording of public officials so the state could come into compliance with Glik v. Cunniffe. [29] Labranche also co-sponsored a bipartisan bill to prohibit law enforcement from using encrypted frequencies except in a few limited circumstances. [30] Labranche also co-sponsored a bill to require law enforcement wear body-worn cameras. [31] Labranche also co-sponsored a bill to require police departments to gather, analyze, and report demographic information relating to law enforcement "for arrests, citations, motor vehicle and subject stops and searches.". [32]

Drug Policy

In 2022, Labranche introduced multiple bipartisan pieces of legislation to legalize cannabis. [33] In that same year, Labranche also introduced bipartisan legislation to lower penalties and further decriminalize cannabis. [34]

In 2021, Labranche cosponsored a bill to lower the penalty for personal possession of drugs. [35] In 2022, Labranche introduced bipartisan legislation to decriminalize the personal possession of psilocybin mushrooms. [36] [37] [38]

Electoral Reform

In 2021, Labranche co-sponsored a bill to reduce the electoral threshold for a political party to be given official party status. [39]

Labranche is a strong proponent of Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). In 2022, Labranche introduced and cosponsored many pieces of legislation to implement Ranked Choice Voting. [40] [41] [42] In the same year, Labranche proposed a constitutional amendment that would make 100 seats of the New Hampshire House of Representatives elected by party list proportional representation. [43] In that same year, Labranche introduced a constitutional amendment that would lower the voting age to 17 to vote in primary elections for those who will be 18 by the general election. [44]

Quebec Separatism

Labranche has repeatedly voiced his support for a free and independent Quebec. [45] [46] In May 2022, Labranche gave a speech commemorating Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day by giving a history of Quebec and calling for independence. [47] Labranche is a member of the pro-independence Bloc Québécois.

Workers' Rights

Labranche is a strong proponent of workers' rights. In 2022 Labranche introduced a constitutional amendment that would enshrine the right to join a union in the New Hampshire Constitution. [48] in that same year, Labranche introduced a constitutional amendment that would provide "that all workers have a right to a minimum wage that provides them with well-being and a dignified existence.". [49] Additionally, Labranche introduced a bill to create a commission that would set the minimum wage independent of the legislature. [50] Labranche also co-sponsored a bill to require time and a half be paid for workers who work hours previously unscheduled. [51] Labranche also co-sponsored a bill to tax certain large. low-wage employers by imposing a tax on business that employ over 100 persons and pays less than $15 an hour. [52] Labranche also introduced a bill to prohibit anti-union activity by employers. [53] Labranche also introduced a bill to require that schools teach labor history. [54] Labranche has repeatedly voted in favor of increasing the minimum wage. [55] [56] Labranche has consistently spoke against and voted against Right-to-Work legislation. [55]

Miscellaneous

In 2022, Labranche introduced and passed a bill with bipartisan support to require a student representative from every public high school be on local school boards. [57] Labranche also co-sponsored a bill to study imposing a tax on single-use plastics manufacturers. [58]

Election Results

2020 Hillsborough 22nd New Hampshire House of Representatives Democratic primary [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Megan Murray (incumbent) 1,268 34.1
Democratic Daniel Veilleux 919 24.7
Democratic Tony Labranche 805 21.6
Democratic Theresa Cheslock72319.4
Total votes3,722 100.0
2020 Hillsborough 22nd New Hampshire House of Representatives General Election [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Megan Murray (incumbent) 4,012 18.6
Democratic Daniel Veilleux 3,658 16.9
Democratic Tony Labranche 3,641 16.8
Republican Peter Hansen 3,56716.5
Republican Danielle Pray 3,39515.7
Republican Pamela Coughlin 3,33915.4
Total votes21,618 100.0
2024 Hillsborough County Register of Probate Democratic primary [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Tony Labranche 28,429 99.9
Total votes28,513 100.0
2024 Hillsborough County Register of Probate General Election [59]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Christopher Maidment 109,783 51.55
Democratic Tony Labranche103,01048.37
Total votes212,925 100.0

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John E. Sununu</span> American politician (born 1964)

John Edward Sununu is an American politician who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2003 and the U.S. Senate representing New Hampshire from 2003 to 2009. Sununu was the youngest member of the Senate for his entire six-year term.

The State of New Hampshire has a republican form of government modeled after the Government of the United States, with three branches: the executive, consisting of the Governor of New Hampshire, the elected Executive Council, and subordinate agencies; the legislative, called the New Hampshire General Court, which includes the Senate and the House of Representatives; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court of New Hampshire and lower courts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Senate</span> Upper house of the New Hampshire General Court

The New Hampshire Senate is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. The Senate has been meeting since 1784. The Senate consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on population. There are 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats currently serving in the Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Souhegan High School</span> Public school in Amherst, New Hampshire, United States

Souhegan Cooperative High School is a Coalition of Essential Schools high school located in Amherst, New Hampshire, in the United States. Students from Amherst and Mont Vernon attend Souhegan for 9th through 12th grades. There are about 750 students. The school was founded based on the work of Theodore R. Sizer, a former dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a notable American education reform leader and the father of the Essential Schools movement. Notably, Souhegan's progressive reputation has been chronicled in the book Standards of Mind and Heart: Creating the Good High School by Tony Wagner, Peggy Silvia and Dr. Robert A. Mackin. Based on this history, the school was founded with the mission "Souhegan High School aspires to be a community of learners born of respect, trust and courage." The school name is derived from its proximity to the Souhegan River, which adjoins the school property. The word Souhegan comes from the Algonquin language, meaning "waiting and watching place".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Ayotte</span> Governor of New Hampshire since 2025

Kelly Ann Ayotte is an American attorney and politician serving as the 83rd governor of New Hampshire since 2025. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as a United States senator from New Hampshire from 2011 to 2017 and as New Hampshire Attorney General from 2004 to 2009.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in New Hampshire since January 1, 2010, based on legislation signed into law by Governor John Lynch on June 3, 2009. Following much discussion, a same-sex marriage bill was approved 14–10 by the Senate and 198–176 by the House of Representatives in May 2009. The law provided that civil unions, which the state had established on January 1, 2008, would be converted to marriages on January 1, 2011, unless dissolved, annulled, or converted before that date. Efforts to repeal the law were defeated in March 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBTQ rights in New Hampshire</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of New Hampshire enjoy the same rights as non-LGBTQ people, with most advances in LGBT rights occurring in the state within the past two decades. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in New Hampshire, and the state began offering same-sex couples the option of forming a civil union on January 1, 2008. Civil unions offered most of the same protections as marriages with respect to state law, but not the federal benefits of marriage. Same-sex marriage in New Hampshire has been legally allowed since January 1, 2010, and one year later New Hampshire's civil unions expired, with all such unions converted to marriages. New Hampshire law has also protected against discrimination based on sexual orientation since 1998 and gender identity since 2018. Additionally, a conversion therapy ban on minors became effective in the state in January 2019. In effect since January 1, 2024, the archaic common-law "gay panic defence" was formally abolished; by legislation implemented within August 2023.

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

Margaret Coldwell Wood Hassan is an American politician and attorney serving as the junior United States senator for 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">Ben Cline</span> American politician (born 1972)

Benjamin Lee Cline is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 24th district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2018.

Mark Lanze Cole is an American politician of the Republican Party. From 2002 until 2022 he was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. He represented the 88th district in the Virginia Piedmont, made up of parts of Fauquier, Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, and the City of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Cole did not run for re-election in 2021.

Stella Tremblay is an American former legislator. She represented Rockingham County from Auburn in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy Smith (New Hampshire politician)</span> American politician

Timothy J. Smith is a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing the Hillsborough 17th District since 2012. Currently, he serves on the Legislative Administration Committee. He is a member of the American Economics Association and is an officer in the Civil Air Patrol. In June 2015 he was elected to a position on the New Hampshire Democratic Party state committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Bouldin</span> American politician

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 25th district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Ammon</span> American politician

Keith Ammon is an American politician. He is a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing the Hillsborough 40th District from 2014 to 2018 and re-elected in 2020.

Ellen Read is a New Hampshire politician. She is a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Yokela</span> American politician

Josh Yokela is an American Republican legislator elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives on November 6, 2018. He was elected to represent Rockingham 33 district which includes the towns of Brentwood, Danville, and Fremont. He sits on the Children and Family Law Committee which hears matters including the rights of children, divorce, and child support. He lives in Fremont, New Hampshire and holds positions on the Fremont Zoning Board of Adjustments and the Fremont Budget Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gonzales</span> American politician (born 1980)

Ernest Anthony Gonzales II is an American politician and United States Navy veteran who has served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 23rd congressional district in the United States House of Representatives since 2021, representing over 800 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. He is a member of the Republican Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Hall</span> American politician (1921–2018)

Beatrice Perin Barker Hall was an American politician from the state of New Hampshire. Hall served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives for a total of 28 years, serving non-consecutively from 1970 until 2008.

References

  1. 1 2 "Representative Tony Labranche (D)". The New Hampshire House of Representatives. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  2. ↑ Flores, Andrew; Gossett, Charles. "11 openly LGBTQ lawmakers will take their seats in the next Congress. That's a record in both numbers and diversity". The Washington Post. ISSN   0190-8286 . Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Fortier, Claudia (November 6, 2020). "L'un des plus jeunes élus aux États-Unis a des racines thetfordoises". Courrier Frontenac (in Canadian French). Retrieved February 6, 2021.
  4. 1 2 Mackin, Jean (November 5, 2020). "18-year-old from Amherst elected to New Hampshire state house". WMUR. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Labranche, Tony. "Tony Labranche: Who I am and Why I'm Running". The Claw.
  6. 1 2 "Tony Labranche - Hills. District 22". NH General Court.
  7. ↑ "Class of 2020" (PDF). The Amherst Citizen . June 2020. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Tony Labranche, Amherst School Board Candidate". Amherst, NH Patch. May 29, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ↑ Sylvia, Andrew (April 28, 2020). "Two Manchester residents selected as DNC Delegates". manchesterinklink.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  10. ↑ Summerson, Mia (April 27, 2020). "New Hampshire Democrats elect convention delegates virtually". SentinelSource.com. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  11. 1 2 3 Graham, Michael (January 19, 2022). "BREAKING: Two More NH House Dems To Defect From Caucus". NH Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  12. ↑ Houghton, Kimberly (November 5, 2020). "Amherst teen elected to state legislature". UnionLeader.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  13. ↑ "Meet New N.H. Lawmakers: Rep. Tony Labranche From Amherst". New Hampshire Public Radio. November 23, 2020. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Calendar and Journal of the 2021 Session No. 5" (PDF). Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Tony Labranche". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  16. ↑ "2021 Officer Elections". NHDP. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ Schinella, Tony (June 9, 2021). "Pray, D'Angelo Win Amherst Selectmen Seats". Amherst, NH Patch. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  18. ↑ Labranche, Tony [@tonylabranche] (January 19, 2022). "Today I announce my departure from the @NHDems to caucus as an independent for the remainder of my term. Below is the press release on why I left the party. #NHPolitics #DemExit" (Tweet). Retrieved September 1, 2024– via Twitter.
  19. ↑ Graham, Michael (February 18, 2022). "House Dems Try, Fail to Silence Critic During Chaotic House Session". NH Journal. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  20. ↑ "'This afternoon I will officially leave the Democratic party to affiliate as an independent' | Manchester Ink Link". January 19, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  21. ↑ "RDSE 17-18.pdf" (PDF). New Hampshire General Court . September 11, 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 3, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Updated: Former NH state rep seeks to become NH House Speaker, Wilhelm responds | Manchester Ink Link". manchesterinklink.com. December 3, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
  23. ↑ Congrès du Bloc Québécois 2023 – Résultats de l'élection et du vote de confiance, May 20, 2023, retrieved February 16, 2024
  24. ↑ "District Level Delegate Caucus Results" (PDF). New Hampshire Democratic Party . January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Full New Hampshire election results for sheriff and other county-level races for Nov. 5, 2024". WMUR. November 6, 2024.
  26. ↑ "CACR 31". New Hampshire General Court. 2022.
  27. ↑ "CACR 25". New Hampshire General Court.
  28. ↑ "HB 507". The New Hampshire General Court.
  29. ↑ "HB 1175". The New Hampshire General Court.
  30. ↑ "HB 1031". The New Hampshire General Court.
  31. ↑ "HB 253-L". The New Hampshire General Court.
  32. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 620-FN-LOCAL". The New Hampshire General Court.
  33. ↑ "HB 1468-FN As Introduced".
  34. ↑ "HB 1306-FN 2022".
  35. ↑ "House Bill 511 text".
  36. ↑ "House Bill 1349".
  37. ↑ Jaeger, Kyle (December 29, 2021). "New Hampshire Lawmakers File Psilocybin And Broader Drug Decriminalization Bills For 2022". Marijuana Moment. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
  38. ↑ Steer, Daymond (January 14, 2022). "House bill would decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms". The Conway Daily Sun. Retrieved February 18, 2024.
  39. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 570". The New Hampshire General Court.
  40. ↑ "CACR22 2022 As Introduced".
  41. ↑ "HB 1264 - AS INTRODUCED 2022".
  42. ↑ "HB 1482-FN - AS INTRODUCED". 2022.
  43. ↑ "CACR 26 As Introduced". 2022.
  44. ↑ "CACR 15 - AS INTRODUCED". The General Court of New Hampshire. 2022.
  45. ↑ "HOUSE JOURNAL NO. 13" (PDF).
  46. ↑ Labranche, Tony [@tonylabranche] (July 1, 2023). "Vive le Québec Libre, Vive le Québec Indépendant!" [Long live Free Quebec, Long live Independent Quebec!] (Tweet) (in Canadian French). Retrieved September 1, 2024– via Twitter.
  47. ↑ Quebec National Day Unanimous Consent Speech (5/26/22), May 29, 2022, retrieved February 15, 2024
  48. ↑ "CACR 14". The General Court of New Hampshire. 2022.
  49. ↑ "CACR 28 - AS INTRODUCED". The General Court of New Hampshire. 2022.
  50. ↑ "HB 1403". New Hampshire General Court.
  51. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 1053". The New Hampshire General Court.
  52. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 1478-FN-A". Thew New Hampshire General Court.
  53. ↑ "HB 1472". New Hampshire General Court.
  54. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 1144". The New Hampshire General Court.
  55. 1 2 "New Hampshire General Court 2021 Legislator Voting Record". The General Court of New Hampshire.
  56. ↑ "New Hampshire General Court 2022 Legislator Voting Record". The General Court of New Hampshire.
  57. ↑ "HB 1381". The New Hampshire General Court.
  58. ↑ "HOUSE BILL 1338". The New Hampshire General Court.
  59. 1 2 3 4 "Tony Labranche". Ballotpedia . Retrieved December 9, 2024.
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.