Ray Buckley

Raymond "Ray" Buckley (born 1959) is an American politician from the state of New Hampshire who currently serves as chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, President of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, and as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee. On December 21, 2016 he announced his candidacy to be Chair of the DNC in its chairmanship election. He withdrew his candidacy February 18. He is a member of the New Hampshire delegation to the Democratic National Committee, and served as the chairman of the eastern region of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2009. He has also been director of the NH Democratic Senate Caucus, and from 1998 to 2007 served as the City Democratic Chair for Manchester. As of March 25, 2007 he is the state chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party. Buckley was reelected state chair in 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. Buckley served 8 terms (1986–2004) as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives where he represented southern Manchester, and served as Party Whip in that body. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from New Hampshire in 1988, 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008. He served as the vice chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party from 1999 to March 2007, when he was elected as chair.