Raymond Buckley

Early involvement Buckley's first involvement in Democratic Party politics was at age eight, when he campaigned for a gubernatorial candidate by making homemade signs. a repeal of state taxes on hospitals, and anti-bullying legislation. That same year, he also won the Lawrence O'Brien Award, an award given by the Democratic National Committee to its top party members. In 2002, he gained additional national prominence when his party's phone lines were jammed by a Republican Party consulting firm. While a legislator, he has also frequently worked on presidential campaigns for prominent Democratic candidates. He campaigned for Michael Dukakis in 1988, and notably in 2003–2004, he was a member of Senator Joseph Lieberman's campaign staff. His own personal vehicle, a Chrysler PT Cruiser decorated as the "JoeMobile", served as a prominent symbol for that campaign. He is credited with leading his party to prominence in New Hampshire, a former Republican stronghold, although he has also been chastised for controversial fundraising efforts that have led to that rise. Despite being leading the party to prominence, he has also been known to be at the center of several bitter intra-party feuds, including a 1981 attempt to impeach then Party Chair Richard Boyer and a divisive campaign for the top party spot in 1988 against Joe Grandmaison, which Buckley would lose. State Democratic Party chair Buckley was the frontrunner to become the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party in 2007. He temporarily ended his bid for chairman in January of that year, following allegations of possessing child pornography leveled by Buckley's former housemate, Rep. Steve Vaillancourt. Vaillancourt and Buckley had been friends since 1983, and housemates until 1999, when Vaillancourt evicted Buckley for unknown reasons. The relationship has been strained since then. On January 19, 2007, the Manchester Union Leader reported that the New Hampshire Democratic Party has hired an attorney to investigate a separate set of allegations against Buckley. The investigation was prompted by a letter that accuses Buckley of sexually harassing young male party staffers. which showed a much younger Buckley using inappropriate language. This video led U.S. House of Representatives member Paul Hodes to withdraw his support of Buckley. Buckley ultimately defeated his challenger, state representative Betty Hall, receiving 109 votes to Hall's 17. ==Personal life==

Raymond Buckley was born in Keene, New Hampshire in 1959, and is the eldest of nine siblings and half-siblings. His parents moved frequently to find work, and Raymond had attended a different school for each grade through the ninth. His parents divorced in 1972. By high school, his family had settled in Canterbury, where at the age of 14 he served as the town's Democratic Party Chair (due to his youth, his mother held the post officially). He planned to go to college upon graduating high school, but lacking the finances, he accepted a job offer to work for then State Democratic Chair Joanne Symons. He has been a professional politician ever since. Buckley is openly gay and faced opposition to his sexuality from his first election to the State House in 1986. Before that election, he helped found the New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Gay and Lesbian Rights. Of his own sexuality, Buckley has said "You cannot make me straight, so get over it." ==References==