# Douglas Ley

Douglas A. Ley (July 3, 1958 – June 10, 2021) was an American educator and politician who served in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Cheshire District 9 from 2013 to 2021, as a member of the Democratic Party. During his tenure in the state house he served as Majority Leader from 2018 to 2020.

## Early life and education

Douglas Ley was born in Long Island, New York and grew up in Valley Stream, New York, and Newtown, Connecticut. Ley graduated from Newtown High School. He graduated from Gettysburg College in 1980, with a bachelor's degree in history. He graduated from with a master's degree in history from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1983, and with a Ph.D. in history in 1990. He became a history professor at Franklin Pierce University in 1991. He served as president of his local American Federation of Teachers union from 2013 to 2021, and as president of the state American Federation of Teachers. He married Mary, with whom he had two children.

## New Hampshire House of Representatives
### Elections

In 2012, Ley ran for a seat in the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Cheshire District 9 with the Democratic nomination and won in the general election alongside Richard Ames out of four candidates. Ley and Ames won reelection in the 2014 election out of four candidates in the general election. They won reelection in the 2016 election out of four candidates in the general election. They won reelection in the 2018 election out of three candidates. Ley and Ames won reelection in the 2020 election out of four candidates in the general election.

### Tenure

During Ley's tenure he served on the Labor committee from 2013 to 2018. He defeated Representative Dick Hinch in the vote to become Majority Leader of the state house by a vote of 237 to 152 in 2018. He served as Majority Leader from 2018 to 2020.

## Death

Ley was hospitalized in May 2021, after cancer spread to his liver. Ley died on June 10, 2021, at the age of 62 at his home in Jaffrey, and was the third member of the state house to have died in the 2021-2022 session of the state house after Speaker Hinch and Representative David Danielson.

## Electoral history

2012 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames | 685 | 54.06% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley | 582 | 45.94% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,267 | 100.00% |
2012 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames | 2,507 | 30.65% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley | 2,364 | 28.90% |
| | Republican | Charlie Moore | 1,758 | 21.49% |
| | Republican | Raymond J. Desmarais | 1,542 | 18.85% |
| | Independent | Write-ins | 8 | 0.10% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,179 | 100.00% |
2014 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 340 | 53.88% | −0.18% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 287 | 45.48% | −0.46% |
| | Democratic | Roger Creekmore | 3 | 0.48% | +0.48% |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 1 | 0.16% | +0.16% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 631 | 100.00% | |
2014 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 1,806 | 29.73% | −0.92% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 1,713 | 28.20% | −0.70% |
| | Republican | Robert Bussiere | 1,293 | 21.29% | |
| | Republican | Roger Creekmore | 1,262 | 20.78% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 6,074 | 100.00% | |
2016 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 610 | 54.46% | +0.58% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 507 | 45.27% | −0.21% |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 3 | 0.27% | +0.11% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,120 | 100.00% | |
2016 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 2,424 | 30.22% | +0.49% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 2,199 | 27.41% | −0.79% |
| | Republican | Roger Creekmore | 1,699 | 21.18% | +0.40% |
| | Republican | Christopher Mazerall | 1,699 | 21.18% | |
| | Independent | Write-ins | 1 | 0.01% | +0.01% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,022 | 100.00% | |
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 948 | 54.89% | +0.43% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 771 | 44.64% | −0.63% |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 6 | 0.35% | +0.08% |
| | Democratic | Christopher Mazerall | 2 | 0.12% | +0.12% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,727 | 100.00% | |
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 2,255 | 38.53% | +8.31% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 2,096 | 35.81% | +8.40% |
| | Republican | Christopher Mazerall | 1,498 | 25.59% | +4.41 |
| | Independent | Write-ins | 4 | 0.07% | +0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,853 | 100.00% | |
2020 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 Democratic primary :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 1,122 | 50.13% | −4.76% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 1,111 | 49.64% | +5.00% |
| | Democratic | Rita Mattson | 2 | 0.09% | +0.09% |
| | Democratic | Write-ins | 2 | 0.09% | −0.26% |
| | Democratic | Leo Plante | 1 | 0.04% | +0.04% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,238 | 100.00% | |
2018 New Hampshire House of Representatives Cheshire District 9 election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Democratic | Richard Ames (incumbent) | 2,651 | 29.50% | −9.03% |
| | Democratic | Douglas Ley (incumbent) | 2,475 | 27.55% | −8.26% |
| | Republican | Rita Mattson | 1,964 | 25.59% | |
| | Republican | Leo Plante | 1,894 | 25.59% | |
| | Independent | Write-ins | 1 | 0.01% | −0.06% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,985 | 100.00% | |