Jeffrey R. Woodburn (born June 1965) from
Dalton, New Hampshire
Dalton is a town in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 933 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Berlin, NH– VT Micropolitan Statistical Area.
History
Dalton was incorporated in 1764 under the name "Chiswick ...
is a former Democratic member of the
New Hampshire Senate
The New Hampshire Senate has been meeting since 1784. It is the upper house of the New Hampshire General Court, alongside the lower New Hampshire House of Representatives. It consists of 24 members representing Senate districts based on populatio ...
for the
1st district, elected in 2012. He was the
minority leader of the Senate Democratic caucus. Woodburn served on the Public and Municipal Affairs Committee and the Election Law and Internal Affairs Committee.
Woodburn graduated in 1987 from
Franklin Pierce College
Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshire. It was founded as Franklin Pierce College in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional preparation.
The school gained university statu ...
, and won a seat in the
New Hampshire House of Representatives after graduation. He served one term (1989 to 1991). He previously ran for the State House in 1986, but lost to
Harold Burns. He served as Chairman of the
New Hampshire Democratic Party
The New Hampshire Democratic Party (NHDP) is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Its chair is Raymond Buckley, and its vice chairs are Martha Fuller Clark and Bette Lasky. The most recent Democratic governo ...
(1997 to 1999), and as the executive director for U.S. Representative
Richard Swett
Richard Nelson Swett (born May 1, 1957) is an Politics of the United States, American politician from the U.S. state of New Hampshire who served as the U.S. representative for New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district from 1991 to 1995. He also ...
. Woodburn has also worked as a social studies teacher, freelance writer, real estate businessman, and town moderator.
He previously ran for the
Executive Council of New Hampshire
The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire (commonly known as the Governor's Council) is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor ...
in 2000, losing to Peter J. Spaulding. He ran for
Coos County Commission in 2004, but lost to Thomas M. Brady.
Woodburn was arrested on August 2, 2018, on simple assault, domestic violence, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass charges. Democratic Party Chairman
Raymond Buckley called on him to resign. On August 6, Woodburn announced he would resign as the minority leader but would remain as a senator. He won the Democratic primary on September 11, 2018, but was defeated by Republican
David Starr in the 2018 general election.
In May 2021, a jury convicted Woodburn of one count of domestic violence, one count of simple assault, and two counts of criminal mischief, but acquitted him of three counts of simple assault, one count of domestic violence, and one count of criminal trespass. He received a sixty-day jail term. However, in March 2023 the
New Hampshire Supreme Court
The New Hampshire Supreme Court is the supreme court of the U. S. state of New Hampshire and sole appellate court of the state. The Supreme Court is seated in the state capital, Concord. The Court is composed of a Chief Justice and four Associat ...
overturned Woodburn's assault and domestic violence convictions, and ordered a new trial on the grounds that the trial judge had improperly refused to allow him to raise
self-defence
Self-defense (self-defence primarily in Commonwealth English) is a countermeasure that involves defending the health and well-being of oneself from harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in ...
.
Electoral history
References
External links
Project Vote Smart profile*
1964 births
20th-century American politicians
21st-century American politicians
Franklin Pierce University alumni
Living people
Democratic Party members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Democratic Party New Hampshire state senators
New Hampshire politicians convicted of crimes
People acquitted of assault
People acquitted of crimes
People convicted of assault
People convicted of domestic violence
People from Coös County, New Hampshire
State political party chairs of New Hampshire
{{NewHampshire-politician-stub