Joseph P. Stallcop (born May 7, 1996) is an American politician, author, EMT, and former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives. He was first elected to the chamber in 2016 as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. In May 2017, Stallcop switched his party affiliation to Libertarian. He served on the House Legislative Administration Committee and as a member of the House Libertarian Caucus led by Rep. Caleb Q. Dyer.

Personal life

Joseph Stallcop was born in

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

, on May 7, 1996, to John and Julie Stallcop. When Joseph was young, his father was a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy and thus their family moved several times before eventually settling in

Gales Ferry, Connecticut Gales Ferry is a village in the town of Ledyard, Connecticut, United States. It is located along the eastern bank of the Thames River. The village developed as a result of having a ferry to Uncasville located at this site, and from which the vill ...

, where he was raised. He attended Saint Bernard School, a Catholic private school in

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is an area in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is a village in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ea ...

, from the 6th grade through high school. In 2014, Joseph moved to New Hampshire to attend

Keene State College Keene State College is a public liberal arts college in Keene, New Hampshire. It is part of the University System of New Hampshire and the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Founded in 1909 as a teacher's college (originally, Keene Norm ...

. He is also an author.

Political career

Electoral history

In June 2016, Stallcop filed to run as a Democratic candidate for the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Cheshire County's 4th district. By the end of the filing period he was the only candidate in the race on either side. On September 13, 2016, he was elected unopposed for the Democratic nomination. On November 8, 2016, without Republican or write-in opposition, Stallcop was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Switch to Libertarian Party

On May 10, 2017, Stallcop announced that he had changed his voter registration from Democrat to Libertarian. In a speech given on the steps of the

New Hampshire State House The New Hampshire State House, located in Concord at 107 North Main Street, is the state capitol building of New Hampshire. The capitol houses the New Hampshire General Court, Governor, and Executive Council. The building was constructed on a ...

, Stallcop said that Libertarian Party was a better fit for those of his views, which he described as classically liberal and

civil libertarian Civil libertarianism is a strain of political thought that supports civil liberties, or which emphasizes the supremacy of individual rights and personal freedoms over and against any kind of authority (such as a state, a corporation, social no ...

. Stallcop also cited his experiences attending the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in North Dakota. Stallcop also said he was frustrated by criticism over his vote to kill legislation to increase the minimum age of marriage to 18 years old and his vote to allow the carrying of concealed guns without a permit. Stallcop resigned from the New Hampshire House of Representatives on August 6, 2018, citing the fact that he had moved out of Keene following his graduation from the college and did not plan to run for re-election.

References

External links

New Hampshire General Court
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stallcop, Joseph 1996 births Living people 21st-century American politicians Libertarian Party (United States) officeholders Members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives New Hampshire Libertarians People from Keene, New Hampshire People from Saratoga Springs, New York Politicians from Saratoga Springs, New York