Jonah Wheeler
{{Short description|American politician and activist}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Jonah Orion Wheeler
| office = Member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from Hillsborough District 33
| termstart = December 7, 2022
| party = Democrat
| birth_name = Jonah Wheeler
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|3|1}}
| birth_place = Peterborough, New Hampshire, U.S.
| profession = Politician, advocate
| education = ConVal Regional High School
| alongside = Peter Leishman
| predecessor = Ivy Vann (redistricting)
}}
Jonah Orion Wheeler{{Cite web |url=https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-Increase-Base-Adequacy-to-Lower-Property-Taxes-and-Create-New-Opportunities-for-Students-53632274 |title=Opinion: Increase base adequacy to lower property taxes, create new opportunities for students |website=Concord Monitor |date=January 10, 2024 |language=en-US |access-date=January 18, 2024 |last=Wheeler |first=Jonah Orion |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240110111814/https://www.concordmonitor.com/My-Turn-Increase-Base-Adequacy-to-Lower-Property-Taxes-and-Create-New-Opportunities-for-Students-53632274 |archive-date=January 10, 2024 |url-status=live}} (born March 1, 2003) is an American politician and activist currently serving as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Hillsborough County District 33, which encompasses Peterborough and Sharon, for the Democratic Party.
Wheeler assumed office on December 7, 2022.{{Cite web |title=Jonah Wheeler |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Jonah_Wheeler |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Green |first=Rick|title=Peterborough rep, 19, ready to provide perspective in NH House |url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/statehouse/peterborough-rep-19-ready-to-provide-perspective-in-nh-house/article_2176d16c-caba-5d25-9fc7-5bb8ecdadac4.html |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=The Keene Sentinel |date=November 15, 2022 |language=en}} Having been sworn in when he was 19 years old, he was among the youngest state legislators in the United States.{{Cite web |url=https://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/012323_az_legislator_age_bill/arizona-poised-drop-legislator-age-requirement-from-25-18/ |title=Arizona poised to drop legislator age requirement from 25 to 18: 'A youth movement' |website=Tucson Sentinel |language=en-US |date=January 23, 2023 |access-date=January 18, 2024 |last=Duhownik |first=Joe |quote=Young politicians are particularly successful in New Hampshire. Of the 25 youngest state legislators in American history, 14 of them hail from New Hampshire. [...] Wheeler took office in December at age 19.}}
Early life and education
Wheeler was born on March 1, 2003, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Wheeler graduated from ConVal Regional High School in 2021.{{Cite web |title=Representative Jonah Wheeler (D) Hillsborough - District 33 |url=https://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/member.aspx?pid=10813 |access-date=April 13, 2023 |website=The New Hampshire House of Representatives}}
Political career
Prior to political office, Wheeler had worked on the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and interned for the progressive group Rights & Democracy.{{Cite web |url=https://www.sentinelsource.com/news/local/stepping-up-area-residents-taking-reins-of-social-justice-movement/article_7e464b81-2c30-5d3f-be70-94b9f08d0763.html |title=Stepping up: Area residents taking reins of social justice movement |last=Cuno-Booth |first=Paul |website=The Keene Sentinel |date=July 11, 2020 |access-date=August 17, 2020}} On June 20, 2020, Wheeler was a speaker at a George Floyd rally in Peterborough, New Hampshire.
Wheeler was then appointed as an alternate on the Zoning Board of Adjustments in Peterborough, New Hampshire, a position he would hold until 2025.{{Cite web |title=Zoning Board of Adjustment|url=https://www.peterboroughnh.gov/government/boards_and_committees/zoning_board_of_adjustment/index.php |access-date=2023-04-13 |website=Welcome to Petersborough, New Hampshire |language=en}} On November 8, 2022, Wheeler was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, having received more votes than the two incumbent Democratic Representatives Peter Leishman and Ivy Vann, consequently unseating Vann, who had served in the House since 2014.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ledgertranscript.com/Wheeler-unseats-Vann-48030851 |title=Jonah Wheeler tops Democrats in Hillsborough 33 primary; Vann unseated |website=Monadnock Ledger-Transcript |language=en-US |last1=Saari |first1=Ashley |last2=Conant |first2=Ben |date=September 14, 2022 |access-date=January 18, 2024}} He assumed office on December 7, 2022.
On December 20, 2023, Wheeler endorsed Marianne Williamson in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries.{{Cite tweet|last=Williamson |first=Marianne|user=marwilliamson|date=2023-12-20|number=1737633581470462439|title=Rep. Jonah Wheeler endorses Marianne|access-date=2024-01-10|language=en}} On January 6, 2024, Wheeler was selected as a {{ushr|NH|2}} primary delegate for the Marianne Williamson 2024 presidential campaign.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nhdp.org/_files/ugd/696cec_3b304d6d8bd9428bbea1a3d7ab3e208a.pdf |title=District Level Delegate Caucus Results |website=New Hampshire Democratic Party |language=en-US |access-date=January 18, 2024 |date=January 6, 2024}} Prior to his support for Williamson, Wheeler expressed support for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.{{Cite news |author=Steven Porter |date=June 1, 2023 |title=Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pitches his long-shot Democratic presidential campaign to N.H. independents |newspaper=The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/06/01/metro/robert-f-kennedy-jr-pitches-his-long-shot-democratic-presidential-campaign-nh-independents/ |url-access=subscription |access-date=2023-12-15 |language=en-US}}
In 2025, only two Democratic House members, Reps. Jonah Wheeler and Peter Leishman, both of Peterborough, voted against their party and in favor of House Bill 148 (a bill to eliminate transgender protections established by a 2018 anti-discrimination law). All other House and Senate members voted along party lines (Democrats against the bill, Republicans in favor of it).{{cite web |title= Bill allowing trans people to be kept out of bathrooms, locker rooms heads to Ayotte’s desk |url=https://newhampshirebulletin.com/briefs/bill-allowing-trans-people-to-be-kept-out-of-bathrooms-locker-rooms-heads-to-ayottes-desk/ |publisher=New Hampshire Bulletin |date=May 23, 2025 |access-date=May 25, 2025 |last=Skipworth |first=William}}
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change|title=2022 Hillsborough 33rd New Hampshire House of Representatives Election, Democratic primary{{cite web | url=https://ballotpedia.org/Jonah_Wheeler | title=Jonah Wheeler |website=Ballotpedia |access-date=April 13, 2023}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Jonah Wheeler|votes=817|percentage=34.9}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Peter Leishman (incumbent)|votes=777|percentage=33.2}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Ivy Vann (incumbent)|votes=744|percentage=31.8}}{{Election box total no change|votes=2,338|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=2022 Hillsborough 33rd New Hampshire House of Representatives Election, General Election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Jonah Wheeler|votes=2,538|percentage=36.0}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Peter Leishman (incumbent)|votes=2,433|percentage=34.5}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Rachel Maidment|votes=1,054|percentage=15.0}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Matthew Pilcher|votes=1,020|percentage=14.5}}{{Election box total no change|votes=7,045|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change|title=2024 Hillsborough 33rd New Hampshire House of Representatives Election, Democratic primary}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Jonah Wheeler (incumbent)|votes=1,009|percentage=37.8}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Peter Leishman (incumbent)|votes=968|percentage=36.3}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Ivy Vann|votes=690|percentage=25.9}}{{Election box total no change|votes=2,667|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=2024 Hillsborough 33rd New Hampshire House of Representatives Election, General Election}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Peter Leishman (incumbent)|votes=2,932|percentage=39.6}}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change|party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Jonah Wheeler (incumbent)|votes=2,920|percentage=39.4}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change|party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Kimberly Thomas|votes=1,555|percentage=21.0}}{{Election box total no change|votes=7,407|percentage=100.0}}{{Election box end}}
References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Wheeler, Jonah}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Peterborough, New Hampshire
Category:African-American state legislators in New Hampshire
Category:21st-century members of the New Hampshire General Court