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New Hampshire Young Democrats (NYHD)

Website:

nhyoungdems.org
Location:

Concord, New Hampshire
Type:

State Chapter of Young Democrats of America
President:

Madelyn McCluskey

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New Hampshire Young Democrats (NHYD) is the New Hampshire state chapter of the national Young Democrats of America (YDA), a constituency group for young people in the Democratic Party. NHYD trains activists and volunteers to promote and support the campaigns of Democratic candidates running for state and federal offices through youth engagement and voter turnout advocacy. NHYD claims that as of September 2025, they have supported the campaigns of roughly 225 young Democratic Party candidates running for office, helping elect 156 .  1  2

Parent Organization

New Hampshire Young Democrats is the state chapter of Young Democrats of America (YDA), a constituency group for young people in the Democratic Party. 2 As of 2025, YDA claims a membership of 20,000 members nationwide with chapters in all 50 states to coordinate young voters and volunteers to promote and support the campaigns of Democratic candidates running for office in state and national elections.  3

The YDA has taken several left-of-center stances on police issues, including that of the State of Israel. In July 2025, the YDA membership voted to approve an amendment to its “foreign policy plank” accusing Israel of “ongoing genocide” against Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza following Hamas’s terrorist attacks against Israel on October 7, 2023. The amendment also opposed Israeli “occupation of the West Bank, and its denial of civil and political rights on an equal basis in the territories it militarily occupies.”  4

According to tax form information published by ProPublica, as of 2024 the organization’s top disclosed contributors included Peter B. Lewis (donating $1.59 million) and George Soros (donating $575,000).  5

Activities

According to its website, New Hampshire Young Democrats (NHYD) provides campaign-related resources for assisting first-time political candidates aged 40 and under running for office. This includes one-on-one mentorship, campaign planning templates, direct financial contributions, campaign mailers, and digital advertising support. 2

The organization has also previously endorsed campaigns for Democratic candidates running in state-level races. In 2025, the group has endorsed the campaigns of Jess Spillers for Mayor of Manchester and Liz O’Neil-Wong for Ward 11 School Committee. 6

NHYD also provides miscellaneous services such as taking free headshots for endorsed candidates, charging members $10 and all others $20. 7

NHYD hosts several annual fundraising events, with one being a “New Hampshire Young Democrats BBQ” held in Manchester that hosts speaking events for endorsed candidates running for office. On September 19, 2025, the group held its 13th annual BBQ event which featured Pennsylvania State Representative Malcolm Kenyatta (D-Philadelphia).  8

NHYD has previously released statements via social media on policy-related issues. In July 2025, following the passage of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill (often titled the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025”) by the U.S. Congress, NHYD president Maddie McCluskey released a statement on the group’s X page calling the bill “Donald Trump’s ‘Big Ugly Bill’” and alleging it “hurts everyday families, and threatens the future of every young American across the country.”  9

In September 2024, NHYD joined with the New Hampshire Asian American and Pacific Islander Democrats as well as the New Hampshire High School Democrats in Nashua, New Hampshire to host a canvas launch in Nashua supporting the presidential and vice presidential candidacies of then-Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D). 10

Controversy

In May 2024, New Hampshire Young Democrats (NHYD) hosted its annual “Granite Slate Awards and featured U.S. Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) as one of its speakers. Rep. Jacobs previously voted against a resolution in the U.S. House that would describe the anti-Israel phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic. Rep. Jacobs also previously voted against the Antisemitism Awareness Act (AAA), which had passed the House that same month, which would define antisemitism according to “the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.”  11  12 Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who previously spoke at a NHYD Granite Slate Awards event in 2020 also voted against the 2024 resolution. 11

Funding

New Hampshire Young Democrats uses ActBlue LLC to collect donations while receiving funding from small-dollar donors. 13  14

Finances

According to Transparency USA, New Hampshire Young Democrats received $19,436 in contributions and spent $5,782 during the first half of 2025. 15

Leadership

New Hampshire Young Democrats is governed by a seven-member executive board with Madelyn McCluskey serving as the chair. She was previously the organization’s vice president of public affairs and is also Mary and John Elliot Charitable Foundation’s specialist in annual giving services. 16  17

References

  1. “New Hampshire Young Democrats.” nhyd. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.nhyoungdems.org/.
  2. “About Us: Young Democrats of America: New Hampshire Young Democrats.” nhyd. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.nhyoungdems.org/about-us.
  3. Young Democrats of America. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://yda.org.
  4. Democratic Party’s youth wing backs motion decrying Israel’s ‘ongoing genocide in Gaza’ | The Times of Israel. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.timesofisrael.com/democratic-partys-youth-wing-backs-motion-decrying-israels-ongoing-genocide-in-gaza/.
  5. Talbot, Ruth, Brandon Roberts, and Nat Lash. “Young Democrats of America – 527 Explorer.” ProPublica, April 29, 2025. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://projects.propublica.org/527-explorer/orgs/311427385.
  6. “JavaScript Is Not Available.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed September 22, 2025. https://x.com/NHYoungDems/status/1950356419850485803.
  7. “Log into Facebook.” Facebook. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1171661708338280&set=a.224893963015064.
  8. “13th Annual New Hampshire Young Democrats BBQ · The NH Democratic Party.” Mobilize. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.mobilize.us/nhdp_events/event/822855/.
  9. “New Hampshire Young Democrats.” X (formerly Twitter). Accessed September 22, 2025. https://x.com/NHYoungDems/status/1940851862527529022/photo/1.
  10. “NH Young Democrats on Instagram: ‘💙 Join NH Young Dems, NH AAPI Democrats, and NH High School Dems in Nashua Tomorrow at 10 Am for a Canvass Launch to Support Our Young DEM Candidates, AAPI Candidates, and All the Incredible Dems Running up and down the Ballot! Registration Details Here: 👇 Www.Mobilize.Us/Nhdp_events/Event/682818/ #nhpolitics.’” Instagram. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.instagram.com/p/DAbio_HNQQI/.
  11. Lips, Evan, Michael Graham, and Damien Fisher. “NH Young Dems Awards Dinner to Feature Anti-Israel California Progressive.” NH Journal, May 9, 2024. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://nhjournal.com/nh-young-dems-awards-dinner-to-feature-anti-israel-california-progressive/.
  12. “H.R.6090 – Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023.” Congress.GOV, accessed October 1, 2025. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6090/text 
  13. “Donate to NH Young Democrats.” ActBlue. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/nhyoungdemocrats.
  14. “Donate to NH Young Democrats.” ActBlue. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/onlinesmalldollardonors.
  15. “New Hampshire Young Democrats – New Hampshire Committee.” Transparency USA. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.transparencyusa.org/nh/committee/new-hampshire-young-democrats-207302.
  16. “About Us: Young Democrats of America: New Hampshire Young Democrats.” nhyd. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.nhyoungdems.org/2025-boardelection.
  17. “Madelyn McCloskey”. Linked In. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelynmccluskey/ 
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