Ellen Read is a Democratic member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Rockingham District 10 , which includes towns like Newmarket where she resides with her husband, three cats, and two rescue parrots. First elected in 2016, she was re-elected in 2022 and 2024, briefly left the Democratic Party in 2021 to serve as an independent before rejoining, and is known for progressive advocacy including founding the New Hampshire Progressive Caucus, pushing ranked-choice voting, election reforms, and animal rights. Notable achievements include sponsoring bills for constitutional amendments on recall elections, citizen initiatives, non-religious oaths, and no-excuse absentee voting; successfully advocating to overturn Citizens United; and prime sponsoring House Bill 1675 to investigate domestic violence coalition funding. She serves on the Fish and Game and Marine Resources Committee and the Special Committee on Housing , and has received honors from Voices of Wildlife and the Humane Society.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Master’s Degree in Environmental and Socioeconomic Ethics and Policy from the University of New Hampshire; Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Vanderbilt University, with minors in Religious Studies and Japanese.
• Political Experience: New Hampshire House Representative ; founder of the New Hampshire Progressive Caucus; endorsed Bernie Sanders in 2020; prior nonprofit work as community organizer/manager on animal rights, election transparency, and anti-big money in politics; no previous elected office.