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Early life and business

Jeb Bradley, born in 1952 in Maine, built his adult life and career in New Hampshire. Before entering elected office, he established himself as a small business owner in the Lakes Region, based in and around Wolfeboro. Running a local enterprise for many years gave him a practical footing in customer service, payrolls, and the day-to-day concerns of employers and employees. That experience later shaped his public positions on regulation, health care costs, and energy prices. His community ties grew through civic and volunteer work, which put him in frequent contact with town officials, local boards, and the network of small business owners who form the backbone of the region's economy.

Entry into public service

Bradley first found a platform in local and state matters through the New Hampshire House of Representatives, where he served multiple terms during the 1990s and early 2000s. In Concord he gravitated toward pragmatic problem-solving on topics such as the state retirement system, health policy, and economic development. He gained a reputation as a legislator who did his homework and could work across party lines, a trait that would follow him throughout his career. He consulted with small-town leaders and business owners to make incremental changes that could pass in a closely divided legislature.

United States Congress

In 2002 Bradley was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Hampshire's 1st Congressional District. He succeeded John E. Sununu, who moved to the U.S. Senate, and worked alongside New Hampshire's U.S. Senators, including Judd Gregg and John E. Sununu, on issues with particular importance to the state: veterans services, small business support, fisheries and coastal policy affecting the Seacoast, and environmental stewardship in the White Mountains and Lakes Region. His office fielded constituent cases that reflected the state's mix of military families, retirees, and small manufacturers. He navigated a politically divided era by emphasizing constituent service and practical fixes. In 2006 he lost his seat to Democrat Carol Shea-Porter, a change that reflected the broader national shift that year, and he returned to New Hampshire with an eye toward continued public service.

Return to New Hampshire and state leadership

Bradley reentered state government through the New Hampshire Senate, representing a district centered on the eastern and northern Lakes Region. Over time, his colleagues elevated him to leadership roles, including Majority Leader and, after the 2022 elections, President of the New Hampshire Senate. In these posts he worked closely with Republican leaders such as Chuck Morse and with Democratic counterparts including Donna Soucy to move budgets and complicated policy packages. He played a central role in negotiating bipartisan agreements to launch and later extend New Hampshire's version of Medicaid expansion, aiming to strengthen access to care while protecting taxpayers and employers. Governors across parties, from Craig Benson and John Lynch to Chris Sununu, were frequent partners or counterparts as he sought deals on health care, energy, and economic development. Bradley also helped shape legislation on retirement system reforms, net metering and other energy measures, and responses to the opioid crisis that drew on hospital, law enforcement, and municipal input.

Public image and interests

Known as a practical Republican with a moderate, results-oriented bent, Bradley cultivated a working style that emphasized committee work, data, and steady negotiation. Outside the State House, he is widely recognized as an avid outdoorsman. He completed the demanding New Hampshire hiking feat known as the Grid, summiting all 48 of the state's 4, 000-foot peaks in every month of the year, a pursuit that underscores his interest in conservation, trail access, and search-and-rescue readiness. His affinity for the White Mountains often brought him into dialogue with outdoor groups, volunteers, and local businesses that rely on recreation economies. He maintained a visible presence in Wolfeboro and the surrounding towns, balancing legislative responsibilities with the practical concerns of constituents, small business owners, health care providers, and veterans.

Legacy and influence

Bradley's career illustrates the arc from local entrepreneurship to state and national policymaking, with a consistent emphasis on bipartisan deals and constituent service. In Washington he represented a swing district by focusing on veterans, small business, and environmental concerns; in Concord he became a central broker on health policy and energy, often crafting compromises that drew votes from both parties. Key figures around him over the years included predecessors and successors such as John E. Sununu and Carol Shea-Porter, Senate leaders like Chuck Morse and Donna Soucy, and governors ranging from Craig Benson and John Lynch to Chris Sununu. Through these relationships, and through the committees and negotiations that often define New Hampshire's citizen legislature, Bradley left a mark as a steady hand who translated local sensibilities into policy. His blend of business experience, legislative persistence, and love for New Hampshire's outdoors has been the organizing theme of a public life rooted in the state he calls home.