MANCHESTER, N.H. – The Free State Project has named Maine Senator Eric Brakey (R-Androscoggin) as its new executive director as of Dec. 1.
Brakey is currently in his third term in Maine Senate and will not seek re-election.
“After twenty years, the positive impact of the Free State Project is undeniable. New Hampshire stands today as a granite fortress of freedom as other states succumb to the siren songs of socialism ,” said Brakey. “I am excited to join the Free State Project to help achieve liberty in our lifetimes with a homeland for all who wish to live free.”
Brakey began in liberty politics as the Maine State Director for the Ron Paul 2012 Presidential Campaign. Elected shortly thereafter to the Maine Senate, Brakey became the youngest state senator in America at the age of 26. Across three terms, Senator Brakey authored Maine’s Constitutional Carry law, negotiated significant welfare reforms, enacted Right to Try legislation, legalized over-the-counter birth control, and oversaw market-based reforms to the state’s medical cannabis program. In 2018, Senator Brakey served as the Maine Republican nominee for U.S. Senate. Between terms of office, Eric Brakey also worked as a national spokesperson, growth strategist, and policy advisor at Young Americans for Liberty based in Austin, TX.
“Eric is a big ‘get’ for us,” said Carla Gericke, president emeritus and chairwoman of the Free State Project. “Getting a senator from another state to join the Free State Project represents, in very real terms, the value proposition of our mission, which is to concentrate the best and brightest, the smartest, solution-driven thinkers of our time, in one place: the Free State of New Hampshire. I left Silicon Valley and NYC to come build something new. I can’t wait to see what Eric does.”
In his role as Executive Director, Senator Brakey will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Free State Project, working closely with the Board of Directors, the organization’s staff, and its large, dedicated volunteer community. Brakey’s tenure promises to be a dynamic period of growth and outreach, as the Free State Project continues to attract individuals who share a commitment to individual freedom and limited government.
“Eric’s passion for liberty, coupled with his experience in public service and his time at Young Americans for Liberty, makes him an outstanding choice to lead the Free State Project,” said Gericke. “We are confident that under his guidance, the organization will continue to grow and that he will embolden a new wave of Free Staters to come help build the brightest beacon of liberty in the world, right here in New Hampshire.”
Since the Free State Project chose New Hampshire, it has reported that more than 7,000 members live in the state. It’s two main events include the annual 300-person winter hotel conference known as the Liberty Forum and a summer camping event called the Porcupine Freedom Festival or “Porcfest,” which draws approximately 3,000 attendees.
