Feltes is from Dubuque, Iowa. He earned his law degree from the University of Iowa and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University. Dan grew up in a working-class family, with his dad working in a furniture factory for his entire adult life and his mom working part-time jobs while raising four kids. Feltes worked as a legal aid attorney for almost a decade. For four years, Feltes managed the staff, casework and grants under the Housing Justice Project. In 2013, Feltes received the Robert E. Kirby Award of the New Hampshire Bar Association, awarded annually to a New Hampshire attorney 35 years old or younger who demonstrates the traits of civility, courtesy, perspective, and excellent advocacy
In 2014, Feltes ran for the state senate seat being vacated by Sylvia Larsen, and won. Larsen backed Feltes's opponent in the Democratic primary, while other local Democratic leaders backed Feltes. Feltes won the Democratic primary, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District. Feltes won 70% of the vote in the Democratic primary and over 65% of the vote in the general election. In 2016, Feltes was elected to a second term in the state senate, winning all towns and all wards in the 15th District and outperforming every Democrat up ticket, including getting more votes in the 15th District than Hillary Clinton. Feltes declined to run for governor of New Hampshire in the 2018 election. He is running in the 2020 New Hampshire gubernatorial election.
Awards
Feltes has received numerous Legislator of the Year awards for bipartisan leadership on many critical issues, including from the Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy for his work advancing paid family and medical leave insurance, from Early Learning NH for his work on full-day kindergarten, from Ski NH for his work promoting tourism and the ski industry, from New Hampshire Council on Development Disabilities and from Community Bridges for his work helping persons with disabilities, from the Home Builders and Remodelers Association and from Housing Action NH for his work expanding affordable and workforce housing, from the NH ACLU for his work on criminal justice reform, and from New Futures and from the National Association of Social Workers for his work on both mental health parity and combatting the opioid public health epidemic.
