Jonah Wheeler

Jonah Orion Wheeler (born March 1, 2003) is an American politician and activist currently serving as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, representing Hillsborough County District 33, which encompasses Peterborough and Sharon, for the Democratic Party.

Wheeler assumed office on December 7, 2022. Having been sworn in when he was 19 years old, he was among the youngest state legislators in the United States.

For fostering bipartisan collaboration, both Wheeler and McDonnell were recipients of the Congressman John Lewis Youth Leadership Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Early life and education Wheeler was born on March 1, 2003, in Peterborough, New Hampshire. Wheeler graduated from ConVal Regional High School in 2021.

Political career Prior to political office, Wheeler had worked on the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and interned for the progressive group Rights & Democracy. On June 20, 2020, Wheeler was a speaker at a George Floyd rally in Peterborough, New Hampshire. On November 8, 2022, Wheeler was elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives, having received more votes than the two incumbent Democratic Representatives Peter Leishman and Ivy Vann, consequently unseating Vann, who had served in the House since 2014. He assumed office on December 7, 2022.

On December 20, 2023, Wheeler endorsed Marianne Williamson in the 2024 Democratic Party presidential primaries. On January 6, 2024, Wheeler was selected as a primary delegate for the Marianne Williamson 2024 presidential campaign. Prior to his support for Williamson, Wheeler expressed support for presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In 2024, Wheeler broke with his party to vote in favor of a bill that would ban gender-affirming surgeries for minors. In 2025, only two Democratic House members, Wheeler and Peter Leishman, both of Peterborough, voted against their party and in favor of House Bill 148 (a bill to eliminate transgender protections established by a 2018 anti-discrimination law). All other House and Senate members voted along party lines (Democrats against the bill, Republicans in favor of it). Wheeler has been criticized by Democratic politicians for voting in favor of a bill that would ban some forms of gender affirming care for minors.

Electoral history