Sean Eldridge | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1986-07-31)July 31, 1986 (age 39) |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | Deep Springs College (AA) Brown University (BA) Columbia University |
| Known for | Freedom to Marry Stand Up America |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Sean Eldridge (born July 31, 1986)[1] is a Canadian-born American political activist from New York. Eldridge is the founder and president ofStand Up America, a progressive advocacy community. He previously served as political director ofFreedom to Marry, an organization advocating for the legalization ofsame-sex marriage. Eldridge ran for Congress in New York's 19th congressional district in 2014, but was defeated. He is the spouse of Facebook co-founderChris Hughes.
Eldridge was born inMontreal,Quebec.[2] He grew up in the suburbs ofToledo, Ohio, and attended public school inOttawa Hills, a suburb of Toledo. Both of his parents aremedical doctors; his father, Steve Eldridge, is aradiologist, and his mother, Sarah Taub, is a family physician.[3][4][5] His mother was born inPetah Tikva, Israel, to Jewish refugee parents, and his fatherconverted to Judaism.[6][7]
Eldridge studied atDeep Springs College inDeep Springs, California, and graduated with a degree in philosophy fromBrown University inProvidence, Rhode Island,[8] where he helped organize the national Students for Barack Obama campaign in 2007. Eldridge enrolled atColumbia Law School in New York City but withdrew to joinFreedom to Marry.[3]
After the New York Senate voted down same-sex marriage legislation in 2009, Eldridge joinedFreedom to Marry, the campaign to win marriage equality nationwide. He served initially as communications director and then as political director, a role in which he helped lead the successful 2011 effort to legalize same-sex marriage in New York.[9][better source needed]
Following the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York State, Eldridge founded the investment fund Hudson River Ventures in 2011 to address the growing issue of access to capital for small businesses in theHudson Valley.[10] He also founded the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center atSUNY New Paltz in 2013, which trains students and workers on the use of 3-D printing technology.[11]
Since 2011, Eldridge has served on the board of directors of Scenic Hudson, "the largest environmental group focused on the Hudson Valley", and is a significant supporter of their climate change and waterfront protection programs.[12][13] Eldridge has also served as a Planned Parenthood board member.[14]
In 2012, Eldridge launched Protect Our Democracy PAC and New York Leadership for Accountable Government (NY LEAD), a bipartisan group of business and civic leaders advocating for campaign finance reform in New York State.[15][16][17]
Eldridge and his husband, Chris Hughes, bought a home in Garrison, New York for $5 million in 2011[18] so that Eldridge could run for Congress in New York's 18th congressional district. After another Democrat was elected to Congress in that district,[19] Eldridge and Hughes purchased a $2 million home in New York's 19th congressional district in 2013.[18][19]
After moving into the 19th congressional district, “Eldridge set up a venture capital firm, Hudson River Ventures, that has provided millions in loans and equity lines to local companies.” Eldridge reportedly used Hughes's wealth “to build an elaborate campaign apparatus in a district where he remain[ed] a stranger to many. In addition to his firm’s investments, Eldridge…promised to match each contribution he receive[d], dollar for dollar.”[2]
In early 2013, Eldridge, then aged 26, filed paperwork to run for theU.S. House of Representatives in 2014. A Democrat, Eldridge challenged Republican incumbentChris Gibson inNew York's 19th congressional district.[20] The district has been described as "the quintessential swing district".[21] RealClearPolitics.com reported that "Eldridge's formidable strengths as a well-financed, eloquent messenger with powerful friends in the Democratic Party [were] obvious" and praised Eldridge for making campaign finance reform "a key part of his platform".[20] Eldridge supported abortion rights[6] and immigration reform, opposed hydrofracking, and supported a minimum wage hike.[22] Because Eldridge and Hughes had only moved into the district fairly recently, Eldridge developed a reputation as a carpetbagger.[6][23][24][25] In October 2014,The New York Times described Eldridge as "'a first-time Democratic candidate with a thin résumé and a thick wallet'", andPolitico called his campaign a "catastrophe".[26]Vanity Fair opined that his campaign was "overfunded and stacked with expensive consultants".[6]
On November 4, 2014, Eldridge lost the election,[23] 62.6%-34.5%,[27] "despite having outspent his opponent nearly 3-to-1 in a district President Obama won by 6 percentage points".[19]
In the weeks after the 2016 election, Eldridge startedStand Up America, an advocacy organization that began as a Facebook page and quickly grew to a community of over two million progressives. The organization has fought toimpeach Donald Trump,[28] secure funding forelection security,[29] and passvoting rights laws[30] and anti-corruption legislation.[31]
Eldridge became a U.S. citizen in 2006.[2]
Eldridge married Facebook co-founderChris Hughes on June 30, 2012. They have one son.[1] Eldridge and Hughes attended PresidentBarack Obama's firststate dinner together in 2009.[32] The couple was featured on the cover ofThe Advocate magazine's "Forty Under 40" issue in 2011.[33] Eldridge and Hughes were also profiled inThe New York Times in May 2012.[34][8]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sean S. Eldridge | 60,533 | 28.8% | |
| Working Families | Sean S. Eldridge | 11,937 | 5.7% | |
| Total | Sean S. Eldridge | 72,470 | 34.5% | |
| Republican | Chris Gibson | 102,118 | 48.5% | |
| Conservative | Chris Gibson | 20,420 | 9.7% | |
| Independence | Chris Gibson | 9,056 | 4.3% | |
| Total | Chris Gibson (Incumbent) | 131,594 | 62.6% | |
| None | Blank/Void/Write-In | 6,287 | 2.9% | |
| Total votes | 210,351 | 100% | ||
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