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Don Bolduc

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Don Bolduc
Personal details
Born (1962-05-08) May 8, 1962 (age 62)
Laconia, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationSalem State University (BA)
United States Army War College (MS)
Military service
BranchUnited States Army
Years of service1981–2017
RankBrigadier general
CommandsSpecial Operations Command Africa
Battles
AwardsDefense Superior Service Medal (3)
Legion of Merit[1]
Bronze Star (5, with valor)
Purple Heart (2)

Donald C. Bolduc (born May 8, 1962)[2] is a retired brigadier general of the United States Army. The Republican nominee in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in New Hampshire, he lost to incumbent Democrat Maggie Hassan.[3] Bolduc was also a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020, but did not win the primary. As of 2024, Bolduc is employed as a police officer in Pittsfield, New Hampshire.[4]

Bolduc has been described by newspapers and wire services as far-right.[5] He initially endorsed the false Stop the Steal conspiracy theory positing that the 2020 U.S. presidential election was rigged to favor Joe Biden. He later acknowledged that the election was not stolen, stating that his previous positions were "political games".[4]

Early life and education

Bolduc was born in Laconia, New Hampshire, on May 8, 1962,[6] to Armand A. Bolduc (1939–2018) and Janet Gagne Bolduc (1940–2003).[7][8] His father was a farmer and served in the National Guard.[7] Bolduc earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Salem State University in 1989 and a Master of Science in security technologies from the United States Army War College.[9]

Military career

Bolduc served ten tours in Afghanistan, during which he received two Purple Hearts.[10][11] In 2006, he led the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group during Operation Medusa.[12] From 2010 to 2011, he commanded the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force. From 2012 to 2013, he commanded the Combined Joint Special Operations Component, where he started the Village Stability Operations program.[13] Bolduc suffered a hip injury in a friendly fire incident in 2001.[14] In 2005, it was discovered that he also had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).[14][15]

U.S. Senate campaigns

In June 2019, Bolduc entered the 2020 United States Senate election in New Hampshire, seeking the Republican nomination to run against incumbent Democratic senator Jeanne Shaheen. He lost the Republican primary to Corky Messner, who was endorsed by then-President Donald Trump.[16] During the election campaign, Bolduc ran a television ad attacking Democrats as "a bunch of liberal, socialist pansies", a remark perceived as being homophobic.[17]

After the 2020 election, Bolduc closely tied himself to Trump.[18] In February 2021, he announced that he would run for Senate again in the 2022 election,[19] hoping to challenge Democratic incumbent Senator Maggie Hassan.[20] In the Republican primary, he ran against Chuck Morse, the New Hampshire State Senate president. Bolduc sought endorsement by Trump, who made no endorsement in the primary[21][22] but praised Bolduc as a "strong guy, tough guy".[21] On September 14, Bolduc defeated Morse and won the Republican primary election.[23]

Accusations against Chris Sununu

After Chris Sununu announced in November 2021 that he would seek reelection as governor and would not run for U.S. Senate—an announcement that was viewed as a setback for the Republicans' hopes of winning Hassan's seat[18][24]—Bolduc gave a conspiracy-filled interview on conservative talk radio in which he denounced Sununu, a fellow Republican, as a "Chinese Communist sympathizer" and claimed that Sununu's business "supports terrorism".[18][25] Sununu has described Bolduc as "not a serious candidate" and a "conspiracy-theorist extremist"; Sununu endorsed Bolduc's primary rival, Chuck Morse.[26][27] However, Sununu endorsed Bolduc for the general election.[28]

Political positions

Bolduc was described as far-right during his 2022 Senate run as a Republican candidate.[29][30][31]

Bolduc has called for the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ending direct popular election of U.S. senators.[32][33] He opposed the provision in the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prices for prescription drugs, saying, "Anything the government's involved in, it's not good, it doesn't work."[32]

2020 presidential election

Bolduc was a 2020 presidential election denier.[27] He endorsed Donald Trump's false claim[34][35][36] that the 2020 presidential election was rigged to favor Joe Biden. In May 2021, Bolduc was one of 124 retired generals and admirals who signed an open letter promoting the lie that the presidential election was "rigged" in Biden's favor.[37] Throughout his campaign for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate, Bolduc continued to promote the false claim that the election was stolen and that Trump actually won; in an August 2022 primary debate, he said of his signing the May 2021 letter: "damn it, I stand by [it]".[38]

In September 2021, Bolduc criticized General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for reportedly telephoning his Chinese counterpart after the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol to assure him of the strategic stability of the United States. Bolduc said of Milley: "I believe his actions are irresponsible and they fall somewhere between treason and dereliction of duty."[39]

Two days after Bolduc won the Republican primary in September 2021, he reversed his stance on the 2020 election: "I have come to the conclusion, and I want to be definitive on this, the election was not stolen." After he lost the Senate election to Hassan in November, Bolduc told The New Yorker, "Joe Biden won. He is the legitimate President of the United States. President Trump should have accepted that."[40]

But Bolduc continued to promote his false claims that the election was marred by fraud.[41][42][43] "I went through a learning process on the whole thing and came out the other end to it not being a stolen election but one with irregularities and fraud, like a lot of other people on both sides of the aisle", he said in November.[40]

Abortion and fertility medicine

Bolduc opposes legal abortion and hailed the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, calling it an occasion to "rejoice".[44][45] After winning the Republican primary election, Bolduc distanced himself from a 15-week federal abortion ban proposed by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham; Bolduc said abortion should be a "state-level" issue.[44][46] Bolduc also considers the disposal of embryos for in vitro fertilization "a pretty disgusting practice".[47]

COVID-19 pandemic

Bolduc has repeated misinformation about COVID-19. He has falsely claimed that COVID-19 vaccines are really "Bill Gates saying we should put [micro]chips inside people" and asserted that the use of face masks to control the spread of the virus "cause[s] more problems than they solve".[48][49][50]

Foreign policy

In a February 2021 op-ed in USA Today, Bolduc criticized the Afghanistan Study Group recommendation urging a reversal on the scheduled withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. Bolduc urged the Biden administration to stick with the withdrawal deadline as set by the Trump administration.[51]

Litter boxes in schools

Main article: Litter boxes in schools hoax

Speaking to an audience in North Hampton, New Hampshire, on October 27, 2022, Bolduc repeated the debunked hoax[52] that children are being told they can identify as cats and use litter boxes in schools.[53] Pinkerton Academy and the Dover School District released statements refuting Bolduc's claim, calling his allegations "entirely untrue".[54]

Marijuana legalization

Bolduc is opposed to the legalization of marijuana, and considers it to be a gateway drug and a risk to public safety. In a July 2020 interview with WMUR-TV, Bolduc stated that "My big problem with marijuana is that it could be an entry drug and a gateway for our children. And I don't not want our children to be introduced to drugs. We have a big enough drug problem here, which nobody has really done anything about," and "when you get in a motor vehicle and you drive [under the influence of marijuana], your sobriety is impaired, and that is very, very dangerous. And until we get controls or some sort of system and technology in place for our police to be able to test sobriety of people that that are operating under the influence of marijuana, this is a public safety issue."[55]

Personal life

Bolduc lives in Stratham, New Hampshire, with his wife Sharon.[56] They have three sons: Joshua, Matthew, and Zachary.[1]

In 2024, it was announced that Bolduc was now employed as a police officer in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. He was hired by Pittsfield Police Chief Joe Collins as a patrolman.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Brigadier General Donald C. Bolduc" (PDF). Government Executive. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 17, 2021. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  2. ^ Retired General to Run for New Hampshire Senate Seat
  3. ^ DiStaso, John (November 9, 2020). "Gen. Don Bolduc wastes no time announcing 2022 US Senate candidacy to take on Hassan". WMUR. Retrieved November 9, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Duckler, Ray. "Generally speaking, Don Bolduc, now a Pittsfield police officer, has tested himself for years". Concord Monitor. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  5. ^ Multiple sources:
  6. ^ "2020 candidate profile: Don Bolduc (R)". WMUR. September 4, 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Armand A. Bolduc". Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services. 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  8. ^ "Janet 'Jan' L. Bolduc". Wilkinson-Beane Funeral Home & Cremation Services. 2003. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  9. ^ Searcey, Dionne (October 7, 2016). "A General's New Mission: Leading a Charge Against PTSD". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  10. ^ Murgatroyd, Laura (June 27, 2019). "After serving his country for 36 years, this retired army general now wants to serve in the Senate". Military Times.
  11. ^ "Bolduc earns second Purple Heart medal for combat injuries". Foster's Daily Democrat. January 28, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Fraser, David (2018). Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That Saved Afghanistan from the Taliban. McClelland & Stewart. ISBN 9780771039300.
  13. ^ "General Bolduc - Reflections in Command of Special Operations". Patch Media. April 1, 2019. Retrieved June 21, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Searcey, Dionne (October 7, 2016). "A General's New Mission: Leading a Charge Against PTSD". New York Times. Retrieved August 24, 2021. When a bomb dropped on his position in Afghanistan in 2001 — a friendly fire accident — General Bolduc's hip was badly damaged. ... General Bolduc learned that not only did he suffer from PTSD, but he also had a bullet-size spot on his brain, an injury probably dating to his helicopter crash in Afghanistan in 2005.
  15. ^ Morang, Ralph (June 3, 2018). "Army General Prefers Therapy, Not Medication". Foster's Daily Democrat. Retrieved August 24, 2021. combat veterans can have injuries that do not show: Post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries. Bolduc has both.
  16. ^ Rogers, Josh (June 24, 2019). "Don Bolduc Enters 2020 Senate Race As First Republican Challenger To Jeanne Shaheen". New Hampshire Public Radio. Archived from the original on June 24, 2019.
  17. ^ Gabriel, Trip (September 8, 2020). "Sununu and Shaheen Cruise in New Hampshire Primaries for Governor and Senate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  18. ^ a b c Axelrod, Tal (November 21, 2021). "Sununu setback leaves GOP scrambling in New Hampshire". The Hill.
  19. ^ DiStaso, John (November 9, 2020). "Gen. Don Bolduc wastes no time announcing 2022 US Senate candidacy to take on Hassan". Retrieved February 8, 2021.
  20. ^ Adam Sexton [@AdamSextonWMUR] (December 4, 2020). "No surprise here but now it's official: @Maggie_Hassan is running for re-election in 2022. Full interview will air Sunday 10am on @WMUR9 CloseUp. #NHPolitics #NHSen #WMUR" (Tweet). Retrieved February 8, 2021 – via Twitter.
  21. ^ a b Kevin Landrigan, Trump praises Bolduc as 'strong guy,' stops short of endorsement, The New Hampshire Union Leader (September 1, 2022).
  22. ^ "Analysis | Bolduc's About-Face Creates Dilemma for Trump". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  23. ^ "Don Bolduc: Pro-Trump candidate wins New Hampshire primary". BBC News. September 14, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  24. ^ Gomez, Henry J. (November 9, 2021). "New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu says he will not run for Senate, a blow to GOP hopes". NBC News.
  25. ^ Rogers, Josh (August 19, 2022). "Sununu Says He Won't Endorse "Conspiracy-Theory Type" Bolduc in Senate Republican Primary". New Hampshire Public Radio. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  26. ^ "Sununu says he won't endorse "conspiracy-theory type" Bolduc in Senate Republican primary". New Hampshire Public Radio. August 19, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  27. ^ a b Trip Gabriel, Bolduc Wins New Hampshire Senate Primary, Realizing G.O.P. Fears, New York Times (September 19, 2022).
  28. ^ "Sununu Does About-Face on U.S. Senate Candidate Bolduc". Seacoast Current. September 25, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  29. ^ Gedeon, Joseph (September 2, 2022). "Dem super PAC goes after moderate Republican ahead of N.H. Senate primary". Politico. Retrieved September 13, 2022. Don Bolduc, a far-right retired Army general
  30. ^ Vakil, Caroline (September 13, 2022). "Far-right candidate causes headaches for GOP in New Hampshire". The Hill. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  31. ^ "Scott Brown was once a GOP hero. Now his family's political journey could end today". NBC News. September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  32. ^ a b Gabriel, Trip (August 28, 2022). "In New Hampshire, Republicans Weigh Another Hard-Right Candidate". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  33. ^ Ben Kamisar and Bridget Bowman, New Hampshire Republican Senate hopefuls trash FBI, 2020 election results on debate stage, Meet the Press NBC News (August 15, 2022).
  34. ^ Crowley, Michael (November 6, 2020). "Trump's False Election Fraud Claims Split Republicans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  35. ^ "Trump continues to push false claims of election fraud in weekend flurry of press releases". news.yahoo.com. April 24, 2021. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  36. ^ Watson, Kathryn (November 4, 2020). "Trump falsely claims he won election as millions of votes remain uncounted". CBS News. Retrieved May 16, 2021.
  37. ^ Bender, Bryan (May 11, 2021). "'Disturbing and Reckless': Retired Brass Spread Election Lie in Attack on Biden, Democrats". Politico. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  38. ^ Cillizza, Chris (September 15, 2022). "The astounding flip-flop of an election denier". CNN. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  39. ^ John DiStaso (September 16, 2021). "Trump praises Bolduc on Milley controversy but does not mention his US Senate candidacy". WMUR.
  40. ^ a b Bolduc, Don (November 14, 2022). "Don Bolduc Explains His Defeat in the Midterms". The New Yorker (Interview). Interviewed by Isaac Chotiner. Archived from the original on March 27, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  41. ^ Richman, Jackson (September 15, 2022). "Fox News Anchors Confront MAGA Senate Candidate on 2020 Claims, He Completely Caves: 'The Election Was Not Stolen'". Mediaite. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  42. ^ Sullivan, Andy (September 15, 2022). "In reversal, Republican Senate candidate Bolduc calls Biden 'legitimate president'". Reuters. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  43. ^ Krieg, Gregory; Merica, Dan (September 15, 2022). "New Hampshire GOP Senate nominee abruptly backs off false 2020 election claims". CNN. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  44. ^ a b Josh Rogers, Hassan presses Bolduc on abortion, as national ban is proposed by GOP senator, New Hampshire Public Radio (September 16, 2022).
  45. ^ Bowman, Bridget (September 14, 2022). "Hassan targets Bolduc with her first TV ad of the general election". NBC News. Retrieved September 22, 2022.
  46. ^ Peoples, Steve; Ramer, Holly (September 16, 2022). "Abortion ban legislation adds to political challenge for GOP". AP News. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  47. ^ Tracy, Abigail (October 13, 2022). "Republican Senate Candidate Don Bolduc Calls Embryo Disposal "Disgusting Practice," Leaves Door Open On National Ban". Vanity Fair. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  48. ^ Brufke, Juliegrace (August 19, 2022). "Sununu Says Bolduc Is 'Not a Serious Candidate,' Won't Endorse Him". Washington Examiner. Retrieved September 13, 2022. Bolduc came under fire in 2020 for railing against masks during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and baselessly alleging that vaccines are 'Bill Gates saying we should put chips inside people.'
  49. ^ Cabral, Sam. "Don Bolduc: Republicans Fret over 'Too Trumpy' New Hampshire Primary Candidate". BBC. Retrieved September 13, 2022. Mr Bolduc has falsely claimed that coronavirus vaccines contain microchips.
  50. ^ Derysh, Igor (July 22, 2020). "GOP Senate Candidate Pushes Vaccine Conspiracy, Claims Masks 'Cause More Problems than They Solve'". Salon. Retrieved September 13, 2022. 'This is Bill Gates saying we should put chips inside people,' Don Bolduc falsely claimed
  51. ^ Bolduc, Don (February 25, 2021). "Withdraw troops as Trump administration scheduled. The Afghanistan Study Group is wrong". USA Today.
  52. ^ "Cat litter box myths are suddenly a culture war flashpoint. Here's how that happened". NBC News. October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  53. ^ Kaczynski, Andrew (October 29, 2022). "GOP New Hampshire Senate nominee repeats hoax that kids are using litter boxes in schools | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  54. ^ O'Grady, Eileen. "No, New Hampshire students aren't using litterboxes, school officials say in response to Bolduc's claim". Concord Monitor. Retrieved November 3, 2022.
  55. ^ Bolduc, Don (July 15, 2020). "Re-watch Facebook Live Q&A: Don Bolduc". WMUR-TV. Interviewed by Adam Sexton. Manchester, New Hampshire: American Broadcasting Company. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  56. ^ LaCasse, Alex (June 27, 2019). "Retired Army general to challenge Shaheen". The Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
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Preceded by Republican nominee for U.S. Senator from New Hampshire
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