Free State Project Names Maine Senator Eric Brakey as New Executive Director
[Manchester, November 30, 2023] – The Free State Project, a political migration movement dedicated to attracting liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to New Hampshire, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Maine Senator Eric Brakey (35) as its new Executive Director, effective December 1st.Senator Brakey, who will finish his third term in the Maine Senate next year and not seek re-election, brings a wealth of experience and a steadfast commitment to the principles of liberty, making him the ideal choice to lead the Free State Project into its next chapter.
“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 Senator Eric 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.”
In 2003, supporters of the Free State movement chose New Hampshire as their destination. Today, more than 7,000 live in the state. The Free State Project hosts two annual events to showcase the NH Advantage: Liberty Forum, an intimate, 300-person winter hotel conference, and the Porcupine Freedom Festival (aka “PorcFest”), a summer camping event with about 3,000 attendees.
Over the past two decades, Free Staters have been elected to office, served on school boards and civic committees, run independent media sites, and have started businesses, private clubs, and charities. Free Staters have been instrumental in expanding liberties in many different areas, from jury nullification and craft brewing, to cryptocurrencies and First Amendment activities. In 2023, NBC Boston broadcast an extensive, 11-part docuseries about the Free State Project called Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire.
“New Hampshire was just ranked Number One by the Cato Institute as the freest state in the nation overall,” said Free State Project founder and current board member, Jason Sorens, who worked on the report. “With our low tax burden, natural beauty, and policies like expanded school choice and Constitutional Carry, New Hampshire is becoming difficult to beat in terms of overall quality of living.”
As the new Executive Director, Senator Brakey will play a pivotal role in promoting these advantages to help attract more liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to the ‘Live Free or Die’ state.
Eric 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.”
About the Free State Project:
The Free State Project is a 501c3 educational non-profit dedicated to promoting individual liberty, limited government, and free-market principles in New Hampshire. Founded in 2003, the organization encourages liberty-minded individuals and libertarians to move to New Hampshire, where they can live, work, and play while advocating for a freer society. Learn more at fsp.org.