David Pierce was an American politician.
[1] He was the first openly gay person to ever run for and win a seat in the 24-member New Hampshire Senate.
[2] Pierce is also widely credited for his speech before the New Hampshire House on the issue of same-sex marriage in New Hampshire, which reportedly swayed several undecided legislators to support the legislation and led to its passage on a narrow vote.
[2] He was also known for his advocacy on voting rights in particular and his work on constitutional issues generally.
In 2008, Pierce completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett Foundation LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow.